SOURCE: Greenaway, Peter, and Adam Barker. “A Tale of Two Magicians.” Sight and Sound 1, no. 1 (May 1991): 27–30.

In the following interview, Greenaway discusses how he developed the idea for Prospero's Books, how high-definition television influenced the look of the film, and the differences between male and female protagonists in his work.

Flaunting their erudition and relishing their overt staginess, Peter Greenaway's films divide audiences. There are those prepared to entertain his conceits and play the game, and others for whom a Greenaway film is about as exciting as a guided tour through an ancient museum where the catalogue has been lost. What is not in doubt is Greenaway's achievement. Producing a regular stream of low-budget movies, from early shorts such as H is for House (1976) to The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1989), he has made one of the most challenging bodies of work in post-war British...