Following the deaths of their wives in a car crash, doctors and twin brothers Oswald and Oliver Deuce (Brian and Eric Deacon) channel their grief through an infatuation with time-lapse images of decomposing nature (from fruit to animal carcasses) and watching documentaries and chewing glass.
They become romantically involved with the driver of the fatal car crash, Alba (French actress Andréa Ferréol), who lost a leg in the collision.
They both have sex with her so she has twins. She has her other leg amputated, goes off with a double amputee and the dad’s commit suicide.
Peter Greenaway’s highly stylised filmmaking isn’t to everyone’s tastes, but for those who thrill to his often jaw-dropping compositions, A Zed and Two Noughts is essential viewing.
The sadness behind the extravagant imagery and the twin’s relationship with Alba is palpable. The best is saved for last, with an extraordinary final sequence where the two men attempt one final act of release, accompanied by The Teddy Bear’s Picnic and an uninvited multitude of snails.
Alba Bewick
Andréa Ferréol Oswald Deuce
Brian Deacon Oliver Deuce
Eric Deacon Venus de Milo
Frances Barber Van Hoyten
Joss Ackland Joshua Plate
Jim Davidson Beta Bewick
Agnès Brulet Caterina Bolnes
Guusje van Tilborgh Van Meegeren
Gerard Thoolen Stephen Pipe
Ken Campbell Felipe Arc-en-Ciel
Wolf Kahler Fallast
Geoffrey Palmer Documentary Narrator
David Attenborough
Director
Peter Greenaway
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