The Draughtsman's Contract

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🎙️ EPISODE 566: 09.30.22 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟎-𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 RANKING GREENAWAY 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 The first narrative film from Peter Greenaway is both a nod to his past and a harbinger of things to come: a decade of filmmaking (the 80s) where he could do no wrong. His obsession with systems and rules and counting that are among the focal points of his earlier short films and the massive master work mockumentary The Falls are present in the form of The Draughtsman's detailed narration for the dozen drawings he has been commissioned to make, the underlying crux and/or map of the film. When he is asked "What do you do about the birds?" this is no doubt a direct connection to The Falls.

Here we also see the true beginnings of what he continues to unpack to the current day: the myth and otherworldly nature of the artist, almost always a painter or similar visual artist, either real or imagined, and in this case the fictitious main character, one Mr. Neville, The Draughtsman.

The film, which was cut in half in editing by Greenaway himself, loosely morphs into a quasi period piece murder mystery by the final act. But there's little question these cuts have made it both more accessible and cryptically enjoyable. The camera rarely moves, and so it functions that every shot is ostensibly it's own picture, a testament to the power of minutia and the unreliability of memory, impossible to capture be it with a pencil or, strangely enough, on film. (This technique would evolve and be mastered in later films, and slowly morph into tracking shots on sound stages when the array and volume of visual ideas could not be contained in a box.)

Greenaway is that rarest of filmmakers able to pack mysterious and BIG ideas and fascinating character studies in microcosm — every interaction feels as though it has a weight to it that you need to rewatch to truly grasp — into the same perfectly crafted shot. And constant music collaborator Michael Nyman provides a timeless score based on the period-specific melodies of 17th century composer Henry Purcell to accompany it. Whereas The Falls announced Peter Greenaway's arrival as a true artist to be recognized, The Draughtsman's Contract makes it clear he is also a FILMMAKER we need to reckon with. The difference between the two is something he's still trying to understand.

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 565 - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 566B ⫸

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The Draughtsman's Contract is a 1982 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Greenaway – his first conventional feature film (following the feature-length mockumentary The Falls). Originally produced for Channel 4, the film is a form of murder mystery, set in rural Wiltshire, England in 1694 (during the reign of William III and Mary II). The period setting is reflected in Michael Nyman's score, which borrows widely from Henry Purcell, and in the extensive and elaborate costume designs (which, for effect, slightly exaggerate those of the period). The action was shot on location in the house and formal gardens of Groombridge Place. The film received the Grand Prix of the Belgian Film Critics Association. It was released on June 22, 1983.