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FILMREVIEW:DONTLOOKNOW(1973)Dir.NicholasRoeg

Cast/Crew

DirectedbyNicolasRoeg

ProducedbyPeterKatzScreenplaybyAllanScott,ChrisBryant

Basedon"Don'tLookNow"byDaphneduMaurierStarringJulieChristie,DonaldSutherland

MusicbyPinoDonaggioCinematographyAnthonyB.Richmond

Synopsis

JulieChristieandDonaldSutherlandstarasamarriedcouplewhoselives

becomecomplicatedaftermeetingtwoelderlysistersinVenice,oneofwhomclaimstobeclairvoyantandinformsthemthattheirrecentlydeceaseddaughter

istryingtocontactthemandwarnthemofdanger.ItisanindependentBritish

andItalianco-production,filmedinEnglandandItaly,andadaptedfromthe

shortstorybyDaphneduMaurier.

WhileDon'tLookNowobservesmanyconventionsofthethrillergenre,its

primaryfocusisonthepsychologyofgrief,andtheeffectthedeathofachildcanhaveonarelationship.Itsemotionallyconvincingdepictionofgriefisoften

singledoutasatraitnotusuallypresentinfilmsfeaturingsupernaturalplot

elements.(Wikipedia)

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Fig2,Sutherlandshowsheartwrenchingdespair

Fromthesynopsisthisfilmappearstobeexploringgrief,angerandlearningto

liveafterthelossofachild.Itsuggestsambiguityinthatthecouplewillholdittogetherortheywonteithertheywillsailoffintothemetaphoricalsunsetorit

willendindivorceorevensuicide.

Itoffersneitherending:insteadthereisanastytwistandanunexpectedviolentendthatdoesntfitthethemesinthefilm.Theviewergoesthroughthemothers

despair,griefandhope,andthefathersangerandavoidanceofdealingwiththesituation.Thevieweristhenleftoutinthecoldattheend;thefilmisneverresolvedsatisfactorily.

ReviewingfortheGuardianPeterBradshawfeltthatChristine'sdeathisa

terribleaccident,andyetthestaginghereimpliessomethingwilleda

grotesque,parodicchristeningceremonywhichisasinistersymbolorprophecy

ofanotherdeathstilltocome(2011).Soclearlytherewereclues,notleasttherunningmotifsoftheredcoatandthewater.Bradshawadds,Theredcoat

symbolisesthetonalambiguity,orsuperimpositionoftheeroticandthe

uncanny.Pathosandgriefbecomefearandhorror,overlaidwithaninsistentsensualcharge.Thefigureintheredcoatisbothagonisinglyvulnerableand

menacing,andonlyinthefinalmomentsdoweunderstandthatcombination.TheuseofDoppelgangers,glassandimagereproductionenhancetheuncanny

effect.

Fig3doppelgangers

CriticRogerEbertseemstofeelthesamewaythisisn'tamovielike

"Rosemary'sBaby,"whereyoucanneverquitebesurethere'snotsomerational

explanation(1973).Hesuggeststakingthesupernaturalelementatfacevalueandhisreviewseemsfocussedontheparticularlygraphiclovescene,whichwas

controversialforthetime.

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BeautifullyfilmedinVenice,thedesaturationforcestheviewertonoticethered

motifs,andthecinematographyechoesthenarrowstreetsandclaustrophobicfeelingofthesubjectmatter.

TimeOutreviewerJayCocksfeltthatthankstotheirsuperbperformancesthe

filmhada"rigorouspsychologicaltruthandanemotionaltimbre"thatmost

otherfilmsinthesupernaturalgenrelacked(1973);andperhapsitisthispsychologicaltruththatleavestheviewerwithanunpleasantandunsatisfied

feelingattheend.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig1TheatrePosteronlineat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Look_Now [accessedon06/12/11]

Fig2-http://www.phinnweb.org/roeg/films/dontlooknow.html[accessedon

06/12/11]

Fig4-http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/article/935547--best-u-

k-film-ever-don-t-look-now?bn=1[accessedon06/12/11]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bradshaw,P(2011)DontLookNow(forTheGuardian)onlineathttp://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/18/dont-look-now-red-coat

[accessedon05/12/11]

Cocks,J(1973)TimeOutReviewonlineat

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,908304-1,00.html

[accessedon5/12/11]

Ebert,R(1973)DontLookNowReviewonlineathttp://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19731220/REVIE

WS/312200301/1023

[Accessedon5/12/11]