A grieving couple finds their reality unraveling in the labyrinthine canals of Venice.
In short: Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 thriller Don't Look Now is a masterclass in psychological dread. Following the accidental death of their young daughter, John and Laura Baxter travel to Italy, where they are haunted by premonitions and a mysterious, red-coated figure that seems to mirror their tragic, fractured past.
The film serves as a profound exploration of how grief can dismantle even the most stable relationships. John and Laura Baxter, played by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, are drawn into a web of occult encounters and fragmented memories. Roeg utilizes an impressionist style, employing associative editing to blur the lines between past, present, and future. This fluidity suggests that time is not linear, but a space where premonitions and reality collide.
Central to the film is the recurring motif of the colour red, which links the couple's deceased daughter, Christine, to a series of unsettling sightings. This visual language is reinforced by a pervasive sense of impending disaster, with falling objects and broken glass acting as omens. Roeg’s approach to geography also mirrors the protagonists' internal states; the labyrinthine streets of Venice cause John to lose his bearings, physically manifesting his inability to process his loss or communicate effectively with his wife.
The production itself was as complex as the narrative. Filmed in 1973, it became infamous for its explicit love scene, which was an unscripted improvisation designed to ground the characters in a moment of intimacy amidst their shared trauma. The film’s score, composed by Venetian singer Pino Donaggio, was his first foray into cinema, chosen after a chance encounter on a canal boat. Donaggio’s piano themes, intentionally played with an amateurish, innocent quality, perfectly captured the haunting presence of the lost child.
Ultimately, the film functions as a self-fulfilling prophecy. John’s desperate attempts to find order and meaning in his surroundings only serve to accelerate his own demise. By the time he confronts the figure in the red coat, the audience realizes that the strange events he experienced were not warnings to be heeded, but glimpses of his own inevitable end. It remains a seminal work in British cinema, celebrated for its innovative grammar and its unflinching look at the isolating nature of sorrow.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Don't Look Now
- Also: Wikidata — Don't Look Now · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Don't Look Now · CC0
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