Don’t Look Now (1973)

Don’t Look Now is a 1973 British-Italian psychological thriller directed by Nicolas Roeg, based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier. This haunting and atmospheric film explores grief, perception, and the supernatural through a dreamlike lens. Its non-linear storytelling, symbolic imagery, and shocking climax have made it a classic of both horror and arthouse cinema.

Detailed Summary

The Tragedy That Starts It All

The film begins in rural England, where married couple John and Laura Baxter (played by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) experience an unimaginable tragedy: their young daughter Christine drowns in a pond on their property while wearing a red raincoat. At the same moment, John appears to have a psychic premonition—spilling a glass of water and rushing outside, seemingly sensing Christine’s danger too late.

A Change of Scenery: Venice

To cope with their grief, John accepts a commission to restore a church in Venice, and the couple relocates there. Venice, with its labyrinthine canals and decaying beauty, becomes an eerie and isolating backdrop that mirrors their psychological state. Laura seems to begin healing, but John remains emotionally withdrawn.

A Psychic Encounter

While dining, Laura meets two elderly sisters, one of whom, Heather, claims to be a psychic and insists she can see Christine’s spirit. She tells Laura that Christine is happy and wants her parents to know. Though skeptical, Laura is visibly affected and begins to believe there might be life after death.

John’s Growing Anxiety

John, a pragmatic man, dismisses the psychic as nonsense. But strange events begin to occur: he catches fleeting glimpses of a childlike figure in a red coat around the city, reminding him of Christine. He also narrowly avoids a fatal accident at the church, further suggesting that something unseen is at play. His perception begins to unravel, and Roeg’s disjointed editing blurs the lines between memory, reality, and vision.

The Missing Child and the Police

After Heather claims John is in danger, Laura leaves Venice with their son, Johnny. However, John later believes he sees Laura with the sisters still in Venice, and contacts the police, thinking she’s been abducted. This false report leads to the sisters being questioned, and John begins to suspect they are frauds—or worse.

Movie Ending

The ending of Don’t Look Now is one of the most disturbing and iconic in cinema history.

John continues to be haunted by the figure in the red coat. One night, he sees the figure darting through the dark alleys of Venice. Believing it may be Christine—or some vision tied to her—he follows it through an abandoned building. The figure seems to beckon him deeper into the shadows.

When he finally catches up, the figure turns around… and it is not his daughter. It is a dwarf woman, with a grotesque face and a knife in hand. She slashes John’s throat, killing him. As he dies, images from throughout the film—moments with Christine, Laura, and other visions—flash before his eyes.

The scene is sudden and horrifying. The audience, like John, has been led to believe the figure might be symbolic or ghostly, but instead it is a brutal and very real murderer who has been connected to a series of killings around Venice.

In a final sequence, we see Laura back in Venice, attending John’s funeral with the two sisters. It’s revealed that the visions John had were not premonitions of the future, but of his own death. His psychic abilities, which he never truly understood, were warning him all along.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Don’t Look Now does not have any post-credits scenes. The film ends definitively with John’s death and his funeral, closing the loop in a tragically ironic fashion.

Type of Movie

Don’t Look Now is a psychological thriller with strong elements of horror, mystery, and drama. It is also widely considered an example of art-house cinema, due to its experimental editing, symbolic imagery, and emotionally complex storytelling.

Cast

• Donald Sutherland as John Baxter
• Julie Christie as Laura Baxter
• Hilary Mason as Heather
• Clelia Matania as Wendy
• Massimo Serato as Bishop Barbarrigo
• Renato Scarpa as Inspector Longhi

Film Music and Composer

The haunting score was composed by Pino Donaggio, marking his first film composition. His use of piano and melancholic strings underscores the film’s somber and eerie mood. The main theme, especially, mirrors both love and loss, echoing the couple’s emotional journey.

Filming Locations

• Venice, Italy: Most of the film was shot on location here, and its canals, alleys, and foggy ambiance amplify the film’s sense of isolation and mystery.
• Hertfordshire, England: The opening scenes at the Baxter’s home were filmed here.

Venice is not just a backdrop—it becomes a character in its own right. Its decaying beauty and haunting silence symbolize the Baxters’ emotional desolation and the lingering presence of death.

Awards and Nominations

• BAFTA Awards: Won Best Cinematography (Anthony B. Richmond), Nominated for Best Actor (Donald Sutherland), Best Actress (Julie Christie), Best Direction (Nicolas Roeg), and Best Editing.
• Frequently appears on critics’ lists of the best British films of all time.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• The infamous love scene between Sutherland and Christie was so intimate and realistic that rumors swirled for years that it wasn’t simulated.
• Roeg used disjointed editing intentionally to reflect John’s fractured perception of reality.
• The red coat worn by Christine and the killer symbolizes danger, loss, and mistaken identity.
• The dwarf actress was deliberately kept hidden from the crew to increase the shock of the final scene.

Inspirations and References

• Based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier, known for Rebecca and The Birds.
• Roeg was influenced by themes of premonition and fate, and his non-linear editing style was inspired by European cinema, particularly Alain Resnais and Michelangelo Antonioni.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

No alternate endings were filmed, but several minor scenes were cut for pacing. A slightly longer scene of John exploring the church was removed to keep the tension tighter. However, the ending was always intended to be exactly as seen: abrupt, shocking, and tragic.

Book Adaptations and Differences

The movie remains mostly faithful to du Maurier’s short story but expands on the characters’ emotional lives. The book is more restrained and ambiguous, while the film emphasizes the supernatural and visual symbolism. The film also adds layers of editing and non-linear time shifts that are not present in the original text.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Christine’s drowning intercut with John’s psychic reaction.
• Laura’s meeting with the blind psychic Heather.
• The love scene, interwoven with images of John and Laura getting dressed afterward.
• John’s final pursuit of the red-coated figure through Venice.
• The shocking reveal and John’s death.

Iconic Quotes

• Heather: “She’s laughing. She’s laughing. She’s happy. As happy as can be.”
• John: “Nothing is what it seems.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The red coat appears repeatedly throughout the film, subtly in reflections and backgrounds—hinting at John’s fate.
• Mirrors and water are symbolic throughout, representing perception, reflection, and distortion.
• The repeated use of the color red always foreshadows tragedy or violence.

Trivia

• Nicolas Roeg was a cinematographer before becoming a director, which explains the film’s visually driven narrative style.
• The film was heavily censored in some countries due to its explicit sex scene.
• Roeg shot scenes out of chronological order and often didn’t tell the actors what was coming, to keep their reactions authentic.
• Martin Scorsese is a major fan of the film and cites it as one of the scariest ever made—not for jump scares, but for its emotional terror.

Why Watch?

Because it’s one of the most emotionally rich and visually unsettling horror-thrillers ever made. Don’t Look Now isn’t about monsters or ghosts in the traditional sense—it’s about the terror of loss, the fragility of perception, and how grief distorts time and memory. It rewards multiple viewings, as every cut, glance, and symbol is meticulously placed.

Director’s Other Movies

• Performance (1970, co-directed with Donald Cammell)
• Walkabout (1971)
• The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
• Bad Timing (1980)
• Eureka (1983)

Recommended Films for Fans

• The Wicker Man (1973)
• The Innocents (1961)
• Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
• The Others (2001)
• Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
• Repulsion (1965)
• The Shining (1980)