A woman with a body-writing fetish seeks to find a combined lover and calligrapher.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- 5 wins & 3 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| 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
|
|
|
Dehong Chen | ... |
Calligrapher
|
|
|
Ham Chau Luong | ... |
Calligrapher
(as Ham Cham Luong)
|
|
|
Akihiro Nishida | ... |
Calligrapher
|
|
|
Kentaro | ... |
Calligrapher
(as Kentaro Matsuo)
|
|
|
Nguyen Duc Nhan | ... |
Calligrapher
|
|
|
Augusto Aristotle | ... |
Calligrapher
|
|
|
Roger To Thanh Hien | ... |
Calligrapher
|
| Chris Bearne | ... |
Calligrapher
|
|
| Ronald Guttman | ... |
Calligrapher
|
|
|
|
Wichert Dromkert | ... |
The Book of the Innocent
|
|
|
Martin Tukker | ... |
The Book of the Idiot
|
|
|
Wu Wei | ... |
The Book of Old Age
|
|
|
Tom Kane | ... |
The Book of the Exhibitionist
|
|
|
Kheim Lam | ... |
The Book of the Seducer
|
|
|
Daishi Hori | ... |
The Book of Youth
|
|
|
Kinya Tsuruyama | ... |
The Book of Secrets
|
|
|
Eiichi Tanaka | ... |
The Book of the Betrayer
|
|
|
Rick Waney | ... |
The Book of Silence
|
|
|
Masaru Matsuda | ... |
The Book of Birth and Beginnings
|
|
|
Wataru Murofushi | ... |
The Book of the Dead
|
|
|
Ryuke Azuma | ... |
Grandmother
|
|
|
Seitaro Koyama | ... |
Nephew
|
|
|
Tatsuya Kimura | ... |
Nephew
|
|
|
Yoshihiko Nagata | ... |
Husband's Friend
|
|
|
Atsushi Miura | ... |
Husband's Friend
|
|
|
Kazushi Ishimaru | ... |
Baby Nagiko
|
|
|
Hikari Abe | ... |
Nagiko's Baby
|
|
|
Ai Kanafuji | ... |
Nagiko's Friend
|
|
|
Yoshino Yoshioka | ... |
Nagiko's Friend
|
|
|
Yuki Nou | ... |
Nagiko's Friend
|
|
|
Masami Nishio | ... |
Nagiko's Friend
|
|
|
Satomi Kimura | ... |
Nagiko's Friend
|
|
|
Michiko Matsuo | ... |
Nagiko's Friend
|
|
|
Kintaro Murayama | ... |
Nagiko's Friend
|
|
|
Ann |
|
|
|
|
Kaoru Ueda | ... |
Model
|
|
|
Ohko | ... |
Model
|
|
|
Junko Shinohara | ... |
Model
|
|
|
Yûko Nozawa | ... |
Model
(as Yuko Nozawa)
|
|
|
Kiyomi Nomura | ... |
Model
|
|
|
Midori Hatsuda | ... |
Model
|
|
|
Miwa Hayashi | ... |
Model
|
|
|
Seizo H. Inoue | ... |
10th Century Man
(as Seizo Inoue)
|
|
|
Yoshihiro Kawai | ... |
10th Century Man
|
|
|
Munenari Takeshima | ... |
10th Century Man
|
|
|
Toshio Kimura | ... |
10th Century Man
|
|
|
Masakazu Takemura | ... |
10th Century Man
|
|
|
Hiroshi Nakajima | ... |
10th Century Man
|
|
|
Kageyoshi Shirakata | ... |
10th Century Man
|
|
|
Takashi Miyake | ... |
10th Century Man
|
|
|
Hiroko Uno | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Yûko Shimomura | ... |
10th Century Woman
(as Yuko Shimomura)
|
|
|
Kana Haraguchi | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Yuri Inoue | ... |
10th Century Woman
(as Yuri Inoue)
|
|
|
Makiko Shoji | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Miwako Namie | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Atsuko Nakamura | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Tokiko Horiike | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Akiko Yokotani | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Yasuyo Ogawa | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Atsuko Yoshikawa | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Mariko Ajimoto | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Hiromi Tani | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Fukue Kitaoka | ... |
10th Century Woman
|
|
|
Arnita Swanson | ... |
Edele
(as Arnita C. Swanson)
|
| Jim Adhi Limas | ... |
Man in Lift
|
|
|
|
Miho Tanaka | ... |
Model Friend in Cafe Typo
|
|
|
Fabienne De Marco | ... |
Model Friend in Cafe Typo
|
|
|
Tania De Jaeger | ... |
Model Friend in Cafe Typo
|
|
|
Jinhua Lu | ... |
Wife of Calligrapher
|
|
|
Tien Sing Wang | ... |
Intruder
|
|
|
Chau |
|
|
|
|
See Wah Leung | ... |
Intruder
|
|
|
Kha |
|
|
|
|
Kumi Komino | ... |
Elderly Secretary
|
|
|
Yuki Hayashi | ... |
Young Female Secretary
|
|
|
Maskai Taketani | ... |
Young Male Secretary
