Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Don't Look Now 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 8, 2019

Nic Roeg's "Don't Look Now" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on this release include rchival audio commentary by director Nic Roeg; new featurettes; archival interviews with cast and crew members; and a lot more. Also included with this release is the film's original soundtrack, placed on a separate CD, collectible cards, and illustrated booklet. In English, with optional English SDH and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

After the tragic death of their daughter, John (Donald Sutherland, Threshold, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) and Laura Baxter (Julie Christie, The Go-Between, Doctor Zhivago) arrive in Venice where he is going to assist a group of specialists restoring an old church. The two try not to talk about the tragedy but it is clear that they are constantly thinking about it.

While having lunch in a local restaurant, John and Laura encounter two elderly sisters. One of them is a blind psychic (Hilary Mason, TV's Nicholas Nickleby), who tells Laura that she has seen her daughter -- on the other side. Initially, Laura ignores the psychic, but later on, intrigued by the woman’s accurate description of her late daughter, she decides to meet her again.

Meanwhile, John begins working inside the church, and nearly gets killed after a scaffold collapses. Later on, while wandering around Venice, he sees a little girl wearing a red raincoat that reminds him of his daughter. When he tries to approach her, she disappears.

Based on Daphne Du Maurier’s short story, Nic Roeg’s Don’t Look Now shares the same suffocating atmosphere Sidney J. Furie’s The Entity has -- the feeling of uncertainty gradually takes over and becomes a lot more important than the narrative. In other words, the film is not so much about what the main protagonists go through but how they manage to do it.

The disconnect from reality that they experience occurs in cycles -- first, they reject what they cannot comprehend, then they begin to question it, and finally, they confront it. John’s experience, however, is a lot more intense than Laura’s.

The film is very effective because it links the real with the surreal and never favors one over the other. Instead, it offers different points of view that force one into a guessing mode literally until the final credits roll. Even then, after all of the scattered pieces have been properly aligned, the film remains a fascinating enigma that could be successfully deconstructed in a variety of different ways.

The majority of the film takes place in Venice, Italy. This is one of a handful of films, however, where this enormously beautiful city looks incredibly unattractive, unfriendly, and depressing. The long shots with the dirty canals (the scene with the rats truly sticks out), the old buildings, and especially the dark streets where the girl with the red coat appears to give the film that unique Gothic flavor many of the classic films about Jack the Ripper are known for.

Sutherland and Christie are outstanding. There are a couple of scenes where Sutherland looks straight into the camera that are very unsettling. He has the appearance of a man who has been possessed by something, something very powerful. Christie’s nervous breakdowns are also very effective. The famous explicit sex scene still looks incredibly real but inoffensive.

The film is complimented by a strong soundtrack courtesy of Pino Donaggio. After winning Best Soundtrack of the Year Award from the British Films and Filming magazine, Donaggio went on to score some of Brian de Palma’s best films, including Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, and Body Double, amongst others.

*In a recent Time Out magazine poll conducted amongst 150 industry experts, including directors Sam Mendes, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, and Wes Anderson, actors David Morrissey, Sally Hawkins, and Thandie Newton, newspaper and magazine critics, Don't Look Now was named the Best British Film of all time.

Don't Look Now 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and encoded with HEVC/H.265, Don't Look Now arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

This brand new release is sourced from a recent 4K 16-bit restoration and our review of it will be broken into two sections. In the first, you will see comments about the Blu-ray/1080p presentation and how it compares to StudioCanal's previous Blu-ray release of Don't Look Now. In the second, you will see comments about the native 4K presentation.

BLU-RAY DISC

There are very obvious and often very dramatic improvements in all of the key areas that we scrutinize. For example, the distracting surface sharpening that made the previous release look smeary is gone and as a result delineation is much better. In darker footage, in particular, now you can see new ranges of fine nuances that have a pretty dramatic effect on overall depth. Also, because the grain is not covered or in the darker areas actually collapsed by the surface sharpening, the visuals have a new type of organic fluidity, and if you view your films on a larger screen this makes a huge difference. Screencapture #10 is from one such area where the difference is beyond obvious. On the old release the entire segment looks smeary and flat, plus there is an awkward trailing-like effect that makes everything appear very artificial. On this release the segment has a natural filmic flow that is vastly superior. The highlights are also better, with the darker footage again having many of the best improvements because this was the area where on the previous release the fine nuances suffered the most. Instead of large smeary black blocks now you will see plenty of healthy nuances, even expanded color nuances (see screencapture #2). Image stability is excellent. The entire film is spotless as well. A truly fantastic upgrade. (The Blu-ray is Region-B "locked").

