The Pillow Book (film)

Infobox_Film
name = The Pillow Book


caption =
director = Peter Greenaway
producer = Kees Kasander
writer = Peter Greenaway
starring = Vivian Wu
Ewan McGregor
Ken Ogata
Yoshi Oida
Hideko Yoshida
Judy Ongg
music =
cinematography = Sacha Vierny
editing = Peter Greenaway
Chris Wyatt
distributor =
released = June 6 1996 (USA)
November 8 1996 (UK)
runtime = 126 min
language = English
budget =
amg_id = 1:136354
imdb_id = 0114134|

"The Pillow Book" is a 1996 film by UK director Peter Greenaway, which stars Vivian Wu as Nagiko, a Japanese model in search of pleasure and new cultural experience from various lovers. The film is a rich and artistic melding of dark modern drama with idealized Chinese and Japanese cultural themes and settings.

It co-stars Ewan McGregor as Jerome, an English translator who becomes Nagiko's favourite lover. Greenaway also wrote the screenplay, in addition to directing.

Plot

The film's title, "The Pillow Book", refers to a medieval Japanese diary, the book of observations by Sei Shōnagon.

The film is narrated by Nagiko (Vivian Wu), a Japanese born model living in Hong Kong. Nagiko seeks a lover who can match her desire for carnal pleasure with her admiration for poetry and calligraphy. The roots of this obsession lie in her youth in Kyoto, when her father (Ken Ogata) would write characters of good fortune on her face. Nagiko's father celebrates her birthday retelling the Japanese creation myth and writing on her flesh in beautiful calligraphy, while her aunt (Hideko Yoshida) reads a list of "beautiful things" from Sei Shōnagon's the book of observations. Nagiko's aunt tells her that when she is twenty-eight years old, the official book of observations will be officially 1000 years old, and that she, Nagiko, will be the same age as Sei Shōnagon when she had written the book (in addition to sharing her first name). Nagiko also learns around this time that her father is in thrall to his publisher, "Yaji-san" (Yoshi Oida), who demands sexual favors from her father in exchange for publishing his work.

The publisher arranges Nagiko's wedding to his young apprentice. Her husband (Ken Mitsuishi), an expert archer, resents Nagiko's love for books and her desire to read, in spite of his apprenticeship. He also refuses to indulge in her desires for pleasure, refusing to write on her body. When he discovers and reads Nagiko's pillow book, he is extremely resentful, tearing it to pieces. Insulted and enraged, Nagiko leaves him for good.

Hiding from her husband, Nagiko moves to Hong Kong. In spite of her aversion to the practice, she learns how to type in order to find work. Outside her apartment, a group of activists regularly protest the publishing industry for the depletion of forests due to the need to make paper.

After working as a secretary at a modeling agency for a while, Nagiko's employer takes a liking to her and makes her one of his models. As a successful high fashion model, Nagiko finally has the opportunity to explore her sexual desires of being written on. However, after several affairs, she feels dissatisfied with them all: either they have great penmanship and are lousy lovers, or vice-versa.

One day, at the Cafe Typo, Nagiko's favorite haunt, she meets Jerome (Ewan McGregor), a British translator. Intrigued by his knowledge, they go to a private space where she has Jerome write on her clothes and body in various languages. In spite of her interest, Nagiko dislikes Jerome's handwriting and orders him out. Jerome totally shocks Nagiko, however, when he asks her to teach him, offering her to write on "his" body! Opening his shirt, he offers Nagiko to "Use my body like the pages of a book. Of "your" book!". Nagiko has never considered this aspect in her desires before: her lovers always write on "her" body. When she backs out and runs, Jerome laughs at her.

Frightened but very intrigued by Jerome's suggestion, Nagiko has several one-night stands in which she experiments writing on their bodies. One of the activists, admirer Hoki (Yutaka Honda), a Japanese photographer who adores her, begs Nagiko to take him as a lover. She explains she can't, as his skin's no good for writing: whenever she writes on him, the ink smears and runs. Hoki, not wanting Nagiko to keep carrying on like she is, suggests she try writing a book, offering to take it to a renowned publisher he freelances for. Nagiko likes this idea and writes her first book.

Nagiko's book is returned, being told the book is "not worth the paper it's written on!". Insulted, Nagiko follows the address on the envelope to confront the publisher. Nagiko is shocked to discover that the publisher who rejected her work is in fact Yaji-san, her father's old publisher! What's more, the publisher has a young lover: Jerome!

