The Draughtsman's Contract

The sumptuous ‘80s arthouse hit that launched the careers of Peter Greenaway and Michael Nyman screens in 4K, direct from its Venice Classics premiere.

In England in 1694, draughtsman Mr Neville is commissioned to make drawings of a country estate by Mrs Herbert, the wife of its absent owner. In an unorthodox agreement, Mrs Herbert agrees to compensate the dashing Mr Neville with British pounds, full board and by complying “with requests concerning his pleasure”. But a second contract, involving Mrs Herbert’s married daughter, Mrs Talmann (Anne Louise Lambert) hints at a deeper stratagem the brashly confident Mr Neville ignores at his peril.

Curator's Note

Director Peter Greenaway – whose later films include The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover and A Zed and Two Noughts – established his auteur credentials with this archly witty, impeccably stylised, playfully erotic country house murder-mystery, shot in the formal gardens and maze of Groombridge Place, a moated manor house near Tunbridge Wells, in Kent.

Extravagant costumes, a plot laced with intrigue, elegantly barbed dialogue and a mesmerising, propulsive score by Michael Nyman (The Piano) – featuring modern arrangements of works by 17th-century English composer Henry Purcell – make Greenaway’s breakout film a luxurious feast for the ear, eye and mind. Newly remastered in 4K by the BFI National Archive, The Draughtsman’s Contract screens exclusively at ACMI, direct from its Venice Classics 40th anniversary premiere.

– Roberta Ciabarra; Curator, Film