The Pillow Book (Film) Literary Elements

The Pillow Book (Film) Literary Elements

Director

Peter Greenaway

Leading Actors/Actresses

Vivian Wu, Ewan McGregor

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Yoshi Oida, Ken Ogata

Genre

Drama

Language

English

Awards

N/A

Date of Release

1996

Producer

Kees Kasander

Setting and Context

Hong Kong, 1996

Narrator and Point of View

The point of view is that of Nagiko.

Tone and Mood

Serious, dramatic

Protagonist and Antagonist

The publisher is the antagonist. Nagiko is the protagonist. Jerome is both protagonist and antagonist.

Major Conflict

Nagiko leaves her husband and begins working in Hong Kong. She begins a romance with Jerome who seeks to help her get her book published, but she finds out Jerome is sleeping with the publisher, the same man who blackmailed her father for sexual favors.

Climax

Jerome commits accidental suicide (an attempt to get Nagiko back), and Nagiko goes to the publisher to reveal all of his atrocities he's perpetrated on people. It creates a great shame and guilt in the man who has a messenger cut his throat. Nagiko has a child which was born from her relationship with Jerome and she writes upon their face just as her father did for her as a child.

Foreshadowing

Nagiko's husband burning down their home foreshadows that Nagiko's life will continue to be burnt down.

Understatement

It is understated that Jerome is sleeping with the publisher.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

N/A

Allusions

Jerome's pillow book being buried beneath a bonsai tree is an allusion to Nagiko attempting to bury her past and move on in peace with her life.

Paradox

Jerome agrees to help Nagiko get her words to the publisher on his body. The paradox is that Jerome is having an affair with the publisher while having a romance with Nagiko.

Parallelism

Nagiko writing on her child's face parallels Father writing on Nagiko's face as a little girl in the beginning of the film.

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