“The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” (1989)

Fig.1 “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” Poster

“The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” is a British-French romantic yet horrifying crime drama film directed by Peter Greenaway in 1989. This film has many terrifying imagery just as, violence, nudity, and cannibalism. “Greenaway movies, far from incidental - that provide more interest: odd connections made between sex, eating, love and death.” (Geoff, 2006) Leaving the viewer disgusted and shocked till the very end of this film. The viewer is taken to experience dramatic twist of life, as thief’s wife, Georgina enrages after her lover was killed by her husband thief, Albert.

Fig.2 Dining room

The first look at the beginning of the film might leave the audience confused and frustrated as they’re witnessing how a human being is treated like an animal. The violence takes over the first act of the film. However, as the camera takes viewers into the fancy restaurant, though the kitchen, the colour changes dramatically, from blue to green and finally to red. As Mark R Leeper writes in his review: ”The transition from this kitchen that you would not feed a dog from to the ultra-posh dining room stuns the viewer.“ (Leeper, 1990) These theatrical colours have different meaning, for example, blue is meant to represent cold emotions, carelessness, green shows disgust and envy and red shows lust and aggression. Nevertheless, there is a white woman’s restroom, which represent purity, innocence, also there is yellow colour between two lovers, this colour shows intellect and enthusiasm.(Fig3 and Fig4) These colours perfectly represent emotional states of characters as they are in those different rooms. However, most of the film action is taken in the restaurant in the dining area, in the lustful red colour.(Fig.2)

Fig.3 Restroom

Moreover, colours of character clothes change alongside with the environment. As Georgina enters white restroom, the same exact clothes changes into white. Only one character that didn’t change alongside with the set was Georginas lover, Michael. He always stayed in the same outfit, brown suit, in other words brown represents protection and comfort. That’s why Georgina went for him, only because she felt understood and loved by him, even in the last moment when she was lying on the floor with his dead body, she talked out everything she wanted to tell him. Colour manipulation plays a big role in this film, as every colour has a different meaning and every stage in the film shows the colour importance and meaning of it.

Fig.4 Georgina and Michael

Moreover, what makes this film great is the music. The music adds more dramatic sound to overall scenes, making it feel like you’re part of the film. Other than that it gives this enjoyable mood, which you can sit through and enjoy as much as you want till something bad will happen.

Overall, “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” is a masterpiece of British cinema. Even though is not an easy film to sit through. As Roger Ebert writes in his review: “Those who think it is only about gluttony, lust, barbarism and bad table manners will have to think again.”(Ebert, 1999) This film must be viewed more than once, only to digest the experience of thrilling sensation and heart beating music, also to empathize into characters’ place and they go though they dramatically life.

Bibliography:

Geoff, A. ( 2006) “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” review. At: http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-her-lover-1989 (Accessed on 21/12/2016)

Leeper M.R.(1990)“The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” review. At: http://www.imdb.com/reviews/07/0743.html (Accessed on 21/12/2016)

Ebert R. (1999) “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” review. At: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-cook-the-thief-his-wife-and-her-lover-1999 (Accessed on 21/12/2016)

Illustration List:

 Fig.1 “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover” (Poster) At: http://payload67.cargocollective.com/1/7/255639/3647472/TheCook_1_AlexaLareau.jpg (Accessed on 21/12/2016)

Fig.2  Dining room (film still) From:The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Directed by:Peter Greenaway Released: United Kingdom At: http://www.puravida.me/sites/dev.puravida.me/files/79wl.png (Accessed on 21/12/2016)

Fig.3 Restroom (film still) From:The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Directed by:Peter Greenaway Released: United Kingdom At: http://www.mondo-digital.com/cookthief3big.jpg (Accessed on 21/12/2016)

Fig.4 Georgina and Michael (film still) From:The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Directed by:Peter Greenaway Released: United Kingdom At: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/69/e4/f8/69e4f82912b7dfca57b561fe55dcf61a.jpg (Accessed on 21/12/2016)