Being Naked--Playing Dead

the long version

Peter Greenaway has an international reputation as one of the most innovative, stylish and intelligent of contemporary film-makers. His eight feature films, from The Draughtsman's Contract to The Pillow Book, have variously, and sometimes simultaneously, prompted controversy, infamy, acclaim and delight. However, Greenaway is an artist whose work also includes painting; collage; experimental TV; the novel/opera Rosa; and numerous exhibitions/installations, including The Stairs, a continuing series of ten projects in ten cities exploring the basic components of cinema. Being Naked Playing Dead explores the complete oeuvre, but centres firmly on Greenaway's insistence that his is 'a cinema of ideas not plots'. Each film is discussed within a thematic analysis of the full range of Greenaway's output and the wider contexts within which it is conceived. In conclusion there are two extended interviews, making this book essential reading for all Greenaway enthusiasts.