The Draughtsmans Contract

Synopsis

In an apparently idyllic 17th century Wiltshire, an ambitious draughtsman, Mr Neville, (Anthony Higgins) is commissioned by an aristocrat's wife, Mrs Herbert (Janet Suzman) to produce twelve drawings of her husband's estate. In return he will receive payment, board and bed - hers! With a contract extending much further than either the purse or the sketch pad the sketches themselves prove to be of even greater significance upon the discovery of the body of Mr. Herbert in the moat. Extravagant costumes, a twisting plot, elegantly barbed dialogue and a mesmerising score by Michael Nyman make this witty, stylised, erotic country house murder mystery a treat for ear, eye and mind.