Thoughts from the committee
A masterpiece of psychological horror in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby, Don’t Look Now is Nicolas Roeg’s examination of the profound effects grief has on a relationship. It was initially released, double-billed with The Wicker Man, a film which shares many of its themes and stylistic flourishes with Roeg’s. Roeg’s vision of an occult-tinged and permanently damp Venice imbues every event with a dread constantly on the verge of erupting into terror.
Following the tragic drowning of their young daughter, John (Donald Sutherland) and Laura (Julie Christie) travel to Venice, where John is restoring a chapel. An encounter at dinner with two clairvoyant sisters leads John to believe that the spirit of his daughter is trying to urgently communicate a message to him. As his obsession deepens, his relationship with Laura is strained, and perils seem to beset the couple at every turn.
Few films capture the rawness of grief, and the attendant anxieties, as vividly as Don’t Look Now. More than fifty years after its original release, the film retains its moments of shock well, and it is easy for the audience to lose themselves in the labyrinth the same way that John does. Thanks to the skillful writing and editing, past and present bleed together, and all are tinged with menace – an experience that, unexpectedly, remains even on repeat viewings.
“It’s a ghost story; it’s a meditation on time, memory and the poignancy of married love. And it’s a masterpiece.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian