Drowning by Numbers

Drowning by Numbers is a 1988 BritishDutch film directed by Peter Greenaway. It won the award for Best Artistic Contribution at the Cannes Film Festival of 1988.

The structure, with similar stories repeated three times, is reminiscent of a fairy tale, most specifically The Billy Goats Gruff, because Madgett is constantly promised greater rewards as he tries his luck with each of the Cissies in turn. The link to folklore is further established by Madgetts son Smut, who recites the rules of various unusual games played by the characters as if they were ancient traditions. Many of these games are invented for the film, includingIn Drowning by Numbers, numbercounting, the rules of games and the repetitions of the plot are all devices which emphasize structure and symmetry. Through the course of the film each of the numbersto 100 appears in sequence, often seen in the background, sometimes spoken by the characters. ........

Source: Wikipedia