The Draughtsman's Contract

1982 108 min ★ 7.1 History, Mystery, Comedy

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.

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Cast

Anthony Higgins

Mr. Neville

Janet Suzman

Virginia Herbert

Dave Hill

Herbert

Anne-Louise Lambert

Sarah Talmann

Hugh Fraser

Mr. Talmann

Neil Cunningham

Thomas Noyes

David Meyer

Poulenc Brother

Tony Meyer

Poulenc Brother

Nicholas Amer

Mr Parkes

Suzan Crowley

Mrs Pierpont

Details

Director

Peter Greenaway

Screenplay

Peter Greenaway

Tagline

"A landscape of lust and cunning."

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Budget

$370,800

Revenue

$2,256,246

Production

BFI, Film4 Productions

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

November 11, 2022

★ 7/10

Anthony Higgins is artist "Neville" who attracts the eye of the unhappily married aristocrat "Mrs. Herbert" (Janet Suzman). She concocts a plan to have her wicked way with him by commissioning him to sketch twelve aspects of their modest stately home in return for £8 per drawing and unlimited "access" to her person. When "Mr. Herbert" has to go away, that proves convenient for all and their contra...