IMDb > The Pillow Book (1996)
The Pillow Book
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The Pillow Book (1996) More at IMDbPro »

Videos
The Pillow Book (1996) -- US Home Video Trailer from Columbia Tri-star

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   6,469 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Peter Greenaway
Writers:
Sei Shonagon (book)
Peter Greenaway (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Pillow Book on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 June 1997 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
Things that make the heart beat faster. more
Plot:
As a young girl in Japan, Nagiko's father paints characters on her face, and her aunt reads to her from "The Pillow Book"... more | add synopsis
Awards:
5 wins & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
DVD: Review:Nightwatching
 (From The AV Club. 15 September 2009, 10:01 PM, PDT)

The Secret History
 (From IFC. 15 September 2009, 10:20 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Sensual, erotic & languid more (87 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Vivian Wu ... Nagiko
Yoshi Oida ... The Publisher
Ken Ogata ... The Father
Hideko Yoshida ... The Aunt / The Maid

Ewan McGregor ... Jerome
Judy Ongg ... The Mother
Ken Mitsuishi ... The Husband
Yutaka Honda ... Hoki
Barbara Lott ... Jerome's Mother
Miwako Kawai ... Young Nagiko

Lynne Langdon ... Jerome's sister (as Lynne Frances Wachendorfer)
Chizuru Ohnishi ... Young Nagiko
Shiho Takamatsu ... Young Nagiko
Aki Ishimaru ... Young Nagiko
Hisashi Hidaka ... Calligrapher
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Pillow Book (France)
more
Runtime:
126 min
Aspect Ratio:
1.75 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
Hong Kong, China more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The keeping of pillow books to record poems, secrets, and encounters with lovers was a common practice of noble women in Heian Japan. Although its content is unrelated to the film, a famous example was written by Sei Shonagon at about the same time as Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji which has the honor of being the world's first novel. In fact, it has been said that Sei Shonogon and Lady Murasaki were rivals in the court of Heian. more
Goofs:
Boom mic visible: Mike visible during wide shot when Nagiko kneels and Jerome signs his name on her back. 01:03:59 into the film on PAL DVDs. more
Quotes:
Nagiko: How can I get pleasure writing on you? You have to write on me.
Jerome: Go on. Use my body like the pages of a book. Of your book.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Deed Poll (2004) (V) more
Soundtrack:
La Marquise more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
12 out of 17 people found the following comment useful.
Sensual, erotic & languid, 25 July 2000
8/10
Author: Afracious from England

At the beginning of the film we see a little girl being written upon by her father. The film then moves to the girl as an adult, and seeking lovers who will write on her body again. She meets a bisexual Englishman, who also likes to be written on, and she finds out he is also a former lover of a man who has previously betrayed her father.

Greenaway uses some of the techniques from Prospero's Books, in the way the film is shown, with small rectangular boxes containing other images. The film is beautiful to look at, as per usual with Greenaway's films. There is also a seductive French song that plays at times during the film, a sensuous lady performs this tune, and it is very appropriate to the film. The film is erotic, with plenty of nudity on view. I do think the film is a bit languid at times though, and this hurts it, but it's still an impressive piece of cinema.

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