The Draughtsman’s Contract

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The Draughtsman’s Contract

Director Peter Greenaway’s visually stunning comedic drama, set in 17th century England, gradually evolves into a murder mystery and also remains one. When an acclaimed and self-assured draughtsman is commissioned to produce a set of landscape drawings depicting the country house of a wealthy family, the commission opens up a can of worms suggesting that not only members of the household but the draughtsman also have their own agenda. With composer Michael Nyman’s distinctive period score, THE DRAUGHTSMAN’S CONTRACT (1982) has just been released fully restored in 4K on Blu-ray.
Set in rural Witlshire in 1694, Mrs. Virginia Herbert (Janet Suzman), the wealthy lady of a magnificent country estate, contracts Mr. Neville (Anthony Higgins), a vain young artist, to produce a series of twelve landscape drawings depicting the house as well as its outbuildings and gardens. Mrs. Herbert hopes that by presenting the finished drawings to her husband (Dave Hill), a cold and unsympathetic man disliked by many, her flailing marriage might be saved. Neville agrees to produce the drawings while Mr. Herbert is away on business for two weeks but sets out his own terms: at certain times of the day, certain corners of the estate’s garden must be kept clear of owners, their servants and any animals. This is to ensure that nothing and no one obstructs Neville’s view. He furthermore demands sexual favours from Mrs. Neville for his artistic efforts which she reluctantly agrees to, although she feels increasingly distressed by his demands. After the pay has been agreed on and Neville is shown to his guest room as he will be living in the house while the drawings are produced, we get to know some of the other inhabitants – foremost Mrs. Herbert’s charming daughter Sarah Talmann (Anne-Louise Lambert) whose impotent husband Mr. Talman (Hugh Fraser) makes no secret of the fact that he can’t stand Neville. Then there is elderly gentleman Thomas Noyes (Neil Cunningham) who was (and still is) in love with Mrs. Herbert even after she married.
As the days and sexual frivolity continue, Sarah suddenly begins to show an interest in Neville and proposes her own contract, in fact, she almost blackmails Neville into sharing sexual favours with her (only that now it’s her who makes the demands) or she will report to her father upon his return that Neville has forced her mother into carnal pleasures. Not in the least bit annoyed, Neville agrees to Sarah’s terms and conditions. He also feels stimulated by engaging in intellectual conversations with her about art, in particular some oil paintings that hang on the wall which point to the fact that something ominous is about to happen. When Mr. Herbert fails to return after two weeks, a search party gradually discovers items of his blood-stained clothing scattered about while his horse is discovered some miles away on a country road. When the animal is brought back to the estate, Sarah remarks that the horse looks like it had been treated badly by her father, to which Neville remarks that it’s not the English but the French who mistreat horses because they eat them.
Eventually, the semi-decomposed body of Mr. Neville is discovered in a wide ditch while the blame game begins – of course, the most obvious suspect is Thomas Noyes who never stopped being jealous as it was Mr. Herbert who married the woman loves and still loves. Despite all these goings on, Neville manages to finish his drawings (hardly any point anymore now but contracts must be honoured…) before he bids farewell. However, intrigued by what he believes he observed in his drawings (something which might provide valuable clues to Mr. Herbert’s murder) he returns once more to the estate to start on a thirteenth drawing. This will be his last because after he is first approached by a man is disguise (Mr. Talman), others, including Mr. Noyes, neighbours and other eccentric locals, close in on him and kill him before throwing his body in the same ditch in which the body of Mr. Herbert had been discovered.
Clearly, Neville was not the murderer as he had no motive in killing Mr. Herbert though almost everyone else had motives either for killing Neville and/or Mr. Herbert: Impotent Mr. Talman, upon realising that his wife Sarah finally got pregnant (albeit with Neville’s child) had enough reason for murdering Neville out of jealousy. In fact, Sarah Talmann needed to fall pregnant because only an heir to the estate secured keeping it. Mrs. Herbert had her reasons in killing her husband for his increasingly cold and indifferent attitude towards her (in which case, why commission the drawings?) while assorted neighbours and others had their own reasons for killing Mr. Herbert and thus Neville provided the perfect scapegoat…
The mystery is never actually resolved, instead, director Greenway provides various clues along the way as to what may really have happened.
It is an exquisite costume drama while at the same time it is also a costume drama that almost parodies the genre due to its foppish characters dressed in exaggerated garb (courtesy of costume designer Sue Blane). Barbed dialogue, witty observations and a tour-de-force performance from Anthony Higgins as the doomed draughtsman of the title make this an experience for the senses. Higgins is amply supported by the remaining cast, in particular Janet Suzman and Anne-Louise Lambert (best known for her role as ‘Miranda’ – one of the college girls who went missing in Peter Weir’s 1975 mystery ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’). Incidentally, Lambert starred alongside Higgins again in 1982, this time for the drama ‘Gossip’.
Special Features includes an introduction to the film by Peter Greenways plus audio commentary, Film comment by Angela Carter (1982), Guardian interview with composer Michael Nyman plus various examples of Greenway’s earlier works – including his 1981 profile of fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Other bonus features include interviews with Janet Suzman and Anthony Higgins (1981), image gallery, trailer and Illustrated booklet (first pressing only). In fact, Sarah Talmann needed to fall

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