The Draughtsman's Contract Page #2

Synopsis: 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.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, History
Director(s): Peter Greenaway
Production: Channel 4
  1 win & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.3
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
R
Year:
1982
108 min
1,921 Views


supplicant on my mother's behalf...

...but she does not want it

for herself but for her husband.

The supplication then

has a long and diverse path.

I am flattered.

May not Mr. Herbert

himself do his own commissioning?

The point of the exercise...

...is to avoid that one thing.

You, Mr. Neville, are to be...

...the instrument of a

hopeful reconciliation.

Mr. Neville...

...how can I persuade you to stay

with us at Compton Anstey?

You cannot.

But you can be bought, Mr. Neville.

How much will it cost?

More than you can afford.

But I must confess my

prime reason is indolence.

I increase my price...

...in proportion to my

expectation of pleasure.

I do not expect great pleasure here.

Madam...

...I'm to leave in the morning

for Southampton.

I've come to take my leave of you now.

Do not order the hay to be cut.

Do not leave the estate

and do not drink my claret.

Don't expect me back until I'm ready,

which at the least will be 14 days.

Good night, Madam.

She laughs...

I have decided...

...that it is most important

that you stay here...

...to make for me twelve

drawings of my husband's estate.

My husband is to

go to Southampton...

...for at least twelve days.

Will that be enough time for you?

First you make a

demand that suggests...

...we haven't discussed the

proposition this evening.

Second, you increase your

demand by at least 12.

Third, you add to the

proposition a time limit.

And fourth, you expect me

to start at once.

Four factors, you have convinced us...

...are well within your

talents and capabilities.

Your terms are exorbitant...

...so must mine be.

She loves...

... and she confesses to.

There is then at last...

... no more to do.

The conditions of the

agreement are:

...My services as

draughtsman for twelve days...

...for the manufacture

of 12 drawings...

...of the estate and gardens...

...parks and outlying

buildings of Mr. Herbert's Property.

The sites for the twelve drawings

to be chosen at my discretion...

...though advised by Mrs. Herbert.

For which, Thomas, I am willing

to pay eight pounds a drawing...

...to provide full board for

Mr. Neville and his servant...

...and...

And, Madam?

And to meet Mr. Neville in private...

...and to comply with his requests

concerning his pleasure with me.

Curriculum for the Execution...

... of the Drawings at

Compton Anstey.

For Drawing Number 1.

From 7 in the morning...

... until 9 in the morning...

... the whole of the

back of the house...

... from the stable

block to the laundry garden...

... will be kept clear.

No person shall use the main

stable yard gates whatsoever...

... and no person

shall use the back door...

... or interfere with

the windows or furniture...

... of the back part of the house.

'A'is for Apricot.

'M'is for Marilla.

'C'is for Citrona.

Citrona.

'A'is for Ananas.

Ananas.

'P'is for Pineapple.

For Drawing Number 2.

From 9 o'clock in the

morning until 11 o'clock...

... the lower lawns of the house...

... including the formal

garden will be kept clear.

No window in the upper part

of the house will be opened...

... closed or otherwise disturbed.

Your Mr. Neville, Sarah...

...has the God-like power

of emptying the landscape.

It is a wonder the birds still sing.

If they stopped...

...I doubt whether Mr. Neville

would appreciate the difference.

His attitude to

nature is strictly material.

Thomas...

...why is Mr. Neville

interested in my sheets?

He is to draw them

wet outside the laundry.

Wet?

Why does he want them wet?

I cannot answer you that.

Perhaps he has fond

memories of being a baby.

For Drawing Number 3.

From 11 o'clock in the

morning until 1 o'clock...

... the back and

north side of the house...

... will be kept clear.

This area...

... used as a place

for drying linen...

... will be left as asked

for, on an arrangement...

... made between the

draughtsman and the laundress...

... who will take

full responsibility...

... for the disposition of the linen.

I am delighted to see that...

...you've loosened your

clothing as I requested.

When your husband had

the pear trees grafted...

...do you know if he

asked for the advice...

...of Mr. Seymour's gardener?

We...

You do not speak very loud.

We...

We do not know

Mr. Seymour's gardener.

I see.

Mr. Neville.

The trees have been poorly cared for.

The angle between the branches...

...and the main trunk is too steep.

But the original work is good.

And what of the pears themselves...

...in season.

Are they presentable?

For Drawing Number 4.

From 2 o'clock until 4

o'clock in the afternoon...

... the front of the house that faces

west will be kept clear.

No horses,

carriages or other vehicles...

... will be allowed

to be placed there...

... and the gravel on the

drive will be left undisturbed.

No coals are to be

burned that will issue smoke...

... from the front of the house.

And Hurry up!

For Drawing Number 5.

From 4 o'clock in the afternoon

until 6 o'clock in the afternoon...

... the hilltop prospect of the

estate to the north of the house...

... will be kept

clear of all members...

... of the household

staff and farm servants.

Such animals as are presently

grazing in the fields...

... will be permitted

to continue to do so.

Good day, Mr. Neville.

Mr. Talmann.

I see you have selected a fine view...

...for my son to inherit.

I prefer, for the moment...

...to regard the view as

the property of Mr. Herbert.

Thomas...

...see that Clarissa doesn't go

to the laundry around noon.

And, come to my withdrawing room...

... this afternoon with some ink.

I want to send to

Mr. Herbert to know...

... by which road

he intends to return.

Is it your intention to continue

to stand there Mr. Talmann?

I can see the view

very adequately from here.

Thank you.

Will you be wearing

the same clothes tomorrow?

Why?

I have not decided.

It depends on my servants.

Is it important?

Maybe I will.

For Drawing Number 6.

From 6 o'clock in the

evening until 8 o'clock...

... the lower lawn of the

garden by the statue of Hermes...

... will be kept clear of all

members of the house hold...

... staff, horses and other animals.

Philip, go and ask

those people to move.

Ask them nicely, smile.

Don't trot.

Go away.

Where?

Really?

Not that I know.

Mr. Lucas...

...was a man whose enthusiasms

were divided equally...

...between his

garden and his children.

Whenever his wife conceived...

...Mr. Lucas planted fruit-trees.

His wife seldom came to

a successful labour...

...and those children she was

blessed with died before weaning.

Mr. Lucas threatened to cut his trees

down, but he never did.

To date there are 11 trees

in his fruit-garden...

...and he knows them all

by their Christian names.

The English are not blessed with

the most appropriate fecundity.

They can raise colonies

but not heirs to the throne.

It depends which

colonies you are speaking of.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote

Peter Greenaway

Peter Greenaway, CBE (born 5 April 1942 in Newport, Wales) is a British film director, screenwriter, and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular. Common traits in his film are the scenic composition and illumination and the contrasts of costume and nudity, nature and architecture, furniture and people, sexual pleasure and painful death. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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