![]() This is a tiny detail that will probably never mean anything. I find it odd that none of Greenaway’s movies are part of the Criterion Collection, especially since there is one bizarre moment in ZOO when we see the a bright circle of light that has been cut off partially from view by a piece of furniture, and looks a lot like the Collection’s logo. It is not far-fetched to assume Greenaway was influenced by Italian filmmakers, since he would later base the plot of another project on Federico Fellini’s Eight and a Half (1963). The scenes surrounding Alba (the amputated woman in the crux of our love triangle) echo Dario Argento’s Suspiria in their lighting, set design, color schemes, over-the-top acting and choppy sound editing. The use of non-native English speakers whose voices have been conspicuously dubbed in post-production is reminiscent of the giallo film genre. This adds to the meticulously fabricated aesthetic of the film. A general shortage of close-ups and medium shots makes it difficult to capture sound on location. These techniques detach us from the action by minimizing our ability to detect subtle emotions. Stylistically, the shooting style reminds me of Wes Anderson, who was perhaps inspired by Greenaway’s use of symmetrical composition and wide shots to tell his stories. Yet as in ZOO their relationship to their work is disturbingly unconventional (they use blood-red scrubs and their surgical tools are so terrifying that they inspired the titular alchemical device in Guillermo Del Toro’s opera prima, and my personal favorite movie, Cronos ) The most salient parallels in my mind were resemblances to David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers (1988), whose plot description differs from ZOO in very small details, such as the profession of its protagonists: “Twin gynecologists take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.” (IMDB) Another key difference in Dead Ringers is that the twins are played by the same actor (Jeremy Irons). This movie has similarities with later films, perhaps by coincidence but more probably because Greenaway has been very influential on art filmmakers. A Zed and Two Noughts (let’s call it ZOO for short), is a film that grows on me the more I think of it. ![]()
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