Scarlet's Walk

Directed by: Peter Greenaway
Year: 1996

Description:

A Japanese born model in Hong Kong, Nagiko (Vivian Wu) seeks a lover who can match her desire for carnal pleasure with her admiration for poetry and calligraphy. The roots of this obsession lie in her youth, when her father (Ken Ogata) would write characters of good fortune on her face. In an Englishman, Jerome (Ewan McGregor), she finds the partner with whom she can share her physical and her poetic passion, using each other's bodies as tablets for their art.

Some quotes:

Nagiko: If writings did not exist, what terrible depressions we should suffer.

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Nagiko: I need writing. Don't ask why. Just take out your pen and write on my arm.

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Nagiko: I like the smell of paper - all kinds. It reminds me of the scent of skin.

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Nagiko: When God made the first clay model of a human being, He painted in the eyes... the lips... and the sex. And then He painted in each person's name lest the person should ever forget it. If God approved of His creation, He brought the painted clay model into life by signing. His own name.

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Nagiko: Farewells can be both beautiful and despicable. Saying farewell to one who is loved is very complicated. Why should a person be obligated to stand such sweet pain and such bitter pleasure?

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Nagiko: You've been reading my diary?
The Husband: Isn't that why people keep diaries? To be read by someone else? Otherwise why keep them?
Nagiko: To know about themselves.

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Nagiko: His writing - in so many languages - made me a sign-post pointing east, west, north and south. I had shoes in German, stockings in French, gloves in Hebrew, a hat with a veil in Italian. He only kept me naked where I was most accustomed to wearing clothes.

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Jerome: I could learn new languages to make you understood all over the world.

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Nagiko: I am certain that there are two things in life which are dependable: the delights of the flesh and the delights of literature. I have had the good fortune to enjoy them both equally.

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Nagiko: Where is a book before it is born? Who are a book's parents? Does a book need two parents - a mother and a father? Can a book be born inside another book? Where is the parent book of books? How old does a book have to be before it can give birth?

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Nagiko: How can I get pleasure writing on you? You have to write on me.
Jerome: Go on. Use my body like the pages of a book. Of your book.

Source: imdb.com

More pictures:

Scarlet's Walk

Sorry, this is all I could find now...I would have posted more pics I have, but they were kinda unsuitable for and I´d have been banned for sure

I will add more stuff eventually...

LilMouse

^ I was going to say too bad we can't post certain Ewan pics

the OP is great. I love a lot of the quotes because they're very philosophical. Plus, I love to write.

this one I like the most

Scarlet's Walk

Lol...exactly! There are some pics from Ewan scenes that are really unforgettable

I´m glad you like the OP so far!

I agree about the quotes, they are great This is one of my favorite, besides the one you already quoted:

BehrItAll

Love the OP.
I know lots of pics are unsuitable but I think it looks great so far.

Been so long since I saw this it's nice to have this thread to refresh my memory.

LilMouse

do you stare at them for hours?

she was so incredibly lucky to have Jerome and then she wouldn't even let him in.

BehrItAll

Vic, do you have this on tape somewhere? Or did we rent it?

LilMouse

we rented it.

they did show it on IFC once. Maybe it'll be shown again.

S.A.S.H.A.

Wow, didn't know this movie never had its own thread.

Sasha

BehrItAll

Shocking isn't it.

Next time it is on TV we should watch/tape it.

LilMouse

I think this is one of the lesser watched Ewan movies.

BehrItAll

Yea, It is not widely known.

The devout Ewan fans have seen it

Scarlet's Walk

me? ok, maybe I stare just a couple of minutes, hours...time is so relative

And when she would...it was already too late

I remember I bought this movie like 4 years ago, just because I saw Ewan was in it but I wasn´t familiar with Greenway´s movies...And after watching it, I was amazed! It´s like watching a painting through the words of literature, like looking the inside of an artist´s head and feel what he feels...and with all the music played (like in Jerome´s death) the visual impact is one of the best things about this movie, imo.

Love Jerome´s car...full of books! too bad they got lost...

Btw, any suggestions for the OP? title? more quotes? maybe the soundtrack list?

LilMouse

if only he decided to wait an hour. Life couldn't have been that bad to end it all.

The movie is very artistic. Should I suggest this film for my visual arts class?
imagine the teacher's face when she sees some of the stuff in it.

I still haven't seen the directors other work. Is his movies artistic/full of nudity?

art would be nice, I think.

BehrItAll

If nudity is ok in class.

Soundtrack listings is a good idea too.

Gosh, I don't remember any of those things about the film
I really need to watch this again.