The Pillow Book is a 1996 drama film written and directed by Peter Greenaway, which stars Vivian Wu as Nagiko, a Japanese model in search of pleasure and new cultural experience from various lovers. The film is a rich and artistic melding of dark modern drama with idealised Chinese and Japanese cultural themes and settings, and centres on body painting. The film features full-frontal male nudity.
The film's title, "The Pillow Book", refers to an ancient Japanese diary written by Sei Shōnagon, actual name believed to be Kiyohara Nagiko, from whence the protagonist's name in the film.
The film is narrated by Nagiko, a Japanese born model living in Hong Kong. Nagiko 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 in Kyoto, when her father would write characters of good fortune on her face. Nagiko's father celebrates her birthday retelling the Japanese creation myth and writing on her flesh in beautiful calligraphy, while her aunt reads a list of "beautiful things" from Sei Shōnagon's Pillow Book. Nagiko's aunt tells her that when she is twenty-eight years old, the official book of observations will be officially 1000 years old, and that she, Nagiko, will be the same age as Sei Shōnagon when she had written the book (in addition to sharing her first name). Nagiko also learns around this time that her father is in thrall to his publisher, "Yaji-san", who demands sexual favours from her father in exchange for publishing his work.
Legendary has been written by the dark ones
The traduction of the collection of the dead
This book served as a passage way
To the evil world beyond
Ride the path
Overcome the truth
Tell the words
Ex-Mortes
It was done long ago
As the seas were red of blood
This blood was used to write the book
Now lost in this frightening thought
I'm standing here in this cave
A collection of skin pages lies on the sand
Containing secrets
A vision from the past
Some erudites hands in hands
Circle is now done
Adjusted to parallel lights
Ride the path
Overcome the truth
Tell the words
Ex-Mortes
A strange and strong smell are informing my soul
Of something old or ghost's presence
Now lost in this frightening thought
I'm standing here in this cave
A collection of skin pages lies on the sand