Devising a plan, Nagiko decides that she will get to the publisher through Jerome. Meeting up with Jerome again, Nagiko discovers he has learned a few more languages, and his penmanship has greatly improved. Nagiko and Jerome spend several weeks exploring this, writing on each other and making love. Nagiko soon realizes that, in Jerome, she has found the perfect lover she has been searching for: the partner with whom she can share her physical and her poetic passion, using each other's bodies as tablets for their art.

Nagiko tells Jerome the truth and the whole story with the publisher. Jerome comes up with an idea: Nagiko will write her book on Jerome's body and Jerome will take it to the publisher. Nagiko loves the idea, and writes Book 1: The Book of The Agenda, in intricate characters of black, red, and gold, on Jerome, keeping her identity anonymous. The plan is a success: Jerome sees the publisher and exhibits the book on his nude body, and the impressed publisher has his scriveners copy down the text.

After telling Nagiko of the plan's success, Jerome tells Nagiko that he'll return to her as soon as the publisher, who was extremely aroused by the experience, lets him go. However, during his time with the publisher, Jerome appears to lose track of time and doesn't return to Nagiko. Nagiko, jealous, impatient, and angry, searches for Jerome, eventually finding him making love with the publisher. Nagiko takes this as rejection and betrayal of the worst kind, and immediately plots revenge.

On two Swedish tourists (Wichert Dromkert and Martin Tukker), Nagiko writes Book 2: The Book of The Innocent and Book 3: The Book of the Idiot. Shortly afterwards, an old man (Wu Wei) is running naked through the streets from the publisher's shop, bearing Book 4: The Book of Impotence/Old Age. Book 5: The Book of the Exhibitionist is delivered by a boorish, fat, hyperactive American (Tom Kane; who was actually more interested in Hoki than Nagiko).

Nagiko's revenge is a success. Jerome is furiously jealous, and comes to Nagiko's home to confront her. Nagiko refuses to meet him, however, and won't let Jerome in. Jerome's outrage soon turns to desperation as he begs her to talk to him, but she won't.

Jerome sinks into deep depression and meets with Hoki at the Cafe Typo, desperate to find a way to get Nagiko to forgive him. Hoki suggests that he "scare" Nagiko by faking suicide, similar to the fake death scene in "Romeo and Juliet" and gives Jerome some pills.

Arriving at Nagiko's home while she is away, Jerome takes some of the pills, then writes a page, as if writing a book. Each time he takes some pills, he writes another page, keeping track of how many pills he takes on each page. As the pills take effect, Jerome can write no more and lays on the bed, naked, holding a copy of Sei Shōnagon's the book of observations.

The plan is a success: when Nagiko returns home and finds Jerome, she rushes to him, eager to renew their relationship and continue their plans. However, the plan has worked too well: Jerome has overdosed on the pills and is dead. Nagiko is devastated, and realizes how much she loved him. On his dead body, Nagiko writes Book 6: The Book of the Lovers.

At Jerome's funeral, his mother (Barbara Lott), a snobbish, upper-class woman, tells Nagiko that Jerome always loved things that were "fashionable". When she suggests that was probably why Jerome loved Nagiko, Nagiko strikes her.

After the funeral, the publisher secretly exhumes Jerome's body from the tomb and has Jerome's skin, still bearing the writing, flayed and made into a grotesque pillow book of his own. Nagiko, now back in Japan, learns of the publisher's actions and becomes distraught and outraged. She sends a letter to the publisher, still keeping her identity a secret, demanding that particular book from the publisher's hands in exchange for the remaining books. The publisher, now obsessed with his mysterious writer and her work, agrees.

Nagiko, now pregnant with Jerome's child, proceeds to deliver the remaining books, sending the publisher Japanese men on which she has written them. Book 7: The Book of Youth is almost destroyed and undecipherable when the publisher accidentally leaves the messenger (Daishi Hori) out in the rain. Book 8: The Book of The Seducer (Kheim Lam) arrives shortly afterward. A young monk (Kinya Tsuruyama) then arrives bearing Book 9: The Book of Secrets, but the publisher and his staff have to search carefully on his body, as the book is written on all of the messenger's "secret" areas. When the next messenger (Rick Waney) arrives, he is completely bare: no writing at all. As the publisher dismisses him as a hoax, the man sticks out his tongue, bearing Book 10: The Book of Silence.

The activists' protests come to an end when their truck hits a young wrestler (Eiichi Tanaka) bearing Book 11: The Book of The Betrayer, right outside the publisher's office. The next messenger (Masaru Matsuda) simply drives by the office, giving little time to copy down Book 12: The Book of Births and Beginnings.

