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.
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Title: The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
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1 win & 3 nominations.
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Anthony Higgins | ... | R Neville / Mr Neville | |
| Janet Suzman | ... | Virginia Herbert / Mrs Herbert | |
| Anne-Louise Lambert | ... | Mrs. Talmann (as Anne Louise Lambert) | |
| Hugh Fraser | ... | Mr Talmann | |
 |
Neil Cunningham | ... | Thomas Noyes / Mr Noyes |
|
|
Dave Hill | ... | Mr Herbert |
| 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 (as Alastair Cumming) | |
|
|
Steve Ubels | ... | Mr. van Hoyten |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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. Written by Paul Kevin Harm <pkharm@papyrus-inc.com>
Taglines:
A landscape of lust and cunning. [Video Australia]Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
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Details
Country:
UKRelease Date:
30 June 1983 (Netherlands) See more »Also Known As:
El contrato del dibujante See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
GBP320,000 (estimated)Gross USA:
$2,256,246Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$2,256,246Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1
Edit
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.
See more »
(uncredited)
Written by Michael Nyman
Performed by Nyman Band
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The British Film Institute digitally restored this motion picture in 2003. See more »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. See more »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.
See more »
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. See more »Soundtracks
Bravura In The Face Of Grief(uncredited)
Written by Michael Nyman
Performed by Nyman Band
See more »
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This is a confusing and gorgeous film. Witty, clever and fun. A bit bizarre with its rococo themes and moodiness but a marvelously rich visual experience. The sight of the living statue peeing on command, as it were, tickled my funny bone. I loved it from the opening scenes to its strange ending.