4K BLU-RAY DISC

I think that a direct comparison with the previous Blu-ray release is utterly pointless because the improvements that are highlighted above become even more dramatic in 4K, so I am going to address only the discrepancies between the 1080p and 4K presentations. First, fluidity is very important to me and also one of the key areas where I think 4K can deliver hugely impressive results. This 4K disc does precisely that -- now the entire film has the very pleasing tightness that you get from a traditional theatrical experience. In other words, in 4K the fluidity is superior. Second, the different and expanded color values expose new nuances that are not as easy to identify in 1080p, and in this particular film there is plenty to see and appreciate because the cinematography is very unique. I took screencaptures #4 and 5 from segments where these specific improvements are very easy to identify in 4K. Essentially, where on the 1080p presentation it looks like the darker footage becomes 'thicker' on the 4K presentation the same footage reveals different layers of nuances. Some are subtle, but some are very, very obvious. Brightness and contrast levels are expanded and benefit as well, which means that highlights become even more convincing. Image stability is superb. To sum it all up, I think that the overall quality of the 4K presentation is as good as fans of the film would have wanted it to be.

Don't Look Now 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) and German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit). Optional English SDH and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not have any problems with the lossless track from the previous release, and to be honest I could not hear any discrepancies to mention in our review. I think that clarity, depth, and overall stability are outstanding. Also, there absolutely no inherited source limitations, and if at some point there were, it is impossible to tell now. As far as I am concerned, the audio is flawless.

*While I could not detect any discrepancies, the lossless track on this release has some small audio effects that were reinstated during the 4K restoration. They are not present on the lossless track that is found on the previous release.

Don't Look Now 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• 4K Restoration Featurette - in this new featurette, Steve Bearman (senior colorist at Silver Salt Restoration) discusses some of the issues that had to be addressed during the 4K restoration of Don't Look Now. Cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond also comments on the type of look that he and the restorers wanted to preserve for the final product. Before and after comparisons are provided. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary director Nic Roeg, joined by film critic Adam Smith, discusses how key sequences in Don't Look Now were filmed, the polarizing emotions the film harbors, the complex narrative, the specific atmosphere and relationship between the real and the surreal, etc. A superb commentary, indeed.

• Pass the Warning: Taking A Look Back at Nic Roeg's Masterpiece - in this new featurette, writer/director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant), writer/director Andrew Haigh (Lean on Pete), director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting), and cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond, amongst others, discuss the Nic Roeg's diverse body of work and his visual style as well as Don't Look Now. In English, with optional German subtitles. (42 min).

• A Kaleidoscope of Meaning: Color in Don't Look Now - in this new featurette, David Cronenberg (Rabid), cinematographer Anthony B. Richomond, and professor Sarah Street (University of Bristol), amongst others, discuss the use of color in Don't Look Now as well as the manner in which it affects the film's tone and atmosphere. In English, with optional German subtitles. (16 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Don't Look Now: Looking Back - in this archival featurette, director Nic Roeg discusses the production history of the Don't Look Now and the unusual story it tells, while director of photography Anthony B. Richmond explains the significance of specific scenes in the film, including the famous sex scene. Editor Graeme Clifford also recalls his work on the film. In English, with optional German subtitles. (20 min).

• Archival Interviews - the following archival interviews were also included on StudioCanal's first Blu-ray release of Don't Look Now. In English, with optional German subtitles.
  
  1. Composer Pino Donaggio - in Italian, with imposed English subtitles. (18 min).
  2. Danny Boyle (16 min).
  3. Screenwriter/producer Allan Scott (15 min).
  4. Cinematographer Tony Richmond (24 min).
  5. Donald Sutherland (24 min).

• Behind the Scenes Gallery - a large collection of vintage production stills.

CD DISC/SOUNDTRACK

• Soundtrack - included with this release is a bonus CD with Pino Donaggio's original soundtrack for Don't Look Now. A total of 16 tracks. From Carosello Records under exclusive license to Silva Screen Records Ltd.