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17/09/1993 Drama, History 2h 2m
68
User score

Exploring thoroughly modern taboos

Overview

In 17th-century Tuscany, a church play is performed for the benefit of young aristocrat Cosimo. In the play, a grotesque old woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. The child's older sister is quick to exploit the situation, selling blessings from the baby, and even claiming she's the true mother by virgin birth. However, when she attempts to seduce the bishop's son, the Church exacts a terrible revenge.

  1. Peter Greenaway

    Writer, Director

Top billed cast

  1. Julia Ormond

    The Daughter

  2. Ralph Fiennes

    The Bishop's Son

  3. Philip Stone

    The Bishop

  4. Jonathan Lacey

    Cosimo Medici

  5. Don Henderson

    The Father Confessor

  6. Celia Gregory

    The Mother Superior

  7. Jeff Nuttall

    The Major Domo

  8. Jessica Hynes

    The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)

  9. Kathryn Hunter

    The Second Midwife

  10. View more

Full Cast & Crew

Reviews

A review by CinemaSerf
Written by CinemaSerf on 2023-01-07
I've always found Peter Greenaway films rather hit or miss, and this rather theatrical effort I found more the latter. It all centres around a sort of immaculate conception birth at the Medici court and follows the anticipatory and resultant shenanigans as human nature is (quite literally) laid bare for all to see (and that nature doesn't always come off so well!) It has something of the bawdy romp to it, with some suitably appropriate ecclesiastical excesses and loads of colour - usually red - to liven it up. The story? Well though interesting for the first twenty minutes or so, I felt it fel...read the rest
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Status
Released

Original Language
English

Budget
$0.00

Revenue
$90,000.00

Keywords