Newly remastered in 4K by the BFI National Archive, The Draughtsman’s Contract is Peter Greenaway’s masterpiece. Set in a richly exaggerated 17th-century England, this witty, stylized, erotic country house murder mystery catapulted Greenaway to the forefront of international art cinema. Adorned with intricate wordplay, extravagant costumes and opulent photography, Greenaway’s first narrative feature weaves a labyrinthine mystery around the maxim “draw what you see, not what you know.” An aristocratic wife (Janet Suzman) commissions a young, cocksure draughtsman (Anthony Higgins) to sketch her husband’s property while he is away—in exchange for a fee, room and board, and one sexual favor for each of the twelve drawings. As the draughtsman becomes more entrenched in the devious schemings in this seemingly idyllic country home, curious details emerge in his drawings that may reveal a murder.

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Video Quality

The Draughtsman’s Contract comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio derived from a 4K restoration conducted by the BFI National Archive. The new restoration looks really terrific throughout the entirety of the runtime. Minor specks of print damage are peppered in very infrequently and do not really bother since overall clarity and detail is so impressive. The shots inside the estate home are packed with little details in the production design that are impressively clear thanks to this transfer.

Black levels hold up well with notable detail in shadows and next to nothing in the way of crush. Digital noise is likewise not really a factor throughout. There is a slight loss in fine detail in some of the more dimly lit moments, but this does not show up as a persistent issue. Colors are lovingly saturated in a way that makes environments and elements of the production design really pop. Skin tones are natural and consistent with distinct facial features easily noticeable in closeup such as caked on makeup. This new presentation is gorgeous and provides this one with a rich new life. Zeitgeist Films has done a fantastic job with this one.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a pleasing DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track which captures the material favorably. Dialogue is the showcase here as it stays firmly planted in the mix without threat of being overshadowed by competing sounds. The track maintains a mighty balance with all competing elements so that exchanges come through clearly. The regal score sounds pleasant throughout the duration of the film, as it lulls you into the time period. Environmental sounds such as wildlife are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any major instances of age-related wear and tear. This audio presentation does everything that is asked of it without fail. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Peter Greenaway provides a really great commentary track in which he discusses his transition into narrative filmmaking, real-life history as it relates to the story, the themes being explored, the nuances of the narrative and production design and much more.

Peter Greenaway Video Introduction: A ten-minute archival piece in which the director discusses where this fits into his career, the autobiographical nature of the story and more.

Peter Greenaway Short Films: A selection of early efforts from Greenaway are provided here which are each entertaining in their own way.

- Intervals (1969) (6:27)

- Windows (1974) (3:36)

- Dear Phone (1976) (16:40)

- Water Wrackets (1978) (11:19)

Deleted Scenes: There are four deleted scenes totaling ten minutes provided here including a very long scene about chairs.

Behind-The-Scenes Footage: A nearly 11-minute fly-on-the-wall look at the production of the film along with some interviews with the cast and crew.

Interview with Composer Michael Nyman: A seven-minute archival interview with the composer in which he discusses his work with Greenaway, inspirations for the compositions and more.

Re-Release Trailer: A minute-and-a-half long trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

The Draughtsman’s Contract is a sneakily cutting and completely engaging piece of work from the great Peter Greenaway. The way in which he so deliberately realizes his characters and approaches class dynamics is downright masterful. The humor is smart without being alienating. The technical makeup of this film is quite astonishing with all of the elements working in lock-step with one another. Zeitgeist Films and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a worthwhile selection of special features. If you are a fan of Peter Greenaway, this is going to be a beloved purchase. Recommended

The Draughtsman’s Contract is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.