The Baby of Macon - DaaVeeDee

The Baby of Macon (DVD) (*)

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Original Title: The Baby of Mâcon
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
Danish ( Subtitles )
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Finnish ( Subtitles )
Norwegian ( Subtitles )
Swedish ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Sweden ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
117 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (2.35:1)

Special Features:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1993 and produced in:
Belgium ( France, Benelux )
France ( France, Benelux )
Germany ( Germany, Central Europe )
Netherlands ( France, Benelux )
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Peter Greenaway

Written By:
Peter Greenaway

Actors:
Julia Ormond ..... The Daughter
Ralph Fiennes ..... The Bishop's Son
Philip Stone ..... The Bishop
Jonathan Lacey ..... Cosimo Medici
Don Henderson ..... The Father Confessor
Celia Gregory ..... Mother Superior
Jeff Nuttall ..... The Majordomo
Jessica Hynes ..... The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)
Kathryn Hunter ..... The Second Midwife
Gabrielle Reidy ..... The Third Midwife
Frank Egerton ..... The Prompter
Phelim McDermott ..... The First Tutor
Tony Vogel ..... The Father
Tatiana Strauss ..... The First Nun
Louisa Milwood-Haigh ..... The Second Nun

Synopsis:

The Baby of Macon is a sumptuous-looking but ultimately shallow tale of manipulation, greed, and religious fanaticism set in Peter Greenaway's favorite, the 17th century. In the city of Macon, an ugly woman suddenly bears a beautiful, healthy baby. Her fellow citizens perceive it as a wonder, with rumors circulating that she could not be the real mother of the child. Her 18-year-old virginal daughter (Julia Ormond) tries to use the situation, claiming that the baby is her own and was born as a result of an immaculate conception. The citizens start to worship the baby and the outraged Roman Catholic Church finally intervenes. Aiming at disclosure of the whole Christian mythology, which, according to Greenaway, always served to manipulate people, The Baby of Macon lacks passion or commitment. Even the much publicized violence, including an unseen multiple rape and the onscreen dismemberment of the baby, seems routine and uninspired rather than shocking.

Italy, the 17th century. A morality play performed before an audience. Set in a barren land, plagued with famine, no woman has given birth for many years. An ugly, old woman finally gives birth. Since no-one would believe that such a woman could mother such a healthy child, the woman's daughter claims to be the mother, despite being a virgin. The daughter starts to exploit the child's birth, selling blessings to the desperate townspeople. The Church resents the power the daughter has over the town and doubts the validity of a virgin birth, despite the daughter's reference to the Nativity. The child begins to predict danger ahead for both himself and the daughter. The daughter offers to prove to the son of the Bishop, who was especially sceptical, that she is a virgin. They start to make love, observed by the child. The child then instructs a bull to gore the Bishop's son. The Church take the child into their care and exploits the child even more so than the daughter had. The daughter suffocates the child. Since she remains a virgin, the daughter cannot be hung. Instead, she is sentenced to be raped 208 times before being hung. It is then implied that the rapes occur for real; that it is no longer a performance. The Church carve the child's body and sell parts as relics. Famine once again falls on Macon.

A movie about the corruption in all levels of society. A baby is born from a supposed-to-be virgin woman, so a chain of hysteria about divine intervention in the birth takes place.

This product was added to our catalog on Friday 17 September, 2010.

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