The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Smart and utterly original, The Draughtsman's Contract is a period piece that marks the further maturation of a writer-director with a thrillingly unique vision.
The Draughtsman's Contract Photos
Movie Info
Cast
as Mr. Neville
as Mrs. Herbert
as Mrs. Talmann
as Mr. Noyes
as Mr. Talmann
as Mr. Herbert
as Mr. Seymour
as The Poulena
as The Poulena
as Mr. Parkes
as Mrs. Pierpont
as Mrs. Clement
as The statue
as Philip
as Mr. Van Hoyton
as Valet
as Augustus
as Governess
as Maid
as Mr. Porringer
as Mr. Clark
as Laundress
as Mr. Hammond
Critic Reviews for The Draughtsman's Contract
All Critics (27) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (1) | DVD (2)
Agatha Christy this ain't, but it is weirdly wonderful.
A well-constructed plot that's both playful and thematically significant.
Contract is sordid and gorgeous at the same time; its elaborate costumes and coifs and its beautiful landscapes stand in marked contrast to the characters' blunt brutality.
Though seemingly a comedy of manners taking place in the country home of a rich man, Herbert, there is an underlying viciousness of these rich denizens that foreshadows coming upheavals.
A puzzle book for intellectual aesthetes.
Artificial in the extreme, it may nevertheless be Greenaway's most naturalistic and easygoing film.
Audience Reviews for The Draughtsman's Contract
The Draughtsman's Contract has everybody clever in an odd way. I cannot make out what it is about. This is neither irritating enough to make me dislike the film nor intriguing enough to stimulate a rewatch. Would recommend only to those who enjoy the exercise of interpretation; it is not really comical or sexy enough for a casual view.
Super Reviewer
There are a lot of good things I can say about this film. The costumes and setting are gorgeous, and all of the performances are great - most of all Anthony Higgins, who is not only masterful in his role but wears Restoration costume as if he'd been born to do so. However, despite enjoying the first two thirds of the film I can't say I was especially enamoured of the ending section, possibly because much of it went over my head. Maybe I'll watch it again sometime and see if I understand it better.
Super Reviewer
Seductive cinematic puzzle, visually rich with deception, both of fact and motive, permeating the texture. Performances are uniformly excellent, while the historical setting is amongst the most vivid committed to film. Michael Nyman's beautifully crafted score contributes greatly.
Super Reviewer
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