The Draughtsman's Contract

Peter Greenaway is one of the most important figures in British cinema and his film works take heavy inspiration from Baroque and classical painting that he uses to create beautiful film masterpieces. The Draughtsman’s Contract is his second film, marking an impressive start to his directorial career. It’s a murder mystery story set in 1694 filled with deceit and debauchery; the narrative follows a young painter Mr Neville, as he is contracted by the wealthy Mrs Virginia Herbert to produce a series of drawings of her country house. As a very big fan of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, I am very excited to see more Peter Greenaway films and where else is there to start but the beginning? The content will be shocking (something I’ve come to expect from Greenaway after The Cook...), and does feature sexual content. The film was shot on 16mm and then blown up to 35mm for its initial theatrical release. It was restored digitally and rereleased on 4K by the BFI in 2022, which is the version we are screening this term at Warwick Student Cinema. The film made the BFI’s top 100 British films list and is still revered today as one of Greenaway’s great achievements.

Marnie McCrudden