- Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.66:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: R (Restricted) (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Universal Studios
- DVD Release Date: 10 Oct 2000
- Run Time: 122 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004X13S
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 254,111 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There's a kind of French farce/Marquis de Sade/Japanese porn feel to this self-indulgent romp from Brit auteur Peter Greenaway. It's kind of a "God, I'm bored and I've got so much money and what the heck let's turn the Geneva mansion into a bordello, a different woman in every room and Dad and I will have lots of fun and bond" thing. "I mean mom's gone now, Dad, and you never really got out and now it's time to live." So father and son go naked a lot with lots of babes who are also naked a lot.
Matthew Delamere (Storey) is the son and John Standing (Philip) is the father. It's a bit creepy seeing them sharing the same bed naked. In fact it's a bit creepy seeing John Standing naked, period. But that's part of the Greenaway intent. Let's shock the bourgeoisie. It's such fun to do stuff that will make them squirm.
They hissed at Cannes when this was shown (I understand; I wasn't there). It was first released in the Czech Republic, which says something, but I'm not sure what. It was banned in Malaysia--but that's pretty standard. The women are bizarre but, to be honest, intriguing. The story isn't much of a story. The rationale for suddenly taking on the life of the libertine is slight (Philip's wife dies) and a bit late in the coming. (And no pun intended.)
The story starts in Tokyo with Storey helping Simato, a pachinko addict played by Annie Shizuka Inoh, avoid financial trouble in exchange for sexual favors. But never mind. As I said, the story doesn't matter. What matters is the outrageousness of the events (mostly sexual) and the beautiful sets. That's it.
Most interesting thing in the film is Polly Walker who has both sex appeal and charisma. Most grotesque is that pig with its pinkish white skin so very human looking--and of course that was a sight joke and a comment upon humanity. But again, never mind.
By the way, the 8 1/2 in the title is because Fellini's famous film somehow inspired Storey and Philip toward their debauchery.
Matthew Delamere (Storey) is the son and John Standing (Philip) is the father. It's a bit creepy seeing them sharing the same bed naked. In fact it's a bit creepy seeing John Standing naked, period. But that's part of the Greenaway intent. Let's shock the bourgeoisie. It's such fun to do stuff that will make them squirm.
They hissed at Cannes when this was shown (I understand; I wasn't there). It was first released in the Czech Republic, which says something, but I'm not sure what. It was banned in Malaysia--but that's pretty standard. The women are bizarre but, to be honest, intriguing. The story isn't much of a story. The rationale for suddenly taking on the life of the libertine is slight (Philip's wife dies) and a bit late in the coming. (And no pun intended.)
The story starts in Tokyo with Storey helping Simato, a pachinko addict played by Annie Shizuka Inoh, avoid financial trouble in exchange for sexual favors. But never mind. As I said, the story doesn't matter. What matters is the outrageousness of the events (mostly sexual) and the beautiful sets. That's it.
Most interesting thing in the film is Polly Walker who has both sex appeal and charisma. Most grotesque is that pig with its pinkish white skin so very human looking--and of course that was a sight joke and a comment upon humanity. But again, never mind.
By the way, the 8 1/2 in the title is because Fellini's famous film somehow inspired Storey and Philip toward their debauchery.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Despite being hissed at Cannes this film is still well worth seeing and improves on repeated viewings.
Greenaway has his protagonist ask if all directors make films to fulfil their own sexual fantasies, and we must assume (unless he is pulling our collective leg) proceeds to do exactly that, as Emmenthal pere et fils assemble a harem of female stereotypes in their mansion. As well as the obvious Fellini reference, the film harks back to "A Zed and Two Noughts" in a number of respects, in the sort of intertextual game-playing Greenaway fans will know and love.
As with all Greenaway's work since The Falls, the photography is ravishing. No-one makes films which look better. It's unfortunate that he's not found a musical collaborator to equal Michael Nyman, but you can't have everything. He may not be sweeping the art-house scene before him these days (in fact there's not much of a UK art-house scene left these days), but in the end, slightly below-par Greenaway is better than 99% of directors can even aspire to.
Greenaway has his protagonist ask if all directors make films to fulfil their own sexual fantasies, and we must assume (unless he is pulling our collective leg) proceeds to do exactly that, as Emmenthal pere et fils assemble a harem of female stereotypes in their mansion. As well as the obvious Fellini reference, the film harks back to "A Zed and Two Noughts" in a number of respects, in the sort of intertextual game-playing Greenaway fans will know and love.
As with all Greenaway's work since The Falls, the photography is ravishing. No-one makes films which look better. It's unfortunate that he's not found a musical collaborator to equal Michael Nyman, but you can't have everything. He may not be sweeping the art-house scene before him these days (in fact there's not much of a UK art-house scene left these days), but in the end, slightly below-par Greenaway is better than 99% of directors can even aspire to.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I've been a big fan of PG from way back when. But after the Baby of Macon he seemed to lose his way. 8 1/2 Women just left me stone-cold; no real humour, stodgey story-line and absolutely no sleekness of lighting and glorious music that so-much defined the beauty of Peter's work. I'm looking forward to a resurgence soon and hope he makes great films again very soon.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Last classic Greenaway
Exactly as my title says... Greenaway's last conventional narrative-type film to date(to my knowledge). Great stuff.. No plot to speak of but still(who needs plots anyway).. Read more
Published 10 months ago by J. King
Only for masochists
This was one of those films that occasionally appear in your list of Amazon recommendations. Unfortunately, this time I actually decided to buy the film. Read more
Published on 21 July 2004 by "thecorkhill"
Greenaway descends
Peter Greenaway is a remarkably pure artist, unconfined by the conventions that define most modern art even in the negative sense of ironic comment. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2004 by Andrew Amos
Greenaway's homage to Fellini's 8 1/2
A simple tale, told in a simple fashion. The usual visual trickery used by greenaway are at a minimum as he emotively traces the outlines of a father and son embracing the figure... Read more
Published on 21 Aug 2000
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