Finally, Book 13: The Book of the Dead arrives on the body of a Sumo wrestler (Wataru Murofushi). In the book, which the publisher carefully reads, Nagiko finally reveals her identity, confronting the publisher with his crimes: blackmailing and disgracing her father, "corrupting" her husband, as well as Jerome, and what he's done to Jerome's corpse. The publisher, now humbled by being confronted with his guilt, hands the pillow book made of Jerome's skin to the messenger, then has the messenger slit his throat. Upon recovering the book made out of Jerome's skin, Nagiko buries it under a Bonsai tree and life goes on. She has given birth to Jerome's child (Hikari Abe), and is shown in the epilogue writing on her child's face, like her father used to do when she was young, and quoting from her own pillow book. It is now Nagiko's 28th birthday.

Nagiko's bi-cultural heritage plays a key role in this film. As a half-Chinese and half-Japanese woman, Nagiko navigates her dual cultures through physical and psychological exploration. Greenaway portrays this exploration subtly by mixing and switching Asian iconography.

Credits

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)

Akihiko Nishida ... Calligrapher (as Akihiro Nishida)

Kentaro Matsuo ... Calligrapher

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

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

Lu Jinhua ... 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 Shun Fai

Leung Woo

Hui Pak Kin

Man Kit (as Tony Wong Man Kit)

Foon Wing Hong

Li Chun Man

Stephen C. Lam

Edelmer Christanse

Jimmy Lee Wai Chang

Terence Tsin Chung Tung

Mennan Yapo ... Café Typo Manager (uncredited)

oundtrack

*Autopsia-Colonia CD Including main theme from "The Pillow Book" film, Staalplaat

Source: The International Movie Database [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114134/]

*"Offering to the Saviour Gompo"

Performed by Buddhist Lamas & Monks of the Four Great Orders

Courtesy of Lyrichord Disks New York
*"A Buddhist Prayer"

Performed by Buddhist Lamas & Monks of the Four Great Orders

Courtesy of Lyrichord Disks New York

*"Invocations of Gompo"

Performed by Buddhist Lamas & Monks of the Four Great Orders

Courtesy of Lyrichord Disks New York

*"Ranryo Ou"

Court music of JapanPerformed by Tokyo Gasuko

Courtesy of Victor Entertainment

*"Nasori"

Court music of JapanPerformed by Tokyo Gasuko

Courtesy of Victor Entertainment

*"Manzairaku"

Court music of JapanPerformed by Tokyo Gasuko

Courtesy of Victor Entertainment

*"Wedding Song"

Performed by A Village Ensemble, Aqcha, Afghanistan

Courtesy of Topic Records Lrd

*"Blonde"

Performed by Guesch Patti & E. Daho

Courtesy of EMI Music Publishing France SA

*"La Marquise"

Performed by Guesch Patti & Dimitri Tikovoi

Courtesy of EMI Music Publishing France SA

*"La Chinoise"

Performed by Guesch Patti & Dimitri Tikovoi

Courtesy of EMI Music Publishing France SA

*"Taimu-Mashin no nai Jidai"

Performed by Cawai Miwako

Courtesy of Fun house Publihsers, Inc

*"Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car"

Written by U2Performed by U2

Courtesy of Polygram International

*"Sinfonia Concertante in A Fur Violine, Viola, Violoncello und Orchester"

Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, reconstructor Shigeaki SaegusaPerformed by Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, conductor Hans Guraf

Courtesy of May Music, Japan

*"Valse"

extract from The Frist String Quartet "La Theorie"Written by Walter HusPerformed by Quadro Quartet

Courtesy of Het Gerucht / Uncle Dan's

*"Je Suis La Resurrection"

Performed by Autopsia

Courtesy of Hypnobeat Records

*"Ai no Meguriai"

Performed by Judy Ongg

Courtesy of Nichion

*"Qui Tolis"

Extract from "Rome"Written by Patrick MimranPerformed by James Bowman

Courtesy of Wisteria Publishing, Amsterdam

*"Rose, Rose I Love You"

Performed by Yao Lee

Courtesy of EMI SE Asia Ltd

*"Teki Wa Ikuman"

Performed by Ichjiro Wakahar

Courtesy of King Records

*"Aiba Shingun-ka"

Performed by Hachiro Kasuga

Courtesy of King Records

*"Chicken Bandit-The-Blistered-Corn"

Performed by Lam Man Chun and Eric Tsang

Courtesy of New Melody Publishing/Bird and Child Ltd

*"Suiren"

Performed by Yasuaki Shimizu

Courtesy of Nippon Columbia Berlin

External links

*imdb title|id=0114134|title=The Pillow Book