Don’t Look Now (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

All hail Criterion for drawing attention to this lesser-known thriller and giving its restoration the first-class treatment it deserves."Don't Look Now" is based on an equally chilling short story by Daphne du Maurier, who gave us the novel "Rebecca" and another short story you may know from a movie made by someone named Hitchcock: "The Birds." Du Maurier was not a bit pleased by what Hitch did to "The Birds"; it is said that she was much happier with Nicholas Roeg's version of "Don't Look Now." In truth, it is a much more faithful cinematic adaptation. This is a mood (and moody) piece: with one conspicuous exception there is no real shock (although that exception is a dilly). Instead, Roeg creates an off-kilter world that begins in a grey Britain, then quickly moves to a moldier Italy. The production design, cinematography, and music are blended to give one a feeling of creeping but indefinable menace: a dream that begins in grief, gets weirder by degrees, veers into the inexplicable, then turns into a nightmare in which most of the pieces finally fall into place. On first viewing you're on a mysterious journey; on repeated viewings you appreciate just how clever the scenarist and director have been in dropping clues that you couldn't recognize as such until after the fact. I'm being deliberately vague, because to spoil this movie by disclosing too much information would ruin it for a first-time viewer.Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie deliver realistic performances as a married couple that have suffered terrible loss, trying to find their footing together and independently of each other. In less skillful hands the performances could have become awfully melodramatic, but Sutherland and Christie are too talented for that. It's no spoiler to report that this movie presents one of the most realistic scenes of voracious sex in cinematic history. In a fine interview featured among the extras, Sutherland disabuses us of believing that the actors were doing anything more than acting. I believe him (I think).I owned this movie on DVD before upgrading to Criterion's Blu-ray. It was a sound investment. The audio is far more improved, and the image quality is astonishingly better. Much of the film is shot at night in a misty or befogged Venice. On regular DVD the picture is a soupy murk. Here it is so textured that I almost felt the chill. The usual cache of Criterion extras are entertaining and informative. In spite of the movie's title—which turns out to be ironic in multiple ways—most viewers will find it hard to look away from this haunting film.

I have seen this film so long time ago and titally mesmerized and found all of the director's other movies right away and bought them as many as possible. Now it's been about 10 years and since I finally bought the bluray, I watched it again.The picture quality was super shart and was more then HD feeling. But of course sadly it was mono sound. They didn't restored the sound into stereo.The movie was famous for so many reasons but among them there are two. 1. The famous artistic love making scene 2. The surrealistic editing that has to do with telepathy and foreseeing ability of the father of the dead daugter and an old lady who sees the husband and daughter of the dead daughter who is also blind.The scenary of the Italy is just malvelous and using the Wide Angle lense, it look so nervous and it totally fits to the horror film look that always made me so over the edge of the seat.I knew briflely how beautiful Julie Christie but I felt it again through this movie even though she was already like in her early 40s or late 30s by then.I can see why John Shcleginger worked so many times with her in his early years with her. She was truely a beauty, charming actress.On the other hand, Donald Sutherland as always is acting like he've never acted like this before. He was a fragile, worrying sad person who is constantly thinks that one day his wife might hurt as his dead daughter which he foreseen her death by looking at the image through his glass with blood spreaded imgage when he was working at his study. He ran and ran to save her back then but she was dead inside the pond already.I should talk about the editing. It was alway brief and surrealistic way that make the audience just so surprised and even though it was made back in 1973, it still feels like it is a 22th century film.For isntance the love making sequence, when Donald is making love with his wife Julie, their love making shots are really realistic, but instead of showing them all together, he cuts back and forth to the other scene that both of them are wearing cloth back, looking at the mirror fixing their wordrobe to make sure they are fit perfectly. So we see them undress, making love & wearing cloth back at the same time. It is kind of unmatchable but if you see it it feels very artistic and understandable.Reason for that? There is no reason I guess. Sometimes surrealistic things just have no reason. They are just arranged for art. We as an audience finds it and makes the reason. The critics make one and shouts out loud as if there is reason. What a bomb.The music is always so soft and tender to show the husband and wife's love but when they are walking in the dark, when there are crisis they might be killed, the sharp knife like sound appears and that really hurt me although it is mono sound.the camera work, zoon in is used really powerfully as scary way through the movie and it is unforgettable. You might know what I mean if you see this movie.Again it is bluray and the picure quality is beyond belief. I was bless seeing this restored version.This is a story about loss, love and death.

In comparison to the Studio Canal region B blu-ray release, Criterion's release is superior in practically every respect - but most noticeably in terms of playback and supplemental material. For starters, the Criterion release does not suffer from agressive use of DNR which blights the Studio Canal transfer. The transfer by Criterion has a very clean and pristine look with practically no flecks or debris on the picture. But this is to be expected as Criterion's digital transfer was created in 4K resolution from the original camera negative. The original monaural soundtrack was also remastered at 24-bit from the 35 mm magnetic track of the film.The Criterion blu-ray release is sadly region locked. It is region A. Criterion have started to release some of their film catalogue in the UK (as region B), but unfortunately that does not include 'Don't Look Now'.The difference between Criterion's offering and that of Studio Canal's is quite marked; which is a real shame for those living outside of the US who want to see a definitive HD version of this film.If you have a multi region blu-ray player, I'd recommend the Criterion release over the Studio Canal release any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

"Don't Look Now", Nicholas Roeg's masterful Venitian set psychological thriller gets the special edition treatment courtesy of US boutique label Criterion graced with a new director approved 4k high definition transfer, original uncompressed audio a plethora of extra features and a glossy fold out insert. UK customers please note that this is region A locked meaning that you will require a multi region Blu ray player to view the content on this disc. Incidentally I did get this to play on my UK Panasonic BD80 by stopping the disc on the mismatched region screen then pressing "top menu" on the remote control. As far as I know this workaround only works on Panasonic equipment and on certain discs from a handful of distributors so try at your own risk.Synopsis:During the perfectly edited opening sequence we are introduced to respected art restoration expert John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) and his beautiful wife Laura (Julie Christie) as they relax in their idyllic rural home surrounded by the peaceful and unspoilt English countryside whilst their two children Johnny and Christine happily play outside in the palatial grounds. Clad in a vivid red raincoat Christine accidentally throws her ball into a pond which she attempts to retrieve simultaneously coinciding with her father experiencing a disturbing premonition whilst studying a photograph of a church interior he is to begin work on. Unfortunately this portent of what is to come happens all to late for as John races to pull Christine's lifeless body from the murky water it is clear she has already drowned. Wracked with pain and guilt for the death of his daughter and overcome by an overwhelming sense of blame (his wife even says that it was he who let them play outside) John is shattered but after a few undisclosed months returns to work. With their son Johnny safely housed at boarding school the still grieving couple are relocated to a wintery Venice where John has begun a new job overseeing the restoration of an ancient holy fresco. Quietly struggling with the all too recent trauma, John and Laura attempt to put the past behind them by showing very little outward signs of loss and attempt to reconnect their marriage that is until they are approached by a pair of strange elderly English sisters whilst they lunch in a Venitian restaurant. One half of the siblings Heather (who in addition is also blind) claims to be a medium with a second sight and gleefully informs Laura not to be sad and that her beloved Christine is "sitting between them, and she is laughing". She also describes her appearance perfectly to the grief stricken mother including her little red raincoat additionally hinting that Mr.Baxter could also possess the second sight down to his vision moments before Christine's death but is himself unaware of his special gift. Searching for any kind of relief from her pain and to heal the damage wrought by grief Laura is spured on by Heather's words despite John insisting it is nothing but mumbo jumbo and that "Christine is dead". Despite her husband's uneasiness she decides to visit the sisters alone with a vague hope that her departed daughter will express messages of reassurance from the afterlife but is told on this occasion that herself and John are now in imminent danger and are advised to leave Venice as soon as possible. Conjointly the romantic Italian city is also being plagued by a series of brutal murders with bodies being pulled from the canals and further more John is also experiencing a strange vision of a small hooded figure in a shiny red raincoat just like Christine's which he occasionally glimpses in the decadent maze like alleyways of which could be linked to the recent killing spree or another frightening portent of impending evil.Based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier, Don't Look Now is quite possibly Nicholas Roeg's most accessible picture and like his other works is again a sensory and emotional experience that works on many levels. Certainly this is often described as a horror picture thanks to it's tense and foreboding atmosphere and unforgettable almost dream like finalé but delve deeper and you will find a multi layered and incredibly human story of the impact loosing a child has on a couple and the subsequent effect it has on their marriage. On first viewing this could indeed be a confounding experience often making one question what actually is reality with Donald Sutherland's John Baxter even saying "nothing is as it seems" which in turn creates a film that lingers in the memory long after the end credits have rolled as you attempt to link the fragmented pieces of narrative to make a whole. Consequently Don't Look Now is a picture that gets even more interesting on repeat viewings highlighting subtleties that may have been overlooked at first glance amid the whirlwind of exceptional editing techniques, genuine suspense and crushing gothic ambiance. Often playing out like an overpowering fever dream that you never fully awake from further assisted by the unique setting of Venice who's warren like network of waterways add a sense of bewilderment and uncertainty adding to the anxiety suffered by the Baxters. Director Nicholas Roeg constantly teases the viewer with his treatment of sound and claustrophobic cinematography to create a nightmarish view of the world around our two main protagonists portraying the seemingly peaceful city of Venice as a dangerous labrynth full of dark shadows and quirky characters where menace could lurk around any corner. His symbolic use of colour (or lack thereof) is also startling with the palette intentionally drained of the warmth of red with the vivid primary colour suddenly bursting into the frame at select moments throughout the picture.Special notes must also go to the wonderfully lyrical score by Brian De Palma's regular composer Pino Donaggio which also adds to the unease that permeates throughout and of course Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie despite looking like chalk and cheese grace John and Laura Baxter with great physical chemistry and not just during the infamous and (at the time) controversial love-making scene which still remains raw but concurrently natural and affectionate.Brooding and manipulative in it's execution as well as being an unnerving exercise in sustained terror with a unique narrative hook, Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now is a beautifully constructed and completely satisfying picture dripping in atmosphere and filled with imagery that will linger in your memory long after you have experienced it all grounded by the English director's impeccable visual style and deft craftsmanship.Picture:I had previously owned the UK edition of Nicholas Roeg's masterpiece from Optimum Home Entertainment which as purist fans will already know was an improvement over DVD but far from perfect with an over reliance on digital corrections and denonising tools resulting in a compromised image lacking in both natural grain and filmic detail. Thankfully Criterion's new 4k transfer taken from the original camera negative and supervised by Roeg himself rights all the wrongs with no sign of the aggressive DNR which plagued the disappointing UK disc. Presented in an AVC encoded MPEG 4 1080p transfer and framed at the correct widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 this appears very impressive with a far more organic feel. Depth and detail are tighter and better resolved even with the abundance of soft focus shots with close ups conveying strong texturing from faces and clothing through to lichen covered statues and the general decaying dingyness of the Venetian locations. Long shots too convey plenty of information from the countryside opening complete with trees and fields through to the intricate backgrounds of Venice. Contrast is mostly impressive despite occasional source related hindrances resulting in deep crush free black levels and superior shadow detail which is essential for a picture like Don't Look Now with it's predominantly dark moody cinematography. Criterion's image remains fabulously grainy as it should but thankfully their transfer handles this far better than the overly noisy Optimum disc which was very inconsistent in this area. There are moments when the grain structure threatens to take over the image especially where there could have been under or over exposure during the original shoot (this is explained by Roeg in the extras) though this never looks especially distracting and despite a handful of density issues and some slight flicker the image on this US import is mercifully clean with no traces of damage or compression anomalies. The colour palette also remains accurate and true to source with the aforementioned reds being well saturated and popping at all the right moments especially when juxtaposed against the drab hues of a wintery Venice. Other colours in the spectrum are supported well with the greens and browns around the Baxter's English home in the opening looking natural and organic whilst the dark blue of John's jacket, stained glass windows and the various coloured boats that cruise the canals are especially well rendered. It must be said that the colour timing of the Criterion pushes more to blue as opposed to the green of the Optimum although I am unsure as to which is the closest to Roeg's original intention. The Optimum release also has slightly more information in the frame most noticeably on the left hand side and a higher bitrate but between the two its the Criterion wins hands down thanks to it's far more natural image quality.Sound:Criterion remain authentic to the original sound design and present Don't Look Now in its original mono delivered here in 24 bit 1.0 channel LPCM at 1152kbps. Despite some infrequent distortion this is mostly unproblematic with clear dialogue and aural effects which provide a decent ambiance for exemplary visuals. Pino Donaggio's creepy score is well served here sounding clean and dynamic with plenty of dynamic range and is quite possibly the best element in this uncompressed mix. To my ears and on my system this sounded comparable to the Optimum Blu ray which again utilised 24 bit LPCM but in a 2.0 configuration at 2304kbps which obviously collapsed into the centre channel on my receiver.Extras:Criterion port over some of the extras from the older UK BD for their release whilst adding a couple of new suppliments of their own. Perusing through the new stuff you will find a 30 minute featurette titled "Something Interesting" which features input from stars Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, cinematographer Tony Richmond and co-writer Allan Scott who share their experiences in the production of Don't Look Now and their memories of working with Nicholas Roeg.Next up is a longer 45 minute chat with the movie's editor Graeme Clifford and film historian Bobby O'Steen. Shot exclusively for this new Criterion release with the two men talking about the exciting cutting and editing used in the film. This is an excellent addition and is recommended to fans of the film or Roeg's work in general.To round off the new Criterion extras is a 48 minute Q&A chat with Nicholas Roeg from 2003 with film writer Paul Ryan after a screening of Don't Look Now at London's Ciné Lumière.Duplicated from the UK Blu ray is the featurette "Don't Look Now, Looking Back" which was produced by Blue Underground. This is relatively short at around 10 minutes but crams in interviews with Nicholas Roeg, cinematographer Tony Richmond and editor Graeme Clifford who all talk about the production history.Nicholas Roeg:The Enigma Of Film comes next which is a 15 minute piece with directors Steven Soderbergh and Danny Boyle who discuss in detail the style of Roeg's pictures and go on to talk about Don't Look Now.To round off the extras is an 18 minute interview with music composer Pino Donaggio titled "Death In Venice". This interview was again produced by Blue Underground and is presented in Pino's native Italian with English subtitles.As to be expected the original theatrical trailer is present and Criterion also include another of their glossy inserts which for this release comes in a fold out design with an essay courtesy of film writer David Thompson.Sadly the wonderful audio commentary with director Nicholas Roeg which can be found on the Optimum release is noticeably absent here and could be reason alone for true fans to own both versions so good is this particular chat track.Conclusion:Still held in very high regard, Nicholas Roeg's Don't Look Now remains effectively chilling and effortlessly stylish despite the passing of over 40 years with a final denouement that once witnessed that will stay with you forever.After the misfire that was the UK Blu ray release from Optimum Home Entertainment, US boutique label Criterion have exceeded all expectations with their wonderfully natural high definition transfer which perfectly showcases the atmospheric cinematography and innovative editing whilst eliminating the technical issues that caused concern on the prior UK release. Very highly recommended.

Presented in 1.85:1 with tidied up audio this is much better than the Studio Canal version. As usual with Criterion this is the best transfer possible with a wealth of extras. Highly recommended. Worth buying a multi region /zone player just for Criterion discs!

Reviews were good that is why I ordered itWhat a disappointmentNo do not recommend it...Unless you want to see Donald naked at many times + sex scenes with his wifeHonestly not worth to watchWe fast forward the naked scenes because it was to long for nothingThe story was to long for nothing

great movie. julie christie is an underrated talent. haunting script. no bood. just eerie spooky' wonderfully done.