6.9/10
5,540
82 user 22 critic

Prospero's Books (1991)

R | | Drama, Fantasy | 30 August 1991 (UK)
Prospero's Books Poster
The magician Prospero attempts to stop his daughter's affair with an enemy.

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play), Peter Greenaway

Stars:

John Gielgud, Michael Clark, Michel Blanc | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

On Disc

at Amazon

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 22 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
The Pillow Book (1996)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

A woman with a body writing fetish seeks to find a combined lover and calligrapher.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Vivian Wu, Ewan McGregor, Yoshi Oida
Next »
The Baby of Mâcon (1993)
Drama | History
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

A movie about the corruption in all levels of society. A baby is born from a supposed-to-be virgin woman, so a chain of hysteria about divine intervention in the birth takes place.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Julia Ormond, Ralph Fiennes, Philip Stone
Next »
Drowning by Numbers (1988)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

Three generations of women all share the same problem: marriage woes, and they want to put an end to it.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Bernard Hill, Joan Plowright, Juliet Stevenson
Next »
The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
Comedy | Drama | History
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A young artist is commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner to make a series of drawings of the estate while her husband is away.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman, Anne-Louise Lambert
Next »
The Belly of an Architect (1987)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7/10 X  

An architect supervising an exhibition starts to have mysterious stomach pains while his life begins to fall apart.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Brian Dennehy, Chloe Webb, Lambert Wilson
Next »
A Zed & Two Noughts (1985)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Twin zoologists lose their wives in a car accident and become obsessed with decomposing animals.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Brian Deacon, Eric Deacon, Andréa Ferréol
Next »
8 ½ Women (1999)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

Following the death of a mother, a father and son open up a brothel in their Genevan estate after watching 8½ (1963).

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: John Standing, Matthew Delamere, Vivian Wu
Next »
Nightwatching (2007)
Biography | Drama | History
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

An extravagant, exotic and moving look at Rembrandt's romantic and professional life, and the controversy he created by the identification of a murderer in the painting 'The Night Watch'.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Martin Freeman, Emily Holmes, Eva Birthistle
Next »
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

The wife of an abusive criminal finds solace in the arms of a kind regular guest in her husband's restaurant.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren
Next »
The Falls (1980)
Comedy | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

92 BBC documentary-style shorts that record the lives of 92 victims of the VUE (Violent Unexplained Event), each with last names beginning with "Fall."

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Peter Westley, Aad Wirtz, Michael Murray
Next »
Goltzius and the Pelican Company (2012)
Biography | Comedy | History
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

Hendrik Goltzius, a late sixteenth-century Dutch printer and engraver of erotic prints, seduces the Margrave of Alsace into paying for a printing press to make and publish illustrated books.

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Lars Eidinger, Goran Bogdan
Next »
Eisenstein in Guanajuato (2015)
Biography | Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

The venerated filmmaker Eisenstein is comparable in talent, insight and wisdom, with the likes of Shakespeare or Beethoven; there are few - if any - directors who can be elevated to such ... See full summary »

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti, Maya Zapata
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Gielgud ... Prospero
Michael Clark Michael Clark ... Caliban
Michel Blanc ... Alonso
Erland Josephson ... Gonzalo
Isabelle Pasco ... Miranda
Tom Bell ... Antonio
Kenneth Cranham ... Sebastian
Mark Rylance ... Ferdinand
Gerard Thoolen ... Adrian
Pierre Bokma ... Francisco
Jim van der Woude Jim van der Woude ... Trinculo
Michiel Romeyn Michiel Romeyn ... Stephano
Orpheo Orpheo ... Ariel
Paul Russell Paul Russell ... Ariel
James Thierrée James Thierrée ... Ariel (as James Thiérrée)
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

An exiled magician finds an opportunity for revenge against his enemies muted when his daughter and the son of his chief enemy fall in love in this uniquely structured retelling of the 'The Tempest'. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

nudity | shakespeare adaptation | book | urination | shakespeare's the tempest | See All (21) »

Taglines:

A magician's spell, the innocence of young love and a dream of revenge unite to create a tempest.

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive nudity | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

UK | Netherlands | France | Italy | Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 August 1991 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

A Última Tempestade See more »

Filming Locations:

UK See more »
Edit

Box Office

Budget:

£1,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,750,301
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allarts,Cinéa,Caméra One See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

All of the credits (right down to the copyright warnings) are shown at the beginning of the movie. See more »

Alternate Versions

The German DVD version has two title cards before the opening credits explaining prior events and the premise of the film. See more »

Connections

Version of The Tempest (1960) See more »

Soundtracks

Prospero's Magic
Written by Michael Nyman
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Cinematic Magic - the Bard is the touchstone for today's technology
5 February 2000 | by monabe – See all my reviews

Peter Greenaway has given us a visual cinematic treat. This dazzling blend of technology, allegory and imagination is a multi-layered treat for those who seek the art that video and the digital world promise. Watch this movie on video to properly savour the intelligence and artistic genius that guides this visual delight.

Do not expect rationality or straight-line logic. Rather, enjoy this as a unique and idiosyncratic artistic cinematic vision. Pure cinema. All you need to know is the basic story of "The Tempest". Shakespeare. I am sure, would have understood what Peter Greenaway was about in providing such entertainment for a 20th century audience.
21 of 28 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 82 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Rent or Buy Popular Movies With Prime Video

Explore popular movies available to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Visit Prime Video to explore more titles


Clear your history

Recently Viewed