The Draughtsman's Contract

The Draughtsman's Contract

1982 · 108 min · EN · R · 7.1 (276 votes)
Dir. Peter Greenaway · Starring Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman, Dave Hill, Alastair G. Cumming, Anne-Louise Lambert, Hugh Fraser · Music Michael Nyman

“A landscape of lust and cunning.”

HistoryMysteryComedy

R. Neville, a brash young draftsman, is hired to make a dozen landscape illustrations at the estate of Mr Herbert and his wife Virginia. Aside from monetary compensation, the arrangement includes a sexual liaison offered to Neville by Virginia while her estranged husband is away. But when the murdered body of Mr Herbert is discovered at the estate, mysterious clues found in Neville's drawings point to the identity of the killer.

VIBE

A meticulously composed, intellectually stimulating period piece. Its cool, detached aesthetic and sharp dialogue create an atmosphere of elegant intrigue and subtle manipulation. A film that rewards patient observation.

wittyaustereintellectualchillyenigmaticslow-burnperiod dramaarthousedialogue-drivenbaroqueartificeclassdeceptionpower
▶ Stream on Kino Film Collection
adulterydrawing and paintingwitshiresouthhampton17th century