The Pillow Book
The Pillow Book

The Pillow Book

1995Movie126 minEnglish

Nagito has a fetish for calligraphy on the human body and meets her ideal soulmate Jerome, an English translator sent to Japan. However, once Nagiko's father's gay publisher rejoins the scene, the story is overtaken by treachery and bloodlust.

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Insights

IMDb6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes71%
Metacritic71/100
Google Users78%
Director: Peter GreenawayGenres: Drama, Romance

Plot Summary

In 1990s Tokyo, a young woman named Nagiko seeks fulfillment through erotic calligraphy, writing poems and declarations of love on the bodies of her lovers. As she navigates her relationships and desires, she becomes entangled in a complex artistic and emotional journey. Her quest for ultimate expression leads her to collaborate with a publisher, blurring the lines between art, life, and obsession.

Critical Reception

The Pillow Book received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its visual artistry, unconventional narrative, and bold exploration of themes like sexuality, identity, and the power of writing. Some found its explicit nature challenging, but many lauded its unique aesthetic and intellectual depth.

What Reviewers Say

  • Visually stunning and thematically rich, exploring the intersection of writing, sexuality, and identity.
  • Bold and provocative, offering a unique cinematic experience that challenges conventional storytelling.
  • The film's explicit content and artistic style may be divisive, but its intellectual and sensual depth is undeniable.

Google audience: Audiences generally appreciated the film's artistic merit and daring subject matter, though some found it to be too avant-garde or explicit for their tastes. Many viewers were captivated by its unique visual style and philosophical undertones.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Fun Fact

The film's distinctive calligraphy was created by the acclaimed calligrapher Olivier Trouilh.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Hmmm. The thing about films that showcase the male body quite this much is that after a while you start wondering why blokes with perfect physiques and faces always seem to have such an underwhelming payload down below! Anyway, the young "N...