The Pillow Book is a 1996 erotic drama film directed by Peter Greenaway. The film centers on a young Japanese woman named Nagiko (played by Vivian Wu), who has a fascination with body writing – the practice of writing text onto the skin, often using calligraphy – and seeks a lover and calligrapher to fulfill her desire.
Nagiko's fetish for body writing is rooted in her childhood experiences, where she would watch her father, a calligrapher, paint poetic texts on the skin of his lovers before having sex with them. Nagiko grows up to be a successful model in Kyoto, but she longs for a fulfilling sexual relationship with a calligrapher who will paint words of love and desire onto her body.
Her search leads her to Jerome (played by Ewan McGregor), a bisexual British translator and calligrapher who falls in love with Nagiko despite not sharing her fetish. Together, they embark on a passionate affair where Nagiko directs Jerome's writing on her body, insisting on intricate calligraphic designs and poetic verses.
As their relationship intensifies, Nagiko's desire for total control over writing on her body begins to push Jerome away. Eventually, Nagiko realizes that her obsession with body writing has distanced her from true intimacy. The film explores themes of power, control, and the intersection of sexual desire and art.