Prospero's Books

"A magician's spell, the innocence of young love and a dream of revenge unite to create a tempest."

1991 2h 6m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 106

DramaFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An exiled magician finds an opportunity for revenge against his enemies muted when his daughter and the son of his chief enemy fall in love in this uniquely structured retelling of the 'The Tempest'.

“A magician's spell, the innocence of young love and a dream of revenge unite to create a tempest.”

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Cast

John Gielgud
Prospero
Michael Clark
Caliban
Michel Blanc
Alonso
Erland Josephson
Gonzalo
Isabelle Pasco
Miranda
Tom Bell
Antonio
Kenneth Cranham
Sebastian
Mark Rylance
Ferdinand

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Peter Greenaway
Writers: Peter Greenaway
Languages: English
Countries: Japan, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

35 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 5 countries: Japan, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Peter Greenaway, shot by Sacha Vierny. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Nyman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marina Bodbijl shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Gielgud and Michael Clark and Michel Blanc carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A magician's spell, the innocence of young love and a dream of revenge unite to create a tempest.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Peter Greenaway directs. Sacha Vierny behind the camera. Michael Nyman scores. Marina Bodbijl cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in Japan, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Italy. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
235 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 5 countries: Japan, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Italy.
4Directed by Peter Greenaway, shot by Sacha Vierny. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michael Nyman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Marina Bodbijl shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7John Gielgud and Michael Clark and Michel Blanc carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A magician's spell, the innocence of young love and a dream of revenge unite to create a tempest.".
9IMDB entry: tt0102722 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.