Don't Look Now (Review)
Saturday, 25th June 2011, 15:48

Introduction

Don't Look Now, released at the same time as The Exorcist but put on a double bill with The Wicker Man, is generally thought of as a horror film. It's not, of course, anything like the definition of that genre. If anything, it would be part of a genre known as Eerie. It's a gripping examination of grief, loss and guilt that is just as compelling to watch today as it would have been back in 1973.

Directed by Nic Roeg, also responsible for Walkabout, Performance and The Man Who Fell To Earth, this film was built upon the foundations of a short story by Daphne du Maurier and brought together the acting talents of Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. Don't Look Now is about to be released on blu-ray for the first time and thus has undergone something of a picture and audio restoration that has been supervised and approved by the director.

Don't Look Now opens with a rather stunningly edited and quick cut sequence that culminates in the drowning of a child. Architectural restorer John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) is busy examing slides and details of a potential project with his wife Laura (Julie Christie) reading a book in their Hertfordshire country house. Sensing some imminent tragedy, John suddenly rushes out of the house and plunges into their pond, retrieving the corpse of their drowned daughter Christine.

Some time later the Baxters are in Venice, John Baxter having been commissioned to oversee the restoration of an old church. The couple encounter a pair of elderly sisters after dining out one night, one of whom claims to be psychic and has apparently seen Christine sitting between the couple and happily laughing. Laura is intrigued with the possibility that their daughter has not gone completely and is drawn closer to the sisters. John, however, is unimpressed with the idea despite the fact that he is also starting to have his own visions or hallucinations, and a warning comes that his life may well be in danger if he stays in Venice...

Picture

The picture is a bit of a mixed blessing. Some of it looks incredibly sharp whereas some sequences are a little grainy. There are also shots that look as if they've been painted over in some way, it's mainly both John's and Laura's hair that gives this impression, but I just wonder if this is some kind of hallucination I'm having myself. Regardless, overall the picture is quite superb and quite detailed. The location of winter Venice is also stunning. Rather than the glossy touristy summer Venice, the city is seen sans tourists and is almost deserted and silent. Most of the shots are also well off the beaten track and gives the imperssion of a decaying city with battered and bruised brickwork with night shots full of shadow that give off an air of mystery and suspense.

Audio

It's only a 2.0 Stereo soundtrack but again sounds superb with a simply stunning soundtrack by Venitian Pino Donaggio. Prior to working on this film, Donaggio was more famous as a singer and had already had a huge hit with the song You Don't To Say You Love Me, later made a huge International hit by Dusty Springfield and seen by many as a Springfield classic. Donnagio's soundtrack is both embracing and unsettling at the same time, helped by the fact that the main theme includes some almost discordant piano playing by the composer. Donaggio was a concert standard flutist but Roeg made him play the piano for the main theme despite the fact the composer wasn't that great a player, something that comes through strongly when listening but is actually perfect for the piece.

There are subtitles for this release but only for the English dialogue. All Italian dialogue is left unsubtitled and untranslated. It works but I'm curious as to whether my understanding of the missing dialogue would enhance my overall understanding of the depicted events.