The Draughtsman’s Contract

Peter Greenaway’s breakthrough feature takes a sumptuous 17th century Wiltshire as its setting for this erotic, stylised country house murder mystery. It follows an ego-driven young draughtsman, Mr. Neville, who arrives at an elegant estate to produce a series of drawings of the house and grounds. Not all however is straightforward with payment including sexual favours, and curious details start to emerge in his drawings that may reveal a murder. Flamboyant costumes and a rich Purcell-inspired score from Michael Nyman creates a dizzying plot with sumptuous cinematography. Now all gloriously remastered in 4K by the BFI National Archive.