Don’t Look Now Blu-ray Review

• 23rd Jun 2011

^4thJuly 2011 will be the release date for Don’t Look Now on Blu-Ray. Originally a short story by Daphne du Maurier (The Birds and Rebecca), Don’t Look Now (screenplay written by Allan Scott and Chris Bryant) opened in UK cinemas 16^th October 1973 as part of a double bill with The Wicker Man starring Edward Woodward.

Don’t Look Now is arguably the greatest British horror film ever made. This accolade has been reinforced as it has been voted the best British film of all time .The top 100 list of films was compiled by 150 actors, directors and producers including Wes Anderson, Ken Loach and Sam Mendes for Time Out London, Don’t Look Now just piped The Third Man starring Orson Wells to the top spot.

The success and cult status of Don’t Look Now is all down to the vision, direction and casting of the Director Nic Roeg (The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) starring David Bowie and The Witches (1990), which starred Anjelica Huston). During Nic Roeg’s long career, he was also a part of the second unit on David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia and almost directed Flash Gordon movie 1980.

This classic British horror will imminently be released on Blu-Ray, but will this digital re mastering make a difference to the all-round experience?

It’s a lazy afternoon and the Baxters, John and Laura playing Donald Sutherland (Klute) and Julie Christie (Doctor Zhivago)  are relaxing in their country home. John is looking over his pending restoration work while Laura is doing some fact- finding for their daughter. Their two children are playing on the grounds of their home when their daughter (Christine) tragically drowns in their pond.

The film jumps forward to period where their son has been left in a boarding school while John and Laura are in Venice as John has to do some restoration work on an old historical church. This is the offer of work John was looking over at the time of his daughter’s death.

It is here in Venice that Don’t Look Now loses its transparency and predictability (which is a good thing). Whilst at a restaurant, a chance meeting between Laura and two elderly British sisters (one of them is blind) reveals messages from John and Laura’s dead daughter. Laura, who is still trying to come to terms with Christine’s death, finds all of this a tad overwhelming; especially after being told by the blind sister (who is a psychic) that she can see Christine and she is happy and has been playing in the restaurant at John and Laura’s table. The blind sister rambles on to describe Christine in great detail. Laura becomes overcome with emotion and collapses.

Laura’s demeanour then starts to improve dramatically. John, who initially found the strange event amusing, becomes increasingly disturbed and unsettled as Laura obsesses about using the two sisters to communicate with Christine. In the séance, further message from their daughter reveals John’s life’s is in danger.

It is from this point Don’t Look Now bumps up the mind bending and atmospheric psychological horror (this is truly cinematic gold at its best).

With all the strange and surreal events happening around John he becomes less cynical about the warnings from beyond the grave and starts to wonder, where the messages from Christine in fact warnings to be heeded.

The roles of the grieving parents were played to perfection by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie and my suspension of disbelief throughout Don’t Look Now was never broken which is at great credit to the director.

The direction is spectacular to say the least. The atmosphere of confusion disorientates the viewer just enough without losing sight of the plot (splendid, just splendid). Only a brilliant director such as Nic Roeg could have conjured up such a wonderful piece of work, oh, and as for that much debated lovemaking scene, that perfectly captured the emotion of a rekindled love.

Don’t Look Now is truly amazing on Blu-Ray. The digital re mastering (which had been supervised and approved by Nic Roegs)worked its magic and elevates Roegs celebrated work to new visual and audible heights of splendor. The pin sharp picture makes you look intently into the film as never before; really, you’ll be grabbed by the throat and mesmerised with its less that transparent brilliance and it will leave you gasping in shock at its finale.

The Blu-Ray also comes filled with extras for those of you who want to experience more than the main feature. The extras include the following: Nic Roeg commentary, Looking Back (The Making of) Documentary, Interview with composer Pino Donaggio, Intro by Alan Jones, compressed version of Don’t Look Now made by Danny Boyle for BAFTA tribute, interviews and excerpt from documentary Nothing As It Seems.

Don’t Look Now is truly a great film. Watching this again on Blu-Ray will make you realise there was so much you didn’t see the first time around. Fans and newcomers to this film will not be disappointed.This format has most definitely given Don’t Look Now a new lease of life and a very good reason to revisit this piece of cinematic history.

Donnie Tulloch