i was just wondering if anyone knows any specifics about this project. i have read that tulse luper is a huge undertaking for greenaway and may amount to an "opus" of sorts. however my sources have been scattered and, frankly, untrustworthy. has greenaway spoken publicly about it? what`s the current state of the project?
any help is much appreciated.
I'm a film student at UWCN in the UK, and Peter Greenaway came to the college to allow people a chance to work on this project. I saw a brief and baffling showreel of some footage already shot, and Peter Greenaway expressed his ambition for this project to be the first masterpiece of "the new technology". I chose not to work on it, but a friend of mine did, and they found Peter Greenaway very difficult to work with. Also, the speech he gave at the university made me never want to see any of his films. He described film as being an archaic institution, not the best thing to say to a room full of film students!
But about the project itself, I believe there are 4 films, the first is finished, and will be shown at Cannes. That's about all I know, sorry.
Don't let his insurmountable pretentiousness get in your way as far as seeing his films is concerned. He's a brilliant artist, in my estimation.
-Alec
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This post is for toaster 8:
Interesting. In what ways was Greenaway hard to work with? Was he simply demanding? Or was he a jerk? Also, did your friend come away with the feeling of having learned/accomplished something? Or was it an overall negative experience?
I would add that you shouldn't let the guy's apparent arrogance discourage you from seeing his films; he made some of the best films of the '80s and early '90s, in my opinion. He hasn't worked as much since the split from composer Michael Nyman, which unfortunately seems to have crippled him creatively. But I think most of his films are excellent.
I know this is a very old post I'm responding to, but if you happen to read it I'd be interested to hear from you.
I don't want some renegade necrophile princess as MY roommate!
yes, greenaway talked about it at cannes film festival,and i found it quite interesting. but i wonder if this huge project that involves cinema, dvds, websites will be followed by the people oder they will only see the film in theathers and that´s all.
It is indeed supposed to be a massive undertaking spanning three movies, CD-rom games, books, essays, kitchen sinks, etc. I myself am greatly looking forward to it, as Greenaway is one of my favorite filmmakers.
-Alec
Here is a review from Moscow film festival where first part of the movie was presented (translated by altavista, Russian original at http://lenta.ru/mmkf/2003/06/22/luper/_Printed.htm):
Grinuey bespattered spectators by the rebuses
On THE MIFF took place the demonstration of the first part of the new saga of Pieter Peter Greyenashay's Grinueya()"the trunks Of tul'sa Of lyupera.Part 1.Moabskaya istoriya"( To tyue To tulse Of luper Of suitchases:To tyue Of moab Of story ).Cult director specially arrived flying to Moscow in order to present film to spectators.epochal fabric/bed will consist of sixteen episodes of the life of the writer -konqeptualista, who conducted the large part of the life in the prisons on entire light/world.The first part included three episodes, action of which occurs from 1921 through 1934 in England, USA and Belgium.Director produced kasting of actors in the different countries, including in Russia.But Russian actors in the first series yet do not appear.
Director advertised his new project for a period of several years, promising to spectators something epochal.In the fate of the title hero Of grinuey it planned to reflect entire history KHKH of century - from the First World War to the fall of Berlin wall.Using entire power of contemporary digital technologies, the author creates the multidimensional space, in which the screen is crushed to many frames/personnel, all possible shooting ranges and running lines they introduce additional information, and several commentators constantly explain and supplement action.
To retell the subject of the "trunks Of tul'sa Of lyupera" is impossible, since it consists of thousand of branchings off and side-line lines.The eternal passion Of grinueya to the cataloging here reached/achieved perfection.In the new film is calculated and is broken into the divisions literally everything - from the characters to the objects/subjects, which fall into the sequence, and the impacts/shocks, which the main hero obtains.
The action of the first part begins in 1921, when Tul's Of lyuper was another child.At the same time it for the first time proved to be in the torture chambers - father cuts off him in the shed for the fault.Subsequently the hero will roam from prison to prison, changing the countries, continents and times.But, occurring in the conclusion, Tul's does not give self up to despondency, but constantly it is knited into all possible adventures, plots and artistic games.In the first part Of lyuper it will have time to visit in the captivity in the inhabitants of Moabite desert (state of Utah, THE USA) and Belgian Nazi torture chambers.
Like all foregoing works Of grinueya, new film is fantastically beautiful - each sequence, each motion of actors is built in minute detail and is brought to the perfection.But to look picture is sufficiently complicated - director always made from his projects elegant rebuses, here he exceeded himself.the "trunks Of tul'sa Of lyupera" - this is the entire heap of charades, puzzles and arkhetipicheskikh metaphors.Guessing sequential riddle, spectator manages to pass several following.In order although to somehow untangle the crafty interlacement of topical lines, film it is necessary to look several times.And, of course, it is necessary to wait for the appearance of all aspects of the project - all keys/wrenches to the rebuses will be given only at the end.
I have to admit, Peter Greenaway was one of my favorite fimmaker's, until he lost himself in pretension. I thought that 8 1/2 Women was tiresome. Pillow Book was rather boring. I'm still a big fan of his earlier films and I still swear by them, but I don't expect much from this outing, not least of all because Madonna (MADONNA!?!?) is in it.
sharePeter Greenaway is a masterful director, but I totally side with SilencioDrive. Since the mid-90s, his films have become more and more bizarre and boring. He only seem to make them for the critics, not for the audiences, which is a pity! I love his earlier movies, though, like "Drowning by Numbers", "The Cook, the Thief, his Wife & her Lover", "The Draughtman's Contract", and "Prospero's Books".
shareWell on the plus side SilencioDrive I didn't see madonna anywhere in the moab story. And you will probably end up swearing by The tulse leper suitcases as well: Something along the lines of "Oh why the bloody hell has he made such a f***ing awful film" is probably what you'll be thinking when you come out of it.
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I have seen the 3 parts and it is fantastic! Go see for yourself, don't let anyone discourage you about him. I saw the 3 parts in a Film Fest and he came to present them the 3 nights, he is funny and not at all pretencious. It is a huge project and i've seen an interview with one of the actress of the movie, Caroline Davhernas who is fantastic in the movie, and she said that now that she worked with him, he is by far her favorite director.
This is a website where you can visit the movie. Get inside the movie to be more precise.
http://www.digiscreen.ca/weblers/tulse/flash.html
I'm designed to feel slightly dissatisfied!