1993·Drama·2h 2m
7.1
★
In 17th-century Tuscany, a church play is performed for the benefit of young aristocrat Cosimo. In the play, a grotesque old woman gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. The child's older sister is quick to exploit the situation, selling blessings from the baby, and even claiming she's the true mother by virgin birth. However, when she attempts to seduce the bishop's son, the Church exacts a terrible revenge.
Directed by Peter Greenaway
virgin
baby
rape
bishop
miracle
surrealism
priest
religion
church
avant-garde
birth
death
dismemberment
tuscany, italy
story within the story
17th century
infanticide
metafiction
cannibalism
sibling murder
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Julia Ormond
The Daughter
Ralph Fiennes
The Bishop's Son
Philip Stone
The Bishop
Don Henderson
The Father Confessor
Celia Gregory
The Mother Superior
Jeff Nuttall
The Major Domo
Jessica Hynes
The First Midwife (as Jessica Stevenson)
Kathryn Hunter
The Second Midwife
Gabrielle Reidy
The Third Midwife
Phelim McDermott
The First Tutor
Tony Vogel
The Father
Dennis Rudge
Entourage Servant
Crew
Peter Greenaway
Director
Peter Greenaway
Writer
Yves Marmion
Co-Producer
Kees Kasander
Producer
Paul M. van Brugge
Music Producer
Bavo Defurne
Set Decoration
Popular Reviews
23 reviews
michi
10.0★ · 09/04/25
no WAYYYY they punished her ass by having a TRAIN (208 mfs long) RAN ON HER 😭😭
maaaaan FUCK THAT LIL BABY dumbass kid
maaaaan FUCK THAT LIL BABY dumbass kid
no WAYYYY they punished her ass by having a TRAIN (208 mfs long) RAN ON HER 😭😭
maaaaan FUCK THAT LIL BABY dumbass kid
maaaaan FUCK THAT LIL BABY dumbass kid
1
moth
10.0★ · 06/23/26
my chest has been hurting for the last 30min. perfect movie.
my chest has been hurting for the last 30min. perfect movie.
samoowell
8.0★ · 03/15/26
Horrific in a pretty amazing way. Havent seen anthing like it. The sets and the scene transitions were so impressive. It wasn't a one take thang but it defo felt like it. The Sexual Abuse Of Power: The Musical hitting ur deep cut soulseek film download list selection pack now!
Horrific in a pretty amazing way. Havent seen anthing like it. The sets and the scene transitions were so impressive. It wasn't a one take thang but it defo felt like it. The Sexual Abuse Of Power: The Musical hitting ur deep cut soulseek film download list selection pack now!
Apollodora
6.0★ · 02/18/25
A surrealist concoction of alchemy, theatre in its grandest form, the foolishness of rulers, the corrupting nature of power, the hues of red, blindness of faith, cannibalism, early Renaissance iconography, and the perversion of nature. If Tinto Brass’ “Caligula” was set in the Middle Ages.
A surrealist concoction of alchemy, theatre in its grandest form, the foolishness of rulers, the corrupting nature of power, the hues of red, blindness of faith, cannibalism, early Renaissance iconography, and the perversion of nature. If Tinto Brass’ “Caligula” was set in the Middle Ages.
Gabriel Silva
8.3★ · 01/09/25
Dark and brutal, Greenway’s The Baby of Mâcon explores the nature of purity, class, and the sexes. The baby born of a seemingly virgin birth is cause for celebration and whips the public into a frenzy, believing themselves to be in the presence of a pure being. The film’s criticism of adhering blindly to faith showcases how dehumanizing it can be and how acts of cruelty can be justified using religion, especially in the film’s final moments.
The presentation of the play within the film fades away with the camera existing in a plane of its own that gives context and subtlety but maintains a distinct position of the world being presented one of a level of artifice beyond second level of artifice then presented to us. Only by removing the audience from the events on screen to such an extreme degree could this film work and the incredible set design puts this film high above many others
The presentation of the play within the film fades away with the camera existing in a plane of its own that gives context and subtlety but maintains a distinct position of the world being presented one of a level of artifice beyond second level of artifice then presented to us. Only by removing the audience from the events on screen to such an extreme degree could this film work and the incredible set design puts this film high above many others
Dark and brutal, Greenway’s The Baby of Mâcon explores the nature of purity, class, and the sexes. The baby born of a seemingly virgin birth is cause for celebration and whips the public into a frenzy, believing themselves to be in the presence of a pure being. The film’s criticism of adhering blindly to faith showcases how dehumanizing it can be and how acts of cruelty can be justified using religion, especially in the film’s final moments.
The presentation of the play within the film fades away with the camera existing in a plane of its own that gives context and subtlety but maintains a distinct position of the world being presented one of a level of artifice beyond second level of artifice then presented to us. Only by removing the audience from the events on screen to such an extreme degree could this film work and the incredible set design puts this film high above many others
The presentation of the play within the film fades away with the camera existing in a plane of its own that gives context and subtlety but maintains a distinct position of the world being presented one of a level of artifice beyond second level of artifice then presented to us. Only by removing the audience from the events on screen to such an extreme degree could this film work and the incredible set design puts this film high above many others