O Contrato (1982)

A young artist is commissioned by the wife of a wealthy landowner to make a series of drawings of the estate while her husband is away.

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writer:

Peter Greenaway

Stars:

Anthony Higgins, Janet Suzman, Anne-Louise Lambert

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Higgins	...	R Neville / Mr Neville
Janet Suzman	...	Virginia Herbert / Mrs Herbert
Anne-Louise Lambert	...	Mrs. Talmann / Mrs. Herbert's daughter (as Anne Louise Lambert)
Hugh Fraser	...	Mr Talmann / Mrs. Herbert's son-in-law
Neil Cunningham	...	Thomas Noyes / Mr Noyes
Dave Hill	...	Mr Herbert / Mrs Herbert's husband
David Gant	...	Mr Seymour
David Meyer	...	The Poulencs
Tony Meyer	...	The Poulencs
Nicholas Amer	...	Mr Parkes (as Nicolas Amer)
Suzan Crowley	...	Mrs Pierpont
Lynda La Plante	...	Mrs Clement (as Lynda Marchal)
Michael Feast	...	The Statue
Alastair G. Cumming	...	Philip / Mr Neville's assistant (as Alastair Cumming)
Steve Ubels	...	Mr. van Hoyten

Storyline

Mr. Neville, a cocksure young artist, is contracted by Mrs. Herbert, the wife of a wealthy landowner, to produce a set of twelve drawings of her husband's estate, a contract which extends much further than either the purse or the sketchpad. The sketches themselves prove of an even greater significance than supposed upon the discovery of the body of Mr. Herbert.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | deception | england | artistic creation | period drama | 

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Taglines:

A landscape of lust and cunning. [Video Australia]

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History | Mystery

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Certificate:

M/12

Did You Know?

Trivia

The moated manor house and estate including its maze and gardens featured in the film as the picture's central locale is known in real life as "Groombridge Place" and "Groombridge Place Garden". It is situated near Tunbridge Wells in the village of Groombridge in the English county of Kent in England. The film though is set not in Kent but in a rural region of the county of Wiltshire in England.

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Goofs

The cooing of a collared dove is not a sound that would have fallen on Jacobean ears, as the species was unknown in Britain until 1955.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mr. Noyes: Mr. Chandos was a man who spent more time with his gardener than his wife. They discussed plum trees - ad nauseam. He gave his family and his tennants cause to dread September, for they were regaled with plums till their guts rumbled like thunder and their backsides ached from overuse. He built the chapel at Fouvant, where the pew seats are made of plumwood, so the tennants still have cause to remember Chandos through their backsides - on account of the splinters.

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Alternate Versions

When Peter Greenaway screened the movie at festivals in 1982, it ran a full three hours. Included in this footage is a full and further explained rationale for the moving statue.

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Connections

Featured in Zomergasten: Episode #2.3 (1989)

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Soundtracks

Watery Death
(uncredited)
Written by Michael Nyman
Performed by Nyman Band

User Reviews

A convoluted enigma of a picture, but a must see one.

This is a most intricately structured enigma of a film, one that seems on the surface to be ordinary, but underneath has many layers that need examining in detail from several viewings. The story is set in the English countryside in 1694. The prominent character is a draughtsman named Mr. Neville, who is asked by a lady named Mrs. Herbert to make twelve drawings of her house from different angles. He agrees, as long as he can have the lady for his intimate pleasure.

Mr. Neville is a perfectionist, and very meticulous in his drawings. He states to everyone at the house all his rules about everything that has to remain in the same place while he draws. The film moves along nicely, everything seems usual, then events start to become strange. Stone statues start to move around, and take up different locations to contort into another static pose. Objects start to change location to confuse Mr. Neville in his drawings. Then Mrs. Herbert's daughter approaches Mr. Neville and tells him her father may have been murdered. She says she has evidence to indict Mr. Neville of his murder, and blackmails him, requesting his service for her sexual needs. Then Mr. Herbert's body is found in a ditch and things get even more complex.

This film is one of those that you need to watch and try and unravel yourself. To try to do that here in this review is almost impossible. I recommend it. It is exquisitely performed and filmed. The costumes are good. The speeches by the cast are delivered in a grandiose and statement-like manner. The music is appropriate. A classic piece of puzzling cinema that will have you watching it many times.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German Dutch

Release Date:

19 April 1984 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

O Contrato

Filming Locations:

UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP320,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,256,246

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,256,246

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Film Institute (BFI), Channel Four Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1