|
|
|
Mr. Luo |
|
|
|
|
Mrs. Luo |
|
|
|
|
See Yan Leung | ... |
Bookshop Manager
|
|
|
François Van Den Bergen | ... |
Book of Seducer
(as Francois Van Den Bergen)
|
|
|
Valerie Buchanan | ... |
(as Valerie Buchanon)
|
|
|
Yorks Tong |
|
|
| Anna Chu |
|
||
|
|
C.S. Wong |
|
|
| Michelle Nicholson | ... |
Model
(as Michelle Leigh Nicholson)
|
|
| Farini Cheung | ... |
(as Farini Chang)
|
|
|
|
Anita Leung Fui Shan |
|
|
|
|
Tom Tom |
|
|
|
|
Doris Lui Lai Fong |
|
|
|
|
Sam |
|
|
|
|
Shuen Ngar Lei |
|
|
|
|
Chan Ben |
|
|
|
|
Bobsy Jureidini |
|
|
|
|
Andrew Chan |
|
|
|
|
Vanessa Lanza |
|
|
|
|
Chau Kwok Kwan |
|
|
|
|
Ho Keung Kwong |
|
|
| Sammuel Leung |
|
||
|
|
Jo Jo Hui |
|
|
|
|
Louis Fu Yiu Shi |
|
|
|
|
Paul Wan |
|
|
|
|
Adrian Kwan | ... |
(as Adrian Kwan Shun Fai)
|
|
|
Leung Woo |
|
|
|
|
Pak Kin Hui |
|
|
|
|
Man Kit | ... |
(as Tony Wong Man Kit)
|
|
|
Foon Wing Hong |
|
|
|
|
Man-Chun Li |
|
|
|
|
Stephen C. Lam |
|
|
|
|
Edelmer Christanse |
|
|
|
|
Jimmy Wai-Chang Lee |
|
|
|
|
Terence Tsin Chung Tung |
|
|
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Mennan Yapo | ... |
Café Typo Manager (uncredited)
|
|
Directed by
| Peter Greenaway | ||
Written by
| Sei Shonagon | ... | (book) |
| Peter Greenaway | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Bob Bellion | ... | co-producer |
| Terry Glinwood | ... | executive producer |
| Kees Kasander | ... | producer |
| Jessinta Liu | ... | line producer: Hong Kong |
| Jean-Louis Piel | ... | executive producer |
| Tom Reeve | ... | executive producer |
| Denis Wigman | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Brian Eno | ||
Cinematography by
| Sacha Vierny | ||
Editing by
| Peter Greenaway | ||
| Chris Wyatt | ||
Editorial Department
| Trevor Brown | ... | colorist |
| Boris Trentelman | ... | grader |
Casting By
| Abi Cohen | ||
| Hitomi Ishihara | ||
| Carrie O'Brien | ||
| Aimi O | ||
| Liora Reich | ||
Production Design by
| Kôichi Hamamura | ||
| Willemijn Loivers | ||
| Hiroto Oonogi | ||
| Andrée Putman | ||
| Noriyuki Tanaka | ||
| Wilbert Van Dorp | ... | (as Wilbert van Dorp) |
Costume Design by
| Martin Margiela | ||
| Dien van Straalen | ||
| Koji Tatsuno | ||
Makeup Department
| Seiji Arai | ... | makeup artist |
| Cathy Folmer | ... | makeup artist |
| Shoko Ishigaki | ... | makeup artist |
| Sara Meerman | ... | hair and make up designer |
| Vivian Nowak | ... | makeup artist (as Vivian Nowack) |
| Noriko Sato | ... | makeup artist |
| Kyôko Toyokawa | ... | makeup artist (as Kyoko Toyokawa) |
Production Management
| Katsumi Furuhashi | ... | unit production manager |
| Misako Furukawa | ... | unit production manager |
| Yumiko Miwa | ... | unit production manager |
| Fiona Nottingham | ... | unit production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Paul Cheung | ... | assistant director |
| Koji Kobayashi | ... | assistant director |
| Adrian Kwan | ... | assistant director (as Shun-fai Kwan) |
| Kenji Nakanishi | ... | assistant director |
| Aimi O | ... | second assistant director |
| Vincent Rivier | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Second Chan | ... | assistant art director |
| Yau Kong Chan | ... | art department |
| Vincent de Pater | ... | assistant art director (as Vincent De Pater) |
| Do Demuth | ... | painter |
| Rob Duiker | ... | carpenter |
| Thierry Gratien | ... | constructor |
| Lijntje Helweg | ... | property master / set dresser |
| Elmer Jacobs | ... | constructor |
| Kwok-On Lau | ... | art department |
| Wai Chung Lau | ... | art department |
| Wai Hung Lau | ... | art department |
| Tak-Ngan Law | ... | art department |
| David Peters | ... | constructor |
| Maarten Piersma | ... | constructor |
| Kazunori Sawaji | ... | art department |
| Danielle Schilling | ... | property master / set dresser |
| Wong Kwong Shing | ... | art department |
| Otfried Suppin | ... | art department assistant |
| Mari Tobita | ... | art department |
