Nicolas Roeg, 1973)
(essay by Jamie)
“Things are clearer than before
Existence as that dreaded physics reality; where an action always causes an equal and opposite reaction. The oscillation of force, Donald Sutherland closes a window in an early scene tight, and the seal creates a swinging vacuum that thrusts another open sending unwanted debris into a mysterious woman’s eye. The mundane exactness of this truth, and its possible horrific outcomes is the heart and brilliance and this film. A children’s ball rolls and splashes into a lake whose ripples push outward, and the the universe pushes back sending a girl to her death. Then in a later love scene this idea manifests through cuts– caresses and kisses are recontextualized by moments that have come weeks before or hours later. It’s the moody unevenness (and again the Horror aftermath) that humans must deal with in life.
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It’s how we deal with these deaths (both the living and the dead) that most concerns the films plot. Donald Sutherland tries to save his drowning daughter, then he’s trying to save the drowning ancient Venice (aren’t both just as worthless causes in the end?, yet both caste the same red arc over his painful life?) His wife, that beautiful animal, on the other hand seeks additional supernatural clues to assist her grieving process (Sutherland probably does too though he’d never admit it–and few would– which largely leads Christie to this in the first place as he’s the one who points out that perfect chance occurrence of the red stained slide also prompted him to run outside in the first place).
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Not nearly just as beautifully acted as a mood piece as this is, its opening sequence still remains one of the greatest realized cinematic achievements I’ve ever seen. Closing your eyes and just listening to it it remains great cinema, muting the sounds and watching the interplay of images and Roeg’s virtually unmatched skill of cutting warrants additional beauty.
Even turning it off at its conclusion and facing a black mirrored screen forces you to succumb to its mastery. Here, perhaps most of all, you think about the complexity of the ideas; not just in its cinematic role, but, it is positing death as iconography always lurking near and yelling something. Remain fearful in life, and when death snatches something from us (the bastard) it’s only kind in its playful pause before it does it again. Then we must also think about his presentation of love: “Even more celebrated is the sex scene that comes a half-hour into the film, as Sutherland and Christie undress and roll around on the bed, touching one another in the way that a real couple might. First, we see Christie sitting naked in the bath, and then watch a naked Sutherland brush his teeth and sit nude at a drafting table. The ensuing lovemaking is surprising in its fair degree of frankness — you wouldn’t necessarily expect Sutherland and Christie to get naked in a film — but what makes it unique in the history of love scenes is the way Roeg chooses to envision it. Bits of clothing sliding off of bodies are intercut with the couple getting dressed again to go out for dinner. As Sutherland rolls Christie around on top of him, the fleshy sexual image gives way unexpectedly to pictures of him finishing dressing and waiting in the bedroom as she applies her makeup in the bathroom. He appears at least tranquil, but she seems almost joyously happy. At any rate, their solitary domesticity is an intriguing and unavoidable counterpoint to sexual coupling. And just like that, Roeg’s dark fable is inhabited by real people whose state of mind we feel we have become intimately familiar with.”
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I must also break from the straight forward film specifics to mention Julie Christie. As is true she is probably my favorite actress, the one that had so much promise as an icon: the 60′s figure as she strolled across a screen in Billy Liar–THE moment that ushered in the 1960′s warts and all– then said, ‘here is a woman’ (whatever women want that to mean) in McCabe and Mrs. Miller (even if she needed another role to become what she exclaimed there) she became more then a teen, here that role blosssemed into adulthood: finally someone wanting to be something more then the gender warranted. She came into full form the woman– and in the flesh– that what it is to be ‘Julie Christie’. Gone is the snotty beauty she showed in Darling while still maintaining much of her bounce and zeal, though still strained with pain (here I must always link her performance to that initial time we see her walking without a care in the world again in Billy Liar (how can we speak of Horror now–the careless youth, the indigent, not wavering an inch because they know nothing else– she’s the one that suffers the cruel reality of modern romance in Billy Liar after the protagonist speaks about it for the films length) But here she’s definately mature, a woman. Here is a character I desperately want to know, beyond the usual superficialities of film fandom– she’s nurturing. alluring, receptive, attentive. I had never really felt this way before, but watching this film most recently I can’t get over Julie Christie’s incredible worth (as a human being).
Now generally I’d accuse my rabid Anglophilia for my affection here, after all she’s quintessentially British to an American born after 1980, all nobby sweaters and tweed overcoats. She’s almost a walking advertisement for Austin Healey. But that self dismissal seems easy, here she’s something more.
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The book, ‘Beyond the Fragile Geometry of Space’, which Julie Christie feels is worthy enough to read, and ponder in the films early minutes (please see below). Then suddenly her child dies.
