I approached this film with some trepidation, as I had frequently heard it described as a horror film, and as a result I had visions of Omen-like terror looming over me. Don’t Look Now, in fact, turned out to be what I would describe as a tense psychological thriller, horrifying in the way it reminds us of the fragility of the human mental state, so easily manipulated by grief, need and desire. While the principal characters, John and Laura Baxter as played by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, attempt to piece their lives back together after the tragic death of their little girl (something which, if you delve into the generous use of symbolism throughout this film, could be seen in Baxter’s piecing together of age-old mosaics), a chance meeting with two old ladies in Venice propels them further into extreme forms of contentment (Laura) and unease (John), when one of them claims to have ‘seen’ their daughter in spirit. It is, however, just the beginning of a string of events which determine the fate of Jack himself, and despite the ladies’ warning to leave Venice, Jack cannot seem to tear himself away from the city.
The most recognisable image from Don’t Look Now, taken from the opening act.
Venice is like a character in itself-and one that is going through troubled times at that. From the ‘Venice in Peril’ sign which hangs outside the church that Jack is helping to restore, to the remote streets described by the psychic lady as a ‘dinner party where all the guests are dead and gone’, Venice is a city closing in on itself, not in the least inviting, yet seeming to trap those already within its walls. I loved the foreboding shots of dank damp alleyways and moss-covered statues, the dizzying POV depictions of buildings taken from the canals below, and the rolling fog creating a noirish feel that lasts to the end. Only once did I notice Venice in a good light and that was when Laura has just left for England, midway through the film, leaving Jack to cross the large open plaza in the early morning light back into a city where open spaces are seemingly far and few between.
As the story develops, we learn that Baxter has psychic powers of his own, even if he is largely unaware of these. He continues to be haunted by visions of his daughter skipping along in her bright red mac-a device well used in a city where almost everything else seems black and white, (you cannot help but think of Schindler’s List and the little girl in the red dress), and yet, these particular visions stem not from a psychic ability but an ironic reality which reveals itself in the final scenes. If you are unaware of this twist, all I can say is, please don’t google the movie title under google images! Without giving too much away, I do believe that the more recent movie, The Others, may have been inspired by this twist (think of the little girl dressed up in her Communion outfit..), but whereas this trickery worked fine in a passable ghost story, Don’t Look Now is a fine film marred slightly by its sudden somewhat out-of-place ending. An ending, which, I felt, did not sit well within the film as a whole. What does truly merit it a viewing , however, is the terrific pacing, editing and overall style of this film (and that includes Julie Christie’s smart dress sense!)
I’m glad I’ve faced the unnecessary fear and watched this..another one off the list of shame. It’s certainly worth the watch, although, as a friend mentioned to me earlier, possibly not with your parents. Really…there definitely is a whole ten minutes where you wouldn’t know where to look.
-Gemma
List of Shame 