| Claudia Valentijn | ... | painter |
| Dione van der Hoeven | ... | property master (as Dione Van Der Hoeven) / set dresser (as Dione Van Der Hoeven) |
| Dory van Noort | ... | constructor (as Dory Van Noort) |
| Floris Vos | ... | art department |
| Emi Wada | ... | production designer: Japan |
| Wai-Ming Wong | ... | property master / set dresser |
| Ben Zuydwijk | ... | painter (as Ben Zuidwijk) |
Sound Department
| James Feltham | ... | assistant sound editor |
| Kazunori Fujimaru | ... | boom operator |
| Nigel Heath | ... | post-production sound |
| Rod Howick | ... | foley editor |
| Cliff Jones | ... | re-recording mixer |
| Mathew Knights | ... | dialogue editor |
| Garth Marshall | ... | production sound |
| Kan Shirai | ... | boom operator |
| Julian Slater | ... | sound effects editor |
| Volker Zeigermann | ... | boom operator |
| Richard Pryke | ... | assistant re-recording mixer (uncredited) |
| Otto Snel | ... | re-recording mixer (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
| Reinier van Brummelen | ... | special lighting effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Chi-Yeung Chan | ... | lighting electrician (as Billy Chan) |
| Andy Cheng | ... | lighting electrician |
| Pierre Dermience | ... | electrician |
| Arnout Glas | ... | lighting electrician |
| Marc Guillaumot | ... | still photographer |
| Wong Lap Hee | ... | clapper loader |
| Kazunori Hirasawa | ... | focus puller |
| Tomoka Izumi | ... | clapper loader |
| Kees Kroese | ... | rigger |
| Chi Wai Lee | ... | lighting electrician |
| Cristian Lux | ... | lighting electrician |
| Vincent Mathias | ... | focus puller |
| Gilles Mathony | ... | lighting electrician |
| Shinya Morishita | ... | lighting electrician |
| Dirk Nijland | ... | grip |
| Tatsuo Shima | ... | lighting electrician |
| Benito Strangio | ... | camera operator |
| Reinier van Brummelen | ... | gaffer |
| Wong Si Wah | ... | lighting electrician |
| Nelson Lik-wai Yu | ... | clapper loader (as Nelson Yu) |
Casting Department
| Véronique Demaret | ... | casting assistant |
| Cathy Lill | ... | casting assistant |
| Madoka Matsuo | ... | casting assistant |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Nagahiro Ebara | ... | costumer |
| Mariella Kallenberg | ... | costumer |
| Isao Nomura | ... | costumer |
| Emi Wada | ... | costume designer: Japan |
| Lucy Wei | ... | costumer |
Location Management
| Bob Feltgen | ... | location manager |
| Yuk Ching To | ... | location manager (as Maggie To) |
| Marc Wouters | ... | location manager |
Music Department
| Ron Korb | ... | musician: flutes |
Script and Continuity Department
| Agathe Grau | ... | continuity |
| Chika Ogura | ... | script translator |
| Elly Verduyckt | ... | additional script continuity |
Additional Crew
| Kazuko Aba | ... | breast-feeding double: Vivian Wu |
| Bob Bellion | ... | accountant |
| Marco Del Zotto | ... | production crew |
| Lydia Gonzalez | ... | accountant (as Lydie Gonzalez) |
| Debby de Jong | ... | production coordinator (as Debby De Jong) |
| Kay Kimura | ... | production crew |
| Eliza Poklewski Koziell | ... | assistant to director |
| Eliza Liu | ... | accountant |
| Yuriko Mameshiro | ... | production coordinator: Japan |
| Junko Matsumori | ... | pregnant double: Vivian Wu |
| Charles McDonald | ... | publicist |
| Yves Mond | ... | production crew |
| Brody Neuenschwander | ... | calligrapher |
| Mario Paolinelli | ... | dialogue |
| Joel Reid | ... | production crew |
| Takahiro Sasaki | ... | production crew |
| Yoshiko Tanaka | ... | production crew |
| Jeremy Thomas | ... | production crew |
| Masatoshi Tôjô | ... | production crew |
| Trix van Alphen | ... | publicist |
| Michael 'Indy' Whiting | ... | production crew (as Michael Whiting) |
| Roland Wigman | ... | legal counsel |
| Susanna Wyatt | ... | production accountant |
| Yukki Yaura | ... | calligrapher |
Thanks
| Edith Cheung | ... | special thanks |
| Tracy Harper | ... | special thanks |
| Graham V. Hartstone | ... | special thanks (as Graham Hartstone) |
| Justin Moyle | ... | special thanks |
| Otto Snel | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
- Kasander & Wigman Productions (presents)
- Woodline Films Ltd. (presents)
- Alpha Film Corporation (presents)
- Channel Four Films (in association with)
- Canal+ (in association with)
- Delux Productions (in association with)
- Eurimages (support)
- Nederlands Filmfonds (support)
Distributors
- Ace Pictures (1997) (Japan) (theatrical)
- BIM Distribuzione (1996) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Centre Skip Film (1996) (Russia) (theatrical)
- Ciné 360 (1997) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Dendy Films (1996) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Lionsgate Films (1997) (United States) (theatrical)
- PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Pyramide Distribution (1996) (France) (theatrical)
- Spentzos Films (1997) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Arthaus (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
- C-Sales (1997) (Netherlands) (video)
- Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1997) (United States) (subtitled)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1998) (United States) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (1997) (United States) (VHS)
- Film Movement (2015) (United States) (video)
- Filmconfect Home Entertainment (2013) (Germany) (DVD)
- Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
- Nuevo Mundo Visión S.A. (Spain)
- PFED (Netherlands)
- Raro Video (2013) (Italy) (DVD)
- Rialto Entertainment (1996) (Australia) (DVD)
- Spentzos Film Home Video (1998) (Greece) (VHS)
- StudioCanal (2008) (France) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Coutts & CO (bank services)
- Delux Productions (line producer)
- Film Finances (completion bond)
- Image Creations (optical effects)
- Italian Travel (travel services)
- McDonald and Rutter (publicity)
- Noll Associates (line producer)
- Paul Smith (costumes: for Jerome)
- Riverdrive Productions (line producer)
- Salon Productions (editing equipment)
- Sapex Scripts (post-production script services)
- Singel Film (lights provided by)
- Technovision France (camera equipment provided by)
- Telefilm Video Services (telecine transfers)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
As a young girl in Japan, Nagiko's father paints characters on her face, and her aunt reads to her from "The Pillow Book", the diary of a 10th-century lady-in-waiting. Nagiko grows up, obsessed with books, papers, and writing on bodies, and her sexual odyssey (and the creation of her own Pillow Book) is a "parfait mélange" of classical Japanese, modern Chinese, and Western film images.
Written by Michael C. Berch |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Things that make the heart beat faster. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
Additional Details
| Also Known As |
|
| Runtime |
|
| Country | |
| Language | |
| Color | |
| Aspect Ratio |
|
| Sound Mix | |
| Filming Locations |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Ewan McGregor was uncomfortable about his parents watching the film, as he spends much of it being in the nude. His father took it well, and after seeing the film, responded to his son, via fax: "I'm glad you inherited one of my greatest attributes." See more » |
| Goofs | Nagiko says early on that her mother taught her Mandarin. Later, she says that she went to Hong Kong to improve the Chinese her mother taught her. However, the majority of people in Hong Kong speak Cantonese, not Mandarin. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Con Air/Bliss/Buddy/The Pillow Book/The Quiet Room (1997). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Offering to the Saviour Gompo See 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. See more » |