As the film begins it is wonderful, even during the opening credits it is delightful and painterly. The action is so beautiful, so colourful like a series of paintings, every word of the dialogue is thoughtful and there is even something amusing. At the start we have the details of the draughtsman's contract and soon he is on his way and starting to get on with his drawings. These are fine and there seems some fun going on and as the pictures seem to change and we realise that not only that there are some puzzles and that in this there is a mystery. After about half way through I had something of a problem and it is clear that every picture and sound of dialogue there is something for us to watch and listen because for Greenaway it all has some meaning. For the gardens and trees and the fruit and the paintings are all there and even if there were to be 12 drawings in the contract there is then a 13th was maybe the murder although he never completed number eleven. I found it all rather difficult that I did not understand everything but I will try again because it is fun anyway and of course with Michael Nyman there is the music and it is splendid.
