I just thought that it was a beautifully shot, really adult look at real-life horror stories, and there was a great degree of sexuality in it that, as a young kid, when I saw it, I remember I was very startled by. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. There is something molten about the whole movie. Fancy cutting and every other form of trickery strain to make a work of art out of Don't Look Now -- all to no avail. Inspirational quilt designs that are achievable and fun to make. Shortly after, John is nearly killed in an accident at the church when the scaffolding collapses, and he interprets this as the "danger" that was foretold by the sisters. [35], While many of the changes were due to the logistics of filming in Venice, some were for creative reasons, the most prominent being the inclusion of the famous love scene. [42] The rumours were seemingly confirmed in 2011 by former Variety editor Peter Bart, who was a Paramount executive at the time. [64] It also topped a similar list organised by Time Out London in 2011, in which 150 film industry professionals were polled. "In Venice... a shocking red December") is a 1973 English-language film directed by Nicolas Roeg. Meanwhile, John catches another glimpse of the mysterious figure in red and this time pursues it. |, January 27, 2020 As well as composing the score, Donaggio performed a substantial portion of it himself. The 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale contains a small homage where James Bond pursues a female character through Venice, catching glimpses of her through the crowds wearing a red dress. [51], Don't Look Now has been released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray. [45], Don't Look Now—marketed as a "psychic thriller"[46]—was released in London's West End on 16 October 1973. Donald Sutherland definitely provides a triumphant performance as grieving father, facing off with relocating to a foreign country after the loss of his daughter, along with a blind psychic that warns him of forthcoming danger. The author of seventeen novels and numerous short stories—many of which have been made into movies and television shows—du Maurier was also a playwright, essayist, and respected biographer. It is a thriller adapted from the 1971 short story by Daphne du Maurier. [37], Don't Look Now has become famous for a sex scene involving Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, which caused considerable controversy prior to its release in 1973. In addition to the "Death in Venice" and "Looking Back" featurettes which accompanied earlier editions, there is a conversation between editor Graeme Clifford and film writer Bobbie O’Steen, an essay by film critic David Thomson and a Q&A with Roeg at London’s Ciné Lumière from 2003. He corners the elusive figure in a deserted palazzo and approaches it, believing it to be a child. [Puts] Nicolas Roeg right up at the top as a film-maker. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Laura comments in a letter to their son that she can't tell the difference between the restored church windows and the "real thing", and later in the film John attempts to make a seamless match between recently manufactured tiles and the old ones in repairing an ancient mosaic. Horror films like "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Birds" are made scarier by the old-fashioned feel of the medium of old film. It felt very brave to me, and I think it still holds up. | Rating: 8/10 [76] Fabrice Du Welz, whose film Vinyan has often been compared to Don't Look Now, has stated that it is a film he is "obsessed with", and one of his favourites,[77] while Lynne Ramsay cited it as an influence on We Need to Talk about Kevin, which incidentally is also produced by Roeg's son, Luc. Roeg and his collaborators have constructed an intricate, intense speculation about levels of perception and reality. [52][53][54], A new DVD and Blu-ray release with a 4K digital restoration was released in 2015 by The Criterion Collection. [12], Much has been made of the fragmented editing of Don't Look Now, and Nicolas Roeg's work in general. A devastating portrait of grief, a master class in disjunctive editing and a haunting disquisition on the use of the color red. [4][38], The sex scene remained controversial for some years after the film's release. Julie Christie and Donald Sutherlandportray a married couple who travel to Venice following the recent accidental death of their daughter, after the husband accepts a commission to restore a church. [36], Donaggio won a "best soundtrack of the year" award for his work on the film, which gave him the confidence to quit his successful singing career and embark on a career scoring films. Christie liked the script and was keen to work with Roeg, who had served as cinematographer on Fahrenheit 451, Far from the Madding Crowd and Petulia in which she had starred. Roeg served as the cinematographer on Petulia, which incidentally also starred Julie Christie, and Gibbs went on to edit Performance and Walkabout for Roeg. [13] John himself is mistaken for a Peeping Tom when he follows Laura to the séance,[14] and ultimately he mistakes the mysterious red-coated figure for a child. |, February 9, 2015 [56] Canby considered the "sincerity of the actors" to be one of the better aspects of the film,[58] while Kael found Christie especially suited to the part, observing she has the "anxious face of a modern tragic muse". The film's director, Nicolas Roeg, was intrigued by the idea of making "grief into the sole thrust of … [8], Besides Proust, other possible literary influences include Borges and Nietzsche; Pauline Kael in her review comments that "Roeg comes closer to getting Borges on the screen than those who have tried it directly",[25] while Mark Sanderson in his BFI Modern Classics essay on the film, finds parallels with Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil. The film hammers down his skepticism and destroys him. The discovery of San Nicolò was particularly fortuitous since it was currently being renovated and the scaffolding was already in place, the circumstances lending themselves well to the plot of the film. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. A masterpiece from Nicolas Roeg, Don’t Look Now, adapted from a story by Daphne du Maurier, is a brilliantly disturbing tale of the supernatural, as renowned for its innovative editing and haunting cinematography as its naturalistic eroticism and unforgettable climax and denouement, one of the great endings in horror history. [20], The Venice locations included the Hotel Gabrielli Sandwirth—the lobby and exteriors standing in for the film's fictional Europa Hotel, although the Baxters' suite was located at the Bauer Grunwald (which better accommodated the cameras)—and the San Nicolò dei Mendicoli (the Church of St. Nicholas of the Beggars), located on the outskirts of Venice. |, December 5, 2020 Shaken, Laura returns to her table, where she faints. The surprise ending adds a perfect touch: the Devil ends up m… Filming began in England in December 1972, breaking off for Christmas, and resuming in January 1973 for seven more weeks in Italy. [36], At the 27th British Academy Film Awards, Anthony B. Richmond won for Best Cinematography, and Don't Look Now received further nominations in the Best Film, Direction, Actor, Actress, Sound Track and Film Editing categories. On the surface, "Don't Look Now" is a chilling jaunt in the world of psychics and deep emotional loss, but the question that needs to be asked pertains to whether the film is actually scary or if its horror is brought on mainly by the 70's nature of the film. [65] In 2012 Time Out also undertook a poll of the horror industry, in which more than 100 professionals who work within or have connections to the genre selected their favourite horror films, which saw Don't Look Now finish in twelfth position. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie mesmerize as a married couple on an extended trip to Venice following a family tragedy. Although real-life couple Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner were suggested for the parts of Laura and John Baxter, Roeg was eager to cast Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland from the very start. [30] Renato Scarpa was cast as Inspector Longhi, despite not being able to speak English and so he had no idea what he was saying in the film. [3], The film was among the top British titles at the UK box-office in 1974, second only to Confessions of a Window Cleaner, and ranking in the top twenty of the year overall. We cannot see the rise and fall between thighs." [58], Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland also received praise for their performances. Dan Cupid sets out to bring some lovers together. Don't Look Now: A Novel Paperback – November 22, 2011 by Linda Lael Miller (Author) › Visit Amazon's Linda Lael Miller Page. Millions of readers have made her one of the most beloved, but critically ignored, authors of the twentieth century. Cinemark Plagued by (psychic?) Cupid and a Devil are having fun on St. Valentine's Day with arranging and destroying love affairs. Thanks to the steady building of tension, the most innocuous activities could become catastrophic at any moment. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. [7], The plot of the film is preoccupied with misinterpretation and mistaken identity: when John sees Laura on the barge with the sisters, he fails to realise it is a premonition and believes Laura is in Venice with them. Laura is taken to the hospital, where she later tells John what Heather told her. [20], The score was composed by Pino Donaggio, a native Venetian who was a popular singer at the time (he had a hit with "lo Che Non Vivo" which was covered by Dusty Springfield in 1966 as "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"); prior to Don't Look Now, Donaggio had never scored a film. [21] The film was not received well by Venetians, particularly the councillors who were afraid it would scare away tourists. Sometime after the drowning of their young daughter, Christine (Sharon Williams), in an accident at their English country home, John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) and his grief-stricken wife Laura (Julie Christie) take a trip to Venice after John accepts a commission from a bishop (Massimo Serato) to restore an ancient church. [61], The reputation of Don't Look Now has grown since its release and it is now regarded as a key work in horror cinema. The film is renowned for its innovative editing style, recurring motifs and themes, and for a controversial sex scene that was explicit by the standards of contemporary mainstream cinema. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy [47][48] Michael Deeley, who was managing director of British Lion Films at the time of the film's release, claimed that the film's US reception was hurt by Paramount Pictures rushing the film into cinemas too early, due to the unexpected failure of Jonathan Livingston Seagull;[49] despite its mismanaged distribution, Peter Bart—from his time at Paramount—recalls it performing "fairly well" at the box office. [3] Penelope Houston for Sight & Sound also found much to appreciate in Roeg's direction: "Roeg deploys subtle powers of direction and Hitchcockian misdirection. [31] Shooting the sequence was particularly problematic: Sharon Williams, who played Christine, became hysterical when submersed in the pond, despite the rehearsals at the swimming pool going well. 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