In 17th-century Tuscany, a church play is performed for the benefit of young aristocrat Cosimo. In the play, a grotesque old woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. The child's older sister is quick to exploit the situation, selling blessings from the baby, and even claiming she's the true mother by virgin birth. However, when she attempts to seduce the bishop's son, the Church exacts a terrible revenge.
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Julia Ormond
The Daughter
Ralph Fiennes
The Bishop's Son
Philip Stone
The Bishop
Jonathan Lacey
Cosimo Medici
Don Henderson
The Father Confessor
Celia Gregory
The Mother Superior
Jeff Nuttall
The Major Domo
Jessica Hynes
The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)
Kathryn Hunter
The Second Midwife
Gabrielle Reidy
The Third Midwife
Director
Peter Greenaway
Tagline
"Exploring thoroughly modern taboos"
Status
Released
Original Language
EN
Revenue
$90,000
Production
Cine Electra, Allarts, La Sept Cinéma, UGC Films, Film4 Productions, Award Films International
CinemaSerf
January 7, 2023
I've always found Peter Greenaway films rather hit or miss, and this rather theatrical effort I found more the latter. It all centres around a sort of immaculate conception birth at the Medici court and follows the anticipatory and resultant shenanigans as human nature is (quite literally) laid bare for all to see (and that nature doesn't always come off so well!) It has something of the bawdy rom...
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