The Draughstman's Contract

Cafe Society
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This is one of those threads where I want to talk about something, but don’t really have a particular question or even direction I want to go in. So I’m kind of relying on other Dopers having something to say.

I watched this film for the second time last night. I don’t think my mind was in the right place the first time I saw it, and I forgot a lot of it. But I watched Man on Wire the other day, featuring music by Michael Nyman, including a piece I recognized as from The Draughtsman’s Contract, which reminded me of the existence of the film. After having the music in my head for a few days, I decided to rewatch.

The piece in question is called Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds and I recommend a listen.

The film is something of a murder mystery set on an English estate in the late 17th century. Peter Greenaway not only directed it but also wrote it, and the writing is quite clever, with much use of double entendre and meaningful imagery, as well as amusing verbal sparring.

While I very much enjoyed the film, I’m sure much of it went over my head and I don’t think I fully appreciated it, especially the dialogue. I think I’ll watch it again soon, but Wikipedia tells me the original cut was 3 hours long (including 30 minutes for the opening scene), with a lot more explanation. Is this version available anywhere? Has anyone seen it? I’d love to watch it.

Who else has seen this film? What did you think? Do you have any theories to share?

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I saw it many years ago. I enjoyed it. I have no clue what it was about. Maybe the three-hour version makes more sense.

I saw it on a cheap VHS tape, badly transferred from a faded film print with washed-out colors. Which is a shame, because in Peter Greenaway’s movies, the visual imagery is usually more important than the narrative.

My theory is that Greenaway uses sex and violence to entice you into the theater, so he can give you a long lecture on some subject that would otherwise bore you. (In this case, the subjects are architecture and drafting techniques.)

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I saw it when it came out. Once was enough; it exceeded my capacity for weirdness, and in the sex scenes, not even the draughtsman looks like he’s really having that good a time.