Rent A TV Dante: Inferno (1990)
3.0 of 5 from 10 ratings
1h 28min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Peter Greenaway and Tom Philips won the Prix Italia for A TV Dante, their ambitious project to produce a video version Dantes Inferno. Greenaway was first inspired by artist Tom Phillips illustrated translation of the work and they collaborated on this, the first eight Cantos of the work, using all the state-of-the-art technological resources available to the electronic media at the time. The eight Cantos of the film are not conventionally dramatised, rather they are illuminated with layered and juxtaposed imagery and a soundtrack which comments, counterpoints and clarifies. There are visual footnotes delivered by relevant expert authorities, and these often perform the function of narration as well as illustration. The result is a dazzling video journey through Dante's underworld. The press was unanimous in welcoming their bold new approach to the art of television when A TV Dante was transmitted on Channel 4 in 1990.
"Bonus Film" - M is for Man, Music, Mozart.
Using advanced video postproduction techniques of its day, this music theatre film is set in a 16th century anatomy theatre. With visual references to Hogarth, Vesalius and Arcimboldo, it explores the mysteries of the central letter of the alphabet: M, and the creation of man, music and Mozart. This incarnation of man and Mozart is taken by dancer Ben Craft, with apocryphal texts by Vesalius, Schultz and Eisenstein sung by jazz singer Astrid Seriese, to Andriessen's powerful jazz/funk music performed by the Dutch ensemble, De Volharding.- Actors:
- John Gielgud, Bob Peck, Joanne Whalley, Laurie Booth, Susan Wooldridge, Susan Crowley
- Directors:
- Peter Greenaway, Tom Phillips
- Producers:
- Denis Wigman, Kees Kasander
- Writers:
- Tom Phillips, Dante Alighieri
- Studio:
- Digital Classics DVD
- Genres:
- TV Dramas