(lyrics by Tim Hardin)
Yeah, blue surprise
Blue surprise, yeah
Blue surprise
Blue surprise
Vishnu’s eyes
Loving eyes
Blue surprise
Blue surprise
Vishnu’s eyes
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The film most easily works due to Roeg’s brilliance. He’s a master of photography (as was evident in his previous 60′s work as DP for Corman’s exceedingly beautiful films) and a handling of actors (Sutherland and Christie, though genuinely sublime, are fantastically nuanced and emotive here). But Roeg’s ideas of cutting are generally original and the first thing that will sink into someone when the films merits need to do so (Roeg’s films are always exceptionally brilliant if nothing else) in thier editing, both technically and emotionally. For my money he’s as good as it gets for film editing (just the range he shows in in that opening sequence exhibits his creativity and artistry, then when needed, a more straight forward approach: there are cat and mouse chase sequences through Venice’s tight corridors and alleyways. Then, say, compare ‘Bad Timing’ a master class off film making and editing. Here, with Don’t Look Now, a master has graced us with a masterpiece, and for us few real Horror fans, he’s given us the ultimate treat: A Horror Film.
can love become found
once tensions risen
to a point where
chaos moves with precision?
could it be felt
In a heart that’s
grown suddenly chilled
with a thought of forever?
tell me please
is it ever seen
in the muddied sheen
by an eyeball like mine
that can never perform without assistance?
(anyone)
or is it me
who is the harbinger
of these screens that prohibit
anything from touching
can one give another love
while giving themselves such hate?
(this film appeared on Jamie’s list at #1 (obviously), Kevin’s at #4, Robert’s at #3, Troy’s at #2)
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I had never taken the time to watch this before preparing for the countdown. Jamie does an amazing job at getting to the core of the confluence of emotions and horror that lie at the heart of the film. Using music and poetry is apt, as Roeg’s film is the most lyrical of horror movies.
My favorite line is this:
“Not nearly just as beautifully acted as a mood piece as this is, its opening sequence still remains one of the greatest realized cinematic achievements I’ve ever seen. Closing your eyes and just listening to it it remains great cinema, muting the sounds and watching the interplay of images and Roeg’s virtually unmatched skill of cutting warrants additional beauty.”
Again, you beautifully capture the emotions at work in the film. It truly is something that you become enraptured with, your mind falls into the film, the torment that Christie and Sutherland encounter feels real and tangible, all leading up to the surreal ending. The movement from emotional horror (the tragedy that comes from losing a child) to visceral horror is never bettered than it is here.
Enough credit can’t be given to Christie and Sutherland, so raw and realistic in their portrayal. A great casting move in taking a real-life couple and placing them in these roles, as the chemistry between them is authentic and moving.
And if one can give credit to a city, then Venice deserves it, evoking as it does the emotions of decay and eventual demise that hang over the film. Having been there recently, at night there is certainly that feeling of being lost in the corridors, hearing footsteps on the ground, alone and secluded. Roeg pulls all of that out of his environs, creating another character in the process.
It’s an atmospheric film for sure, but I always found it a tedious snorer, and had my rows over the years with Allan over it.
But this has nothing what to do at all with Jamie Uhler’s most passionate and painstaking review, which uses the song links to amazing effect. And the surprise here gives this countdown some glorious diversity.
This ‘review’ is the answer to the question: “What happens when you have to write about a film you adore and have weeks to let ideas bounce around in your head, and this ‘skeleton’ of a review is then flushed out at 1 AM – 3 AM after a night of getting drunk with an old college friend that’s in town”.
I had to wake up before work just to edit the typos, you guys should have read it before that… eh (and I’m sure many still remain). Warts and all, I’m not sure if it’s even coherent.
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Really surprised Sam you don’t like this film (though I remember the discussion when Allan placed it in his 70′s countdown, and if you go back to that you could have guessed how high I’d put it), I think it’s a stone cold masterpiece.
I’m afraid I have to part company with my friend Sam on this one, and agree with Jamie that it’s “a stone cold masterpiece”. What an incredible post.
Sam, I think you know I am with you on this one. This is one of the most pretentious films I have ever seen…and I’m normally a fan of pretension (ha!). That being said, I have never been a big fan or Roeg spare for the delightful WITCHES (WALKABOUT is another pretentious snorer) – and this film, while it has some great moody moments…is vastly overrated in my humble opinion. And the opening scenes…ugh…talk about over the top and in your face artsy (as well as the much ballyhooed sex scene). I mean, c’mon…what happened to subtlety?
But, hey, it ain’t our lists! And this was a fantastic essay…and I would be a fool to miss the fact that you and I are in the vast minority on this one.
Aye, David, you and I have the same ‘fatal’ issues here. But yes, we seem to be in an extreme minority.
I would rate it as the creepiest film ever. It goes to the core of the horror of existence. If you have ever suffered from acute anxiety you know what I mean.
Well Tony, that’s an excellent point, I must say!
Haha I called this one. A truly great movie deserving of such a high placement. I’m slightly shocked Sam does not like it. I enjoy anyone mentioning Tim Hardin. Wonderful songwriter who’s Black Sheep Boy and Lady From Baltimore are never hard on these ears. Great job Jamie. One of the best films of the decade for sure…….
Maurizio, I will give this one another go in the upcoming week or so, but for some reason it never resonated with me.