Review of Don't Look Now (1936) by Chris W — 22 Jul 2008
My favorite film. It's quite lucky to have that title; throughout the first hour and 40 minutes I thought it was the most boring thing I had ever seen. The ending completely redeemed it, which is something I've never seen any other film do. This is a picture for repeated viewings, because the ending isn't as clear as it appears.
Nicolas Roeg is a great director, and his use of images complements the beautiful Venice setting. However the most extraordinary aspect of the film is the narrative, and although the movie is based on a Daphne du Maurier novella I've heard that the film went its own way in terms of the layerings behind the story and characters (a la Stanley Kubrick's The Shining). Which brings me to my next point. Roeg's use of images and his direction of each actor (though I could do without the overuse of Donald Sutherland grunts) allows for more questions regarding the characters (even the most minor ones) and the ending on the second viewing. It's hard for me to stress how much there is to this film without reducing this review to spoliation (and I wont).
The music is effective, blending tragic and discordant string type stuff, quaint melodies, and subtle stings (which I suppose is an oxymoron of sorts, whatever).
Nothing more needs to be said; it's chilling, deep, and theatric in its own way.
This review of Don't Look Now (1936) was written by Chris W on 22 July 2008.
Don't Look Now has generally received positive reviews.
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