| Don't Look Now | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Nicolas Roeg |
| Produced by | Peter Katz |
| Written by | Daphne du Maurier (story) Allan Scott (screenplay) Chris Bryant (screenplay) |
| Starring | Julie Christie Donald Sutherland |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures (USA) British Lion Films (UK) |
| Release date(s) | 9 December, 1973 |
| Running time | 110 min. |
| Country | Italy / UK |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
- For the 1983 PBS sketch-comedy, see You Can't Do That On Television.
Don't Look Now is an Anglo-Italian thriller, directed by Nicolas Roeg and released in 1973. It is based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier.
Contents |
Plot Synopsis
Don't Look Now tells the story of a couple, Laura (Julie Christie) and John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) whose young daughter has recently drowned in a tragic accident at home. Their grief puts a sudden pressure on their marriage. Seeking a change of scenery and an opportunity to work through their loss, they take a "working vacation" to Venice, Italy, where John has been contracted to restore an ancient church. While John attends to this project, Laura is befriended by two strange elderly sisters. One of the sisters, Heather (Hilary Mason), is blind and claims to be in psychic contact with the Baxters' dead daughter. Laura is drawn to the sisters, but John finds their influence on her unsettling and suspects them of deceit. The ensuing drama is set against a subplot involving a serial killer who has eluded the police. John catches glimpses of a childlike figure in red rain-gear who resembles his dead daughter, although the figure vanishes whenever John pursues it. He begins to question his own sanity and that of his wife as Laura appears to be completely under the command of the sisters, who in turn suggest that John shares their gift of a "second sight." John's fears and Laura's apparent obsession with the sisters lead them into a spiraling vortex of coincidences, recurring themes and motifs (light on water, breaking glass, the colour red), which reaches a dramatic conclusion in an old bell tower. John confronts the mysterious figure in red, realizing too late that his visions were premonitions of a grisly end.
The love scene
Although memorable for its puzzling story and unusual editing, Don't Look Now has become almost as well-known for its sex scene involving Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. The scene was unusually graphic for the time, and was severely trimmed for the original American theatrical release in order to receive an MPAA R rating. Some viewers have believed it to be unsimulated; the director and stars have repeatedly denied this [1]. The assertion that Sutherland and Christie actually had sex was repeated as recently as 2001 in Patrick Robertson's Film Facts. The scene was an unscripted last-minute improvisation by Roeg who felt that without it there would be too many scenes of the couple arguing. It is edited in a typically unorthodox Roeg manner, with the footage of the act intercut with footage of the couple getting dressed afterward. Director Steven Soderbergh paid homage to the scene by including a tamer version in a similar style in his 1998 Elmore Leonard adaptation Out of Sight. A similar scene also appears in the 1981 thriller, Ghost Story, between Craig Wasson and Alice Krige. Christie and Sutherland reteamed for the 1992 film, The Railway Station Man, which also included a frank depiction of a sexual act.
Trivia
- The theme of the little red-clad Venetian figure is used in a dream sequence in the Book Clubbin' episode of Absolutely Fabulous, Series 5.
- The actor who played the inspector, Renato Scarpa, did not speak English, and simply read the lines he'd been given without understanding them.
- Writer Allan Scott was pleased to see a bottle of The Macallan (of which company he was the deputy chairman) beside the bed in the controversial sex scene.
- The score written by Pino Donaggio (Venice-born, and already known as the composer of the music for Dusty Springfield's 1966 hit song You don't have to say you love me) plays an important role in this film. After this first attempt as a film composer, Donaggio became a regular composer for Brian De Palma films.
- In Flatliners, Kiefer Sutherland is tormented by a small childlike figure in a red hooded coat.
- The end chase scene is referenced in the 2006 release of Casino Royale where James Bond is pursuing Vesper through Venice while she is wearing a red coat.
- The UK video included a still of the climactic last scene on the outside of the box.
- The film was ranked at #8 on a list of the top 100 British films published by the British Film Institute.
- This film heavily influenced Alice, Sweet Alice.
- This film was #22 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments for its ending. Commentator John Landis, however, broke rank by confessing to find the killer's revelation comical: "That's what it is? A dwarf in a rain coat?"
- This film seems to have influenced episode 13 of Big O, titled RD.
- The video to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's single Catch You seems to draw heavily on the film's imagery as Bextor runs around Venice in a red evening dress looking for someone.
- Often referenced by cult British television series The League of Gentlemen.
- The Wicker Man was released as its 'B' feature on its original UK theatrical release.
- Clips from this film appear in the video for Big Audio Dynamite's 1986 hit "E=MC2"
- Only late in the movie do we see a clear scene of the two leads walking together that reveals just how far Sutherland (6 ft 4) towers over Christie (5 ft 2).
The New Zealand made short film "Sandhouse' written and directed by Graeme Tuckett, draws heavily on the red coat motif in its portrayal of a young girl who her parents fear has drowned. The Irish feature film 'Intermission' (Starring Colm Meaney and Colin Farrell) references the chase of a small figure in a red coat several times.
DVD releases
Warner Bros originally released the DVD in the UK in 2002, plus a theatrical trailer and a twenty-minute featurette. Many fans were disappointed by the notoriously bad quality of the 2.0 stereo track. Paramount followed this with a Region 1 release. Although featuring much improved sound, the transfer and extras were less impressive. Optimum recently announced a special edition UK DVD for November 13 2006. The press release revealed that the DVD would feature a digitally restored anamorphic widescreen transfer, Dolby Digital 2.0 Stero Sound, an introduction by Alan Jones, an audio commentary by director Nicolas Roeg, and the previous DVD's featurette/ Many were confused, as the artwork's banner 'Double-Disc Special Edition' suggested that surely there would be no more extras. However, recent revised artwork removes the 'Double-Disc', denying rumours that only the Disc 1 extras were revealed in the press release. Days later, the complete extras details were announced, which were the above, a lengthy interview with the composer and the theatrical trailer.
Sources
- Patrick Robertson: Film Facts, 2001, Billboard Books, ISBN 0-8230-7943-0
