Greenaway's Next Canvas Is a Rembrandt
British director Peter Greenaway plans to shoot a movie on the life of Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn called "Nightwatching," the filmmaker's longtime collaborator said Tuesday.
The film will concentrate on the creation of "The Nightwatch," considered by many to be Rembrandt's most famous painting, and the impact it had on his private life, said producer Kees Kasander.
He aims to release "Nightwatching" in 2006 to mark the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt's birth. The budget of the film is around EUR6 million ($7.7 million), and casting will start in a few months, Kasander said in an interview.
The artist's life has inspired several films, including Alexander Korda's 1936 biopic "Rembrandt," with Charles Laughton in the lead, and Dutch director Jos Stelling's "Rembrandt fecit 1669."
Kasander has produced several of Greenaway's movies, including "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover" and "Prospero's Books."
oh lord, man...
check dis shit out:
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apollogallery.ie%2Fimages%2Fnews%2F228_rembrandt%2520nightwatch.JPG&hash=a940c67770d65412fc0bf7be4a49833e2ebc4301)
this will be good
Freeman will paint picture of Rembrandt
Source: Hollywood Reporter
AMSTERDAM -- British actor Martin Freeman has been signed to play Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn in "Nightwatching," a film by director Peter Greenaway. Dutch producer Kees Kasander, a longtime collaborator of Greenaway's, said shooting will begin next month. "Nightwatching" will focus on the creation of "The Nightwatch," one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings, and the effect it had on his private life. The women in his life will be played by Sarah Polley (Saskia) and Minnie Driver (Geertje). The project is closely linked with an exhibition on Rembrandt, also titled "Nightwatching," developed by Greenaway for the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum.
Freeman's excellent. You can tell he's got more than a comedian in him from The Office, hopefully this'll reveal some real dramatic qualities.
Greenaway explores Rembrandt's life, work
If you look closely at "The Nightwatch," the most famous painting of Rembrandt van Rijn, a shot is being fired in the background.
"A murder is committed, and all the killers are on the canvas," suggests British director Peter Greenaway, who will present this very personal view in his new film, "Nightwatching," an unorthodox look at the life and work of arguably the Netherlands' most famous painter. The film could be described as his take on the Rembrandt Code.
"Nightwatching" starts shooting in August in Poland, where Rembrandt's house has been re-created. From there, the $8 million production will move to Wales and the Netherlands. After a long search, producer Kees Kasander found his leading man in English actor Martin Freeman, best known for his work on the BBC comedy hit "The Office." Rotterdam-based Kasander had high hopes to seduce Philip Seymour Hoffman for the role, but the Oscar-winning actor declined, saying he didn't want to make another biopic right after "Capote."
Kasander faced another problem with his choice of lead. "Peter will present Rembrandt as a man of flesh and blood, so there will be some male nudity in it. My experience is that many male actors have a problem with performing naked in front of a camera," he says.
Kasander says he's very happy with Freeman. "I realize he is unknown for a large part of the audience, but that is an advantage," he says. Sarah Polley plays the painter's wife, Saskia. Minnie Driver, Matthew Modine and Sam Neill are also among the cast.
With an anticipated premiere at next year's Festival de Cannes, Greenaway's film will arrive too late to benefit from the massive celebrations to mark 400 years since Rembrandt's birth on July 15, 1606. The Netherlands is in the midst of an invasion of tourists, with at least 1.5 million visitors expected in Leiden and Amsterdam, the two cities where Rembrandt spent most of his life. Tourists have a choice of more than 20 Rembrandt-related exhibitions, dozens of tours and excursions, plus two musicals about the artist and his colorful private life, one with a Japanese translation.
These include an installation by Greenaway himself, also called "Nightwatching," in which he sets out what he believes is happening in the painting. With clever lighting and sound effects used over the original canvas in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, the director suggests who is killed, why, how and by whom.
"Rembrandt is some kind of Sherlock Holmes here," Greenaway says. "'The Nightwatch' could be regarded as an episode of 'CSI' or a story like 'Murder on the Orient Express."'
A promo for Nightwatching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13XxGURuTIg