Peter Greenaway's Postmodern / Poststructuralist Cinema
📘 About This Book
Since the 1960s, British multi-media artist Peter Greenaway has shocked and intrigued audiences with his avant-garde approach to filmmaking and other artistic ventures. From early experimental films to provocative features, Greenaway has deployed strategies associated with structuralist cinema, only to challenge or critique the very limits of that cinema and of film in general. In this collection of essays, scholars from a variety of disciplines explore various postmodern and poststructuralist aspects of Greenaway's films, starting with his early shorts and delving into his feature-length works, including The Draughtman's Contract, The Belly of an Architect, A Zed and Two Noughts, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, The Baby of Mâcon, and The Pillow Book. Other artistic productions, including his paintings and installations are also discussed. These essays examine the filmmaker's position within British and avant-garde cinema and his interest in constructing and deconstructing representational systems. In the years since the first edition of this book, Greenaway has enjoyed continued success in creating hybridized media projects for the stage and screen, as evidenced by additional essays for this revised edition. A new chapter addresses how Dutch political events and Dutch art have been crucial in shaping Greenaway's aesthetic, focusing on The Draughtsman's Contract, the 1991 opera Writing to Vermeer, and Nightwatching, the audio-visual installation and 2007 film of the same name, which were inspired by Rembrandt's Night Watch. Also new to this collection is an essay that examines Greenaway's most ambitious endeavor to date, The Tulse Luper Suitcases, which exists as four feature films, multiple websites, an online game, several books and installations, and a number of theatrical events. Peter Greenaway's Postmodern/Poststructuralist Cinema, Revised Edition explores the cultural, historical, and philosophical implication
📖 Summary
Peter Greenaway's Postmodern / Poststructuralist Cinema, edited by Paula Willoquet-Maricondi and published in 2008 across 447 pages, stands as a rigorous academic exploration of one of contemporary art's most provocative and idiosyncratic figures. Since the 1960s, British multi-media artist Peter Greenaway has consistently shocked and intrigued global audiences with his avant-garde approach to filmmaking and various other artistic ventures. From his early experimental short films to his deeply provocative feature-length narratives, Greenaway has deployed strategies traditionally associated with structuralist cinema, only to pivot, challenge, and ultimately critique the very limits of that medium and of traditional filmmaking as a whole. This comprehensive collection of essays brings together scholars from a wide variety of disciplines to unpack, analyze, and contextualize the intricate postmodern and poststructuralist layers woven deeply into Greenaway's cinematic tapestry. The volume meticulously traces the evolution of the filmmaker's career, starting from his earliest short works and delving deeply into his celebrated feature-length masterpieces. Readers are treated to insightful critical examinations of iconic films such as The Draughtman's Contract, The Belly of an Architect, A Zed and Two Noughts, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, The Baby of Mâcon, and The Pillow Book, alongside broader discussions encompassing his expansive other artistic productions. Rather than offering a singular, monolithic interpretation of these visually opulent and intellectually demanding works, the collection embraces a multiplicity of academic voices. The contributing scholars investigate how Greenaway subverts standard narrative conventions, plays with architectural and painterly framing, deconstructs historical and artistic traditions, and actively implicates the viewer in a self-reflexive cinematic experience. Through these essays, the book demonstrates how Greenaway's films function as theoretical objects that question the stability of meaning, authorship, representation, and the boundaries between high art and popular culture. It serves as an indispensable guide for anyone seeking to decode the dense symbolism, symmetrical compositions, and philosophical provocations that define Greenaway's enduring legacy in avant-garde and postmodern visual culture.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Offers a multidisciplinary academic perspective on a complex filmmaker
Covers a wide range of Greenaway's filmography from early shorts to major features
Engages deeply with postmodern and poststructuralist theory
Provides thorough and insightful close readings of iconic art house films
⚠️ Cons
Dense academic prose may be challenging for casual film viewers
Assumes prior familiarity with Peter Greenaway's films and avant-garde theory
❓ FAQ
Who edited the book? +
The book is edited by Paula Willoquet-Maricondi.
When was the book published? +
It was published in 2008.
How many pages does the book contain? +
The volume contains 447 pages.
Which of Peter Greenaway's films are discussed in the essays? +
The collection covers his early shorts as well as features such as The Draughtman's Contract, The Belly of an Architect, A Zed and Two Noughts, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, The Baby of Mâcon, and The Pillow Book.
What theoretical framework dominates the collection? +
The essays primarily explore the postmodern and poststructuralist aspects of Greenaway's cinematic and artistic output.
