Don't Look Now

Don’t Look Now (1973)

Runtime: 110 minutes

Directed by: Nicolas Roeg

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie, Clelia Matania, Massimo Serato, Hilary Mason

From: Paramount released it in the United States

What, don’t YOU sketch in the nude?

Not only was it overdue for me to discuss this famous 70’s thriller, but to talk about Nicolas Roeg as a director for the first time. He didn’t make that many yet many are easy to track down—for certain, in the future some others will be discussed. For Don’t Look Now, a key aspect is the at times unique editing which helps drive the story & assuredly augments the original Daphne Du Maurier story this was based on, along with the obvious motifs of water & the color red.

This was done as the opening is the daughter of Donald Sutherland & Julie Christie passes away in a tragic accident by drowning in a pond while wearing a distinctive red jacket. Besides the obvious of the movie moving from England to a city famed for its canals so he can work on restoring an old church, Sutherland sees a small girl wearing a similar jacket around Venice as his wife meets a pair of twin sisters-because this was partially an Italian genre production from the 70’s, OF COURSE one of the sisters is blind, and of course she’s psychic-causing an escalation of bizarre moments and strange images that Sutherland witnesses.

The film is a meditation on grief expressed through various motifs and recurring moments as the lead couple struggle to maintain their relationship despite still having a healthy son. Venice was successfully presented as an alien world to the lead couple, one where the locals commonly stare at them and as a viewer, unless you speak Italian we are kept in the dark as those aren’t translated. A relative went to Venice and noted that “the city smelled terrible” and “there was constant flooding.” I can’t verify those statements and if it was true then hopefully the city has improved… in any case, the city was presented quite well—many different locations seen throughout.

Mix in a quality Pino Donaggio score and this is a movie that people should stick with even if they feel it lags at times or you’re befuddled as to the plot. Once the great conclusion is seen, everything comes together and there’s an explanation of sorts for the peculiar moments. Both Sutherland and Christie deserve praise for their excellent performances, as does Roeg for his solid direction. At least I finally got around to discussing this piece of work and a movie from the famed director.

By the by, there is a random moment where Ol’ Donald starts sketching after getting out of the shower without putting any clothes on, leading to an awkward moment w/ the maid. I don’t sketch myself; even if I did, it wouldn’t be when I was naked!