The Baby of Mâcon (1994)

A great film, with the richness of texture we have come to expect from Greenaway, but in a context - the medieval church and court - which better suits this richness than some of his earlier offerings. Looking through the comments on this film, I am surprised that no-one has picked up on the pivotal nature of one specific scene in the film, that in which the girl tries to seduce the Bishop's son in the 'stable', against the wishes of the child. This scene to me is the heart of the tragedy which is the principal plot line of the film, and is excellently put together and acted. As such, it is far more important than the rape scene, which is merely an acting-out of the inevitable consequences of the split between the girl and the child, and is less significant than, for instance, the dismemberment of the child. I'd also just like to say how well the device of the separate voice for the child works for me.

A baby is born amidst a ritualistic theatrical event in the 17th century, with gaudy costumes and gilded sets, while a crowd look on and cheer. Many characters declare multiple times that the baby is too good looking to have come from such an ugly mother (who no-one can see anyway for the bag over her head) - so a better-looking mother is chosen.Its so slow that its impossible to enjoy as a story - and when you don't have much plot, its important that your central situation is fascinating enough to keep our interest up - but here, it wasn't enough. Its tedious to watch - unlike Greenaway's masterpiece, The Cook the Thief His Wife and Her Lover.Also, the camera is held at such a great distance to the action that its impossible to be anything but empty spectacle. It gives it a very stagey, theatrical feel, which seems intentional. But this same point of the shallowness and corruption of a society might have been better demonstrated with the aid of a story and some closer camerawork.The only real mystery is how someone could have read the screenplay (if there was one, which i doubt), or heard Greenaway's proposal for it, and agreed to give him money to film it, knowing they would neither enjoy the finished product nor ever see any returns on their money.1/5

In a word, one of the most putrid and despicable movies ever made. Its bad from the start and by the end the movie plunges to such depraving depths you feel like sticking a gun in your mouth and blowing out your brains to punish yourself for subjecting your mind to such vile and horrific images.After this movie was over I rushed about the house trying to find the most sickeningly sweet movie ever filmed as an antidote for the poison I had just consumed. I ended up having to endure some second rate Disney flick just to get the foul taste out of my mouth.I suppose the only good thing about this movie is the fact that the director is making movies rather than engaging in some other enterprise, like stalking the night streets as a tormented serial killer. I question not only the sanity of the director, but the integrity of the actors and actresses who participated in this pile of stinking refuse.Pornographic would be a poor label for this movie, as pornography is quite simply, much easier to stomach when compared to the "art" that this film purports to be. I would rather sit through ten screenings of the infamous and ugly "I Spit On Your Grave" (the first movie I ever saw that truly offended me)than watch five minutes of "The Baby of Macon".I think this is a movie made for and by people who are so bitterly angry at religion that they feel they have to be blasphemous. That somehow, by defiling their minds as thoroughly as they can, they will either get back at God, or at their mean Catholic mommies who made them say one too many prayers before bedtime. Give it a rest folks, the only person you are getting is yourself. Go see a shrink - if you don't believe in God then there is no point inflicting this sort of mind altering blasphemy on yourself, you are wasting your time and damaging your humanity.Sitting through this movie made me feel like Nicholas Cage in 8mm. I will feel tainted for the rest of my life for seeing what I have seen.One more thing: It's a bad movie. If it weren't for the shocking imagery and that insatiable curiosity that causes people to slow down and watch the car wreck then there would be no reviews here at all because no one would have sat through it.

I saw this movie on late night television and that could explain my confusion but I do not believe that I could have understood this movie if the writer were sitting next to me explaining it as it went a long. I have no comprehension of the ending.