Don't Look Now (15.)
Directed by Nicolas Roeg. 1973
Starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania, Massimo Serato and Renato Scarpa. 105 mins. Available on 29th July on a 4-disc Blu-ray Collector's Edition.
During his pomp, Nicolas Roeg was a formidable filmmaker, somebody you took on with caution. He knew all your weak points, and he'd play upon them with a quiet ruthlessness. Roeg's best films (the first six: from Performance to Eureka) have an almost indecent ability to dig down into human frailty and they always leave a little scar. So, if you're lucky, Don't Look Now will just be a silly thriller about a grief-stricken couple in Venice dabbling in clairvoyance as a murderer is loose in the city. Or you'll find yourself being enthralled by it, wrapped up in its exquisite sorrow and taking on an anguish that isn't going to be wiped awayany time soon.
Adapted from a Daphne Du Maurier tale, this is the most conventional of his great films: there are flashes back and forward but the narrative is broadly chronological, and there is tension, menace and twists. It's also the only one to really click with audiences and become a hit. We start with the death of John and Laura's (Sutherland and Christie) daughter, drowning in a pond outside their home, dressed in a red coat. Some months later, the pair are in Venice in winter, where he is working on the restoration of a church. There Laura becomes involved with two sisters, one of whom is blind but has second sight and claims that she can see their daughter sitting happily between them. John dismisses this as nonsense but starts to see a small figure running around Venice in that same red coat.
Don't Look Now is a truly extraordinary film, and in the beautiful 4K restoration Studiocanal has shelled out for, it has never looked better. Every aspect works. The performances are tremendous - Sutherland and Christie's relationship and connection come across as uncannily truthful. Venice in winter is the most incredible backdrop, both eerie and intoxicating. (It wouldn't work nowadays, even in January it's packed with tourists.) The soundtrack by Pino Donaggio, his first, is occasionally a little overdone but the simpler, more romantic themes are desperately poignant. (The 4 Disc edition includes a CD of the soundtrack, which I am envious of.) And of course, the visual storytelling is astounding. The use of the colour red and the associative jump-cutting have an almost dreamlike effectiveness.
The mark of how good it is comes when you sit down and think about the story it is telling, because it is absolute nonsense. I won't go about spoiling it but if you've seen it you've got to wonder how anyone agreed to be part of it after being told the synopsis. How do you sell that final twist? (I also object to it because it is another narrative where a rational sceptic gets punishment for not believing.)
But it works. Previously I'd always been a touch sceptical about Roeg's third film but I was knocked out by it this time. What stays with you is the sadness and disappointment. Even the once-notorious sex scene, where the Sutherland and Christie's lovemaking is intercut by shots of them getting dressed to go out afterwards, is memorable not for its eroticism but for its melancholy.
Extra
Pass the Warning: Taking A Look Back at Nic Roeg's Masterpiece
Directed by Nicolas Roeg. 1973
Starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania, Massimo Serato and Renato Scarpa. 105 mins. Available on 29th July on a 4-disc Blu-ray Collector's Edition.
During his pomp, Nicolas Roeg was a formidable filmmaker, somebody you took on with caution. He knew all your weak points, and he'd play upon them with a quiet ruthlessness. Roeg's best films (the first six: from Performance to Eureka) have an almost indecent ability to dig down into human frailty and they always leave a little scar. So, if you're lucky, Don't Look Now will just be a silly thriller about a grief-stricken couple in Venice dabbling in clairvoyance as a murderer is loose in the city. Or you'll find yourself being enthralled by it, wrapped up in its exquisite sorrow and taking on an anguish that isn't going to be wiped awayany time soon.
Adapted from a Daphne Du Maurier tale, this is the most conventional of his great films: there are flashes back and forward but the narrative is broadly chronological, and there is tension, menace and twists. It's also the only one to really click with audiences and become a hit. We start with the death of John and Laura's (Sutherland and Christie) daughter, drowning in a pond outside their home, dressed in a red coat. Some months later, the pair are in Venice in winter, where he is working on the restoration of a church. There Laura becomes involved with two sisters, one of whom is blind but has second sight and claims that she can see their daughter sitting happily between them. John dismisses this as nonsense but starts to see a small figure running around Venice in that same red coat.
Don't Look Now is a truly extraordinary film, and in the beautiful 4K restoration Studiocanal has shelled out for, it has never looked better. Every aspect works. The performances are tremendous - Sutherland and Christie's relationship and connection come across as uncannily truthful. Venice in winter is the most incredible backdrop, both eerie and intoxicating. (It wouldn't work nowadays, even in January it's packed with tourists.) The soundtrack by Pino Donaggio, his first, is occasionally a little overdone but the simpler, more romantic themes are desperately poignant. (The 4 Disc edition includes a CD of the soundtrack, which I am envious of.) And of course, the visual storytelling is astounding. The use of the colour red and the associative jump-cutting have an almost dreamlike effectiveness.
The mark of how good it is comes when you sit down and think about the story it is telling, because it is absolute nonsense. I won't go about spoiling it but if you've seen it you've got to wonder how anyone agreed to be part of it after being told the synopsis. How do you sell that final twist? (I also object to it because it is another narrative where a rational sceptic gets punishment for not believing.)
But it works. Previously I'd always been a touch sceptical about Roeg's third film but I was knocked out by it this time. What stays with you is the sadness and disappointment. Even the once-notorious sex scene, where the Sutherland and Christie's lovemaking is intercut by shots of them getting dressed to go out afterwards, is memorable not for its eroticism but for its melancholy.
Extra
Pass the Warning: Taking A Look Back at Nic Roeg's Masterpiece
- A kaleidoscope of meaning: colour in Don't Look Now
- 4k Restoration featurette
- Audio Commentary with Nic Roeg
- Death in Venice: Interview with Pino Donaggio
- Interview with Donald Sutherland
- Interview with Allan Scott
- Interview with Tony Richmond
- Interview with Danny Boyle
- Don't Look Now: Looking Back
- Behind the scenes stills gallery
- Plus: 5 artcards, theatrical poster, CD of Pino Donnagio Soundtrack and Booklet with essays and original articles
