12 drawings. 12 days. That is the task and timeframe facing cocksure 17th-century British draughtsman Mr. Neville (Anthony Higgins), commissioned by the aristocratic Mrs. Herbert (Janet Suzman) to sketch her husband's estate while he is away, in return for a fee, room and board, and sex. Aiming for exact realism in his drawings, Mr. Neville demands that various parts of the grounds be kept clear and unchanged during certain times of the day, but much to his dismay he finds alterations cropping up in his field of vision (a ladder, an open window, fresh articles of clothing strewn over hedges). When it appears that Mr. Herbert is missing rather than being merely away, Mr. Neville is suspected of possible foul play (although he protests that his pictures featuring “four garments and a ladder do not lead us to a corpse”). British director Peter Greenaway's (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover) debut feature film from 1982—which he calls “an Agatha Christie country house mystery on one level” is devilishly clever, with oodles of comic wordplay, and more than a touch of absurdity (a naked man appears off and on throughout the film—once as a urinating fountain—something not found in the work of Dame Agatha) to keep the viewer amused, all set to a wonderful soundtrack by Michael Nyman. Presented with a handsome new anamorphic widescreen transfer, DVD extras include an intro and commentary by Greenaway, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, an interview with Nyman, a brief film restoration demo, a gallery of production photos and the draughtsman's sketches, and a leaflet with essays. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)
The Draughtsman's Contract
Zeitgeist, 108 min., not rated, DVD: $29.99 Volume 23, Issue 3
The Draughtsman's Contract
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