A young artist is commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner to make a series of drawings of the estate while her husband is away.A young artist is commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner to make a series of drawings of the estate while her husband is away.A young artist is commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner to make a series of drawings of the estate while her husband is away.
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations
Anne-Louise Lambert
- Mrs. Talmann
- (as Anne Louise Lambert)
- …
Nicholas Amer
- Mr. Parkes
- (as Nicolas Amer)
Lynda La Plante
- Mrs. Clement
- (as Lynda Marchal)
Alastair G. Cumming
- Philip
- (as Alastair Cumming)
- …
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector Peter Greenaway, a former art student, created the sketches that feature in the film. In fact the close-up shots of the draughtsman drawing are of his hands.
- GoofsThe cooing of a collared dove is not a sound that would have fallen on Jacobean ears, as the species was unknown in Britain until 1955.
- Quotes
Mr. Neville: You must forgive my curiosity, madam, and open your knees.
- Alternate versionsWhen Peter Greenaway screened the movie at festivals in 1982, it ran a full three hours. Included in this footage is a full and further explained rationale for the moving statue.
Featured review
Extraordinary, beautiful, puzzling and disturbing.
A most extraordinary film. A fascinating study of manipulation and murder, of sex, power and the abuse of sex and power. This is not always an easy film to like, it has a coldly clinical approach to its subject and protagonists which produces an intentionally distancing effect.
In one scene, the Draughtsman invites the Lady of the House to examine a painting, owned by her husband, in which a complex allegory appears to be being acted out. I see this as an analogy for the film as a whole - it is an arch, stylised, intelligent and beautiful puzzle (a murder-mystery) in which the audience is encouraged to consider the motives and objectives of the characters, but from which many important clues appear to have been deliberately removed.
This might all sound frustrating, but I find the film endlessly intriguing and entertaining. It's like a very clever and stunningly photographed Agatha Christie mystery, but without an annoying sleuth who comes along at the end and solves everything "oh-so-neatly".
The photography is exemplary (the cinematographer, Curtis Clark, seems to have done little else of note), with the camera hardly moving at all, except for an occasional tracking shot. The Kent countryside used to maximum effect, and the costumes are sumptuous (especially the wigs!). The music is also superb, with Michael Nyman producing probably his finest score.
An engaging, puzzling, visually stunning and, ultimately, rather disturbing film.
In one scene, the Draughtsman invites the Lady of the House to examine a painting, owned by her husband, in which a complex allegory appears to be being acted out. I see this as an analogy for the film as a whole - it is an arch, stylised, intelligent and beautiful puzzle (a murder-mystery) in which the audience is encouraged to consider the motives and objectives of the characters, but from which many important clues appear to have been deliberately removed.
This might all sound frustrating, but I find the film endlessly intriguing and entertaining. It's like a very clever and stunningly photographed Agatha Christie mystery, but without an annoying sleuth who comes along at the end and solves everything "oh-so-neatly".
The photography is exemplary (the cinematographer, Curtis Clark, seems to have done little else of note), with the camera hardly moving at all, except for an occasional tracking shot. The Kent countryside used to maximum effect, and the costumes are sumptuous (especially the wigs!). The music is also superb, with Michael Nyman producing probably his finest score.
An engaging, puzzling, visually stunning and, ultimately, rather disturbing film.
helpful•521
- catfish
- Nov 15, 1998
- How long is The Draughtsman's Contract?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Der Kontrakt des Zeichners
- Filming locations
- Groombridge Place, Groombridge, Kent, England, UK(country house)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £320,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,256,246
- Gross worldwide
- $2,283,233
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Top Gap
By what name was The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) officially released in Canada in French?
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