The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover: Film Analysis

The movie, The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, brings to life scenes of horror, outrage and downright indecency. The main cause of such repugnance lies in Albert Spica, the mobster and thief owner of the restaurant where the story takes place. Albert dines nightly with his wife, Georgina, and his gang of brutal thugs. One night, however, Georgina catches sight of Michael, her soon to be lover. They immediately start an affair with the help of the cook, Richard Boarst, and his staff. Unfortunately, Spica discovers the betrayal and sets out on a rampage to right the wrong. Various themes combine in the movie The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, to bring each character to life. Although many film techniques and motifs are used

Nature often brings to mind rolling green hills with babbling brooks and cute forest animals. In The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, a deep forest green radiates from the kitchen, illuminating the lovers in a variety of vulnerable sexual situations. The lovers are able to discover each other completely due to the protection of the Cook. Boarst’s defensive demeanor quickly becomes apparent to the audience as Georgina and Michael first enter the kitchen. The lovers encounter Richard, who proceeds to lead them towards a bread pantry, giving them a safe space in which to grow together. He then covers for the adulteress by calming Spica and quickly leading him away, giving the lovers time to dress and escape. Directly opposite of Spica’s, Boarst’s nurturing personality makes him the subtle protagonist of the story. This nature reveals itself time and time again, however it does so in a plethora of ways. Boarst not only guards Georgina and Michael, he also subtly stands up to Albert by calling him out on his wasteful and extravagant tendencies made clear in the adjacent dining

Because of director and writer Peter Greenaway’s artistic talent, each color represented not only a change in scenery, but also added significance to the main characters of the story. Green radiating from the kitchen exposed the inner nature of the cook, Richard, and thief, Albert, while the pure white light emanating from the bathroom brought to the surface the evolution of the wife, Georgina. Sinister red rays represented the thief perfectly, inviting the audience into the deadly domain of torture and control. Finally, the brown donned by Michael was constant throughout every scene of the movie, just as Michael consistently kept his cool and supported Georgina in every capacity. All of the colors hold significance outside of this twisted universe, but the characters makes them their own, just as Greenaway made the colors create drastically different