History Film / DrowningByNumbers

* NumerologicalMotifs: The famous numbers counting up to 100 is kicked off by the Skipping-Rope Girl counting all the stars in the sky only up to 100: "once you've counted the first hundred, all the rest are the same." The numbers, while present, ultimately don't affect the plot very much, representing the human urge to seek order and patterns where none may exist.

* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler:Did the jump-roping girl die after being swiped by Madgett's car? She's sprawled out on the ground, but she seems quite calm, and even whispers something to herself.]]

* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:Smut hangs himself with a jump rope after a split decision during a game of tug-of-war costs his father his life. It's also possible that the girl skipping rope died after being struck by Madgett's car in the previous scene.]]
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The Cissies get away with their murders, including of Madgett, and Smut ends up hanging himself out of guilt for losing the final game.]]
* GroinAttack: [[spoiler:Self-inflicted. Smut circumcises himself with a pair of scissors because he thinks his crush, the jump-roping girl, would prefer him that way.]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The Cissies get away with their murders, including Madgett, and Smut ends up hanging himself out of guilt for losing the final game.]]

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: She tries to hide it, but Cissie III is the only one of the three who seems to feel bad about drowning her husband, appearing the most distraught after the deed to the point of StressVomiting.

* AllWomenAreLustful: The three Cissie Colpittses certainly are.

One of the most unique things about this already-unique film is its counting device. From the first scene onward, numbers appear in each scene, whether in the background or spoken aloud in dialogue, counting up to 100. "Bad News", an episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', borrowed this device in reverse, counting down (from 50) instead of up.

* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler:Smut hangs himself with a jump rope after a split decision during a game of tug-of-war accidentally costs his father his life. It's also possible that the girl skipping rope died after being struck by Madgett's car in the previous scene.]]

''Drowning By Numbers'' takes inspiration from fairy tales and folklore, with its structure being similar to stories like "The Billy Goats Gruff" or "The Three Little Pigs". Reinforcing the theme is Madgett's son, Smut (Jason Edwards), a strange young boy who stages various bizarre "games", narrating the rules as though they had existed for quite some time. As is typical of Greenaway, there are plenty of gorgeously composed shots, ribald sexuality, BlackComedy, and a beautiful score.

* RuleOfThree: There are three Cissie Colpitts, and three drowned husbands. Madgett mentions this trope in all but name in the page quote.

Perhaps the most notable thing about the film is its peculiar counting device. From the first scene onward, numbers appear in the background of each scene, counting up to 100. "Bad News", an episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', borrowed this device in reverse.

''Drowning By Numbers'' takes inspiration from fairy tales and folklore, with its structure being similar to stories like "The Billy Goats Gruff" or "The Three Little Pigs". Reinforcing the theme is Madgett's son, Smut (Jason Edwards), a strange young boy who stages various bizarre "games", narrating the rules as though they had existed for quite some time. As is typical of Greenaway, there are plenty of gorgeously composed shots, ribald sexuality, and BlackComedy.

In Southwold, England, there live three generations of women, all named Cissie Colpitts (Plowright, Stevenson, and Richardson). They share a knack for swimming, voracious sexual appetites, and, as it turns out, a propensity for drowning their husbands. Luckily for them, they have a close relationship with the village coroner, Madgett (Hill), who helps them cover up their murders as they string him along with various promises they don't intend to keep.

''Drowning By Numbers'' is a typically strange comedy-drama film directed by Peter Greenaway in 1988, starring Creator/JoanPlowright, Creator/JulietStevenson, Creator/JoelyRichardson, and Creator/BernardHill.