Don't Look Now (1973) Review

Controversial movies are good. And I don't mean controversial as in "Man, Hostel is probably the goriest and most violent film ever"-controversial. That's what I normally call BS with a capital B. What I mean by controversial are movies that challenge the viewer not on an entertainment basis but on an interpretive one, movies like Don't Look Now.

This 1973 film starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie is probably mostly known for its infamous sex scene. First off, if you watch it for that, then a) you'll be disappointed because it's not really that great and b) you should start questioning why you watch movies in the first place.

Now that we got that over with, let's get to the plot. Sutherland and Christie play a couple that just lost their daughter in a drowning accident and are now on a trip to Venice. There lots of strange things happen and the movie starts getting creepy and uncomfortable.

This quick summary doesn't do the actual film any justice because what we're dealing with here is another case of atmosphere and visuals over storyline. The whole movie is filled up with more or less heavy-handed symbolism, purposeful editing, a haunting 70s score and darkly sinister images of Venice as you've probably never seen it before.

Don't worry, I don't wanna sugarcoat anything here, Don't Look Now is a far cry from perfection. The film drags at some points, the camerawork sometimes seems to be irritatingly amateurish and a couple of the actors feel like they are acting on a stage and not on screen.

But all of that is forgiven and forgotten thanks to the masterfully unsettling atmosphere. There's not much happening but, boy, this film kept me on the edge of my seat, especially the film's climax is just a huge goosebumps moment. I would even go as far as putting it into my Top 5 Horror Film Moments, it's really that great.

Now you're probably asking, what the heck is so controversial about this film? As I said before, Don't Look Now is dealing with a lot of symbolism that can be interpreted in several ways. These interpretations in combination with how satisfying you'll find the ending will determine whether you'll love or hate this movie. Honestly, I can't see any credible movie lover just shrugging his shoulders and saying it was alright. Believe me, you will want to discuss this film after you've seen it, no doubt about that.

What else can I say? Go and watch this hidden 70s gem!