Rembrandt's J'Accuse by Peter Greenaway

J’Accuse is an essayistic film in which Greenaway’s fierce criticism of today’s visual illiteracy is argued by means of a forensic search of Rembrandt’s Nightwatch. Greenaway explains the background, the context, the conspiracy, the murder and the motives of all its 34 painted characters who have conspired to kill for their combined self-advantage. Greenaway leads us through Rembrandt’s paintings into 17th century Amsterdam. He paints a world that is democratic in principle, but is almost entirely ruled by twelve families. The notion exists of these regents as charitable and compassionate beings. But reality was different. Greenaway points out to the viewer all sorts of ‘evidence’ that can be found in the Nightwatch, but which no one ever noticed before. Just as in the acclaimed American show CSI, Greenaway knows how to make the evidence for the murder credible by basing his line of questioning on the facts: historical sources, comparisons with other works of art that contain a secret message and mainly by highlighting numerous details in the painting that were never noticed before or that were simply not correctly interpreted.

The film explains how and why The Nightwatch, Rembrandt’s J’Accuse, is a criticism of Amsterdam’s oligarchy and plutocracy of the Golden Age, a demonstration of the manipulative power of the visual image, and an indictment, which puts all the characters involved in a complex and devious conspiracy to murder. Greenaway himself plays the part of the public prosecutor, but is at the same time himself. In his 21st Century clothes he will interrogate characters from the movie Nightwatching, dressed in historical costumes on their part in the murder conspiracy.

2008, 86 mins.

World Premiere 2008 Rome Film Festival, Italy

REMBRANDT'S J'ACCUSE CREDITS

DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY Peter Greenaway

PRODUCED BY

Submarine

CAST

Martin Freeman
Eva Birthistle
Jodhi May
Emily Holmes
Jonathan Holmes
Michael Teigen
Natalie Press

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Reinier van Brummelen

EDITOR

Elmer Leupen

MUSIC

Giovanni Sollima
Marco Robino

Producers
Femke Wolting
Bruno Felix

Co–writer
Stefanie de Brouwer

Director of photography
Reinier van Brummelen

Unit manager
Saskia van der Tas

Camera assistant
Nina da Costa
Corian van Berkel de Cloe

Gaffer
Chris Hacken

Key grip
Cees Aloserij

Grip
Frans Leiwakabessy

Flighthead operator
Igor Teljukov

Electricians
Rene Haan
Dave van Hunschoten
Marius Speller
Tinus Dam
Erik Wopma
Martijn van Kalleveen
Tessa van den Beukel

Sound mixer
Bram Boers

Sound assistant
Sophie Determeyer
Akko Venema
Frank Neuhaus

Production Designer
Maarten Piersma

Production art department
Eljo Embregts

Set builders
Rob Duiker
Dennis Los
Roman van der Molen
Ernst Paradies
Anouk Pool
Kees Bierma
Odin de Kroon

Costume Designer
Marrit van der Burgt

Wardrobe Assistant
Karen de Meijer

Make-up
Sara Meerman
Bernadette Hilhorst

Still photgrapher
Victor Arnolds

Editor
Elmer Leupen

Additional editor
Irma de Vries

Sounddesign & mixage
Boon & Booy

Music
Giovanni Sollima
Marco Robino

Online
Irma de Vries

Color grading
tbc

Film scanning
Filmmore

Line Producers
Willeke Steenbeeke
Janneke van de Kerkhof

Production manager
Ada Goossens

Head of production at Kasander
Lisette Kelder

Picture researcher
Tjitske Boogmans

Publicity
Yaniv Wolf

Post production coordinator
Jochem van Rijs

Location manager
Kees Brouwer

Production assistants
Bert Jan Hendriks
Susan de Graaf
Lennart Barewijk

Assistant to Mr. Greenaway
Marita Ruyter

Precision driver
Michel Struik

Facilities insurance
WE Insure Verzekeringen

Camera equipment
Cam-a-lot

Light equipment
Singel Film
Flighthead
Filmotech

Catering
De Drie Gezusters
Anne & Mo Verlaan

International sales
Content Film International
Head of film library sales
Toby Melling
Marketing manger
Rebecca Berry
Benelux distribution
Video-Film Express
Commissioning editor Arte France
Christoph Jörg
Commissioning editor VPRO
Saskia van Schaik
Commissioning editor WDR
Jutta Krug
Commissioning editor YLE
Outi Saarikoski

Co-producer
Kees Kasander

This production was supported by
A contribution of the Netherlands Matching Fund, The Dutch Cultural Broadcasting Fund, CoBo Fund, Thuiskopie Fonds

Produced by Submarine in co-production with / VPRO / WDR / YLE
in association with Arte France