| The Draughtsman's Contract | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical re-release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Greenaway |
| Written by | Peter Greenaway |
| Produced by | David Payne |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Curtis Clark |
| Edited by | John Wilson |
| Music by | Michael Nyman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Artificial Eye |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £320,000[1][2] or £360,000[3] |
| Box office | £420,000 (UK)[3] |
The Draughtsman's Contract is a 1982 British period 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 joint 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.[4] The film received the Grand Prix of the Belgian Film Critics Association.
- ^ Alexander Walker, National Heroes: British Cinema in the Seventies and Eighties, Harrap, 1985 p 261
- ^ BRITISH PRODUCTION 1981 Moses, Antoinette. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 51, Iss. 4, (Fall 1982): 258.
- ^ a b "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ The location is given as "Groombridge" for example in the stills page Archived 10 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine