BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT
UK, 1988, 119 minutes, Colour.
Brian Dennehy, Chloe Webb, Lambert Wilson.
Directed by Peter Greenaway.
Belly of an Architect was written and directed by Peter Greenaway. It bears many resemblances to his striking feature films. It has parallels with The Draughtsman's Contract and Art, Architecture, Design as well as Relationships, Cruelty and Manipulation. With its focus on human experience and functions as well as intrigue and violence, it also bears close relationship with The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. Drowning By Numbers is also concerned with death.
The film is strikingly made on location in Italy and especially in the city of Rome. There is a focus on the pantheon and the Victor Emmanuel monument. The film is of interest as an Englishman's view of a naive American being vanquished by the old-world experience of the Continent. Brian Dennehy is very effective physically and dramatically as the Chicago architect who comes to mount an exhibition of the 18th century French architect Boullee. Chloe Webb is less effective as his erratic wife. However, Lambert Wilson is very good as the worldly-wise, moneygrabbing (suavely) manipulator of the exhibition. A strong Italian cast is in support.
The film is visually stimulating and beautiful. It is also intellectually stimulating with its arguments about art, architecture, money, human experience and relationships, violence and death. It is, however, less emotionally stimulating (as is generally the case with Greenaway's films, rather intellectual exercises).
However, it is an interesting experience and a different exploration of human nature and values.
1.The work of Peter Greenaway, his style, interest in art and architecture, design? His vision? Human nature, relationships, human functions, bodily functions? Intrigue and violence, death
2.The use of Italian locations, the city of Rome? Authentic and real? Yet stylised: the pantheon, the candlelight meals, the Victor Emmanuel monument, the emphasis on halls, columns, domes, heights? The importance of lighting? Compositions, tableaux?
3.The musical background, style, mood?
4.Stourley Cracklite: Brian Dennehy's physical and dramatic presence? Portrait of the Chicago architect in collapse? American background and style, manner? Relationship with his wife? Coming to Italy and the response to Italy? The sexual encounter in the train, the conception of the child? His reception in Rome, the meal? The family and their support of the exhibition? Io and his patriarchal support? Flavia and her presence, interest, curiosity? Caspasian and his presence, influence? the preparation for the exhibition? Cracklite's interest in Boullee, his theory, architecture, period and the French revolution? The preparations for the exhibition, his work? Growing tension? Difficulties with money, the plans? His pain? His comparing his own belly with that of the Roman statues? Photocopying the photographs and matching theirs with his? The scenes in the baths? The clash with Caspasian about the money? His antagonism towards Louisa, his fears that she was poisoning him? Going to the doctor, walking around Rome? The growing illness - like a phantom pregnancy, yet with a destructive tumour? Preoccupied, spying on Caspasian and Louise, discovering Flavia's photographs of the relationship? Going with Flavia, the sexual encounter, discovered by Caspasian? The confrontations? Trying to mortgage his house to save the exhibition? Louisa's anger and her leaving? His being dismissed? The cancer diagnosis? His drunkenness, the arrest? His brooding, going to the top of the monument, watching the opening of the exhibition, hurling himself to death, displayed on Caspasian's car? The collapse of a human being?
5.Louisa and her Italian background, relationship with her husband, sexual encounter, her pregnancy? Her support of him, presence at the reception? The news of the pregnancy, yet the relationship going sour? Cracklite's discovery of his illness during the sexual encounter? Attracted by Caspasian, the affair? Confronting her husband, leaving him? The opening of the exhibition? The birth of the child - her future?
6.The Speckler family: Italian aristocracy, their patrician style, influence in Roman society? Smooth dealing, old-worldly skills? Social dealings? Financial dealings? Caspasian and the money management, taking the money? The pressures on the family? Support of Cracklite, dismissing him? The opening of the exhibition? The portrait of the worldly-wise?
7.Flavia, her place in the family, interest in the exhibition, in Cracklite? Her photography? Her apartment and the photographs of Louisa and Caspasian? The sexual relationship with Cracklite?
8.Caspasian, his place with the Specklers, smooth dealings? The clash with Cracklite? The affair with Louisa - any depth of relationship? Catching Cracklite with Flavia? His ultimate victory? The old-world experience conquering new world innocence?
9.The presentation of the Italians, the committees, journalists, socialites?
10.The incident of the man with the heart attack and his dramatising the exhibition? The tramp and the noses taken from the statues?
11.The press, media coverage?
12.Architecture, the period influence on Boullee, shaped and designs, maths and geometry, excess and restraint, the achievement of the architect, vocations - cultural and moral?
13.Dreams and the shattering of dreams?
14.New world innocence compared with old world experience? The conquering of the Americans?
15.The focus on human nature, human functions and relationships, bodily functions, sexuality, eating, illness and pain, death? Degeneration? Creativity? The significance of the title?
