The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Duration: 108 minuten
Country:
United Kingdom
Directed by: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman and Anne-Louise Lambert
IMDb score:
7,2 (11.927)
Releasedate: 12 November 1982
The Draughtsman's Contract plot
"A landscape of lust and cunning."
The young 17th century artist Neville is asked by Mrs. Herbert to make 12 drawings of her estate. In addition to money, he also gets sex in exchange for his work, because Mr. Herbert is absent. Neville is confident he has the situation under control, but ends up entangled in Mrs. Herbert.
Actors and actresses
Mr. Neville
Virginia Herbert
Herbert
Sarah Talmann
Mr. Talmann
Thomas Noyes
Poulenc Brother
Poulenc Brother
Mr Parkes
Mrs Pierpont
Reviews & comments
Pieter Montana
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- 6678 messages
- 2290 votes
Extremely strange experience.
We are talking about 1694 here. The English nobility is at its height and nestles in its expensive country houses, where they enjoy themselves like bigwigs with beautiful parties, expensive clothes, etc. But behind that snobbish facade, reveals Greenaway characters with a childish insecurity about money, fear of Catholic Jacobites and of course a lot of sex. The scene behind the umbrella is incredibly erotic and humorous at the same time. Mr. Neville is asked to make 12 drawings of the noble house and asks for some "services" from his client in return. In the film we systematically follow the completion of the drawings and in the meantime we are entertained by Neville's exuberant behavior. He's not very likeable, but he still has a kind of boyish charm. As a farmer's son, he considers himself above the nobles and proves himself to be a master of razor-sharp dialogues, which are incredibly ingeniously written. Big kudos to the screenwriter!
Although the DVD cover announced the film as a "murder mystery", don't expect Hercule Poirot situations here. The murder is merely a side aspect, in a story that revolves around so much more. As Wouters already indicated, Greenaway mainly plays with the role of the artist. What does it mean to be an artist? Should he draw what he sees or what he knows? It is impossible to capture everything this film has to offer in one viewing. For the time being, I will keep it at a well-deserved 4*, with a good chance of an increase. Recommended!
Translated from Dutch · View original
Paalhaas
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- 1582 messages
- 2570 votes
A true masterpiece. The costumes may be a bit 'over the top', but otherwise a very beautiful and, in my opinion, quite historically correct picture of the times is sketched. The photography is meticulously taken care of and very well thought out, as is the direction: the film heads towards the inevitable climax with mechanical precision. The film takes a turn exactly halfway through, when Mr Neville signs a second contract. Gradually , without even realizing it, he loses the upper hand in the, as it turns out, deadly game being played at Anstey. One of the most elegant films I know, and that elegance is delightfully juxtaposed with the neat, yet prickly and often razor-sharp dialogues between the cynical and arrogant characters. Hate and envy in the polite form. Nyman's score fits in wonderfully, classical and modern at the same time, and mainly used during the 'intermezzo' scenes.
The BFI DVD also contains an excellent and illuminating introduction (10 minutes) by Greenaway himself.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Sir Djuke
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- 374 messages
- 1037 votes
The collaboration between director Peter Greenaway and soundtrack composer Michael Nyman is one of the most interesting cross-disciplinary collaborations in film history. Nyman is a minimal music composer who is based on repetitive and slowly shifting patterns. Greenaway's first proper feature film 'The Draughtman's Contract' from 1982 follows a similar scheme. In slightly varying scenes we are presented with a murder mystery through the eyes of a hired artist who makes sketches of a house from different positions. In passing, the (sexual) mores of the English upper class of the 17th century are ridiculed. Both film and soundtrack are great
Translated from Dutch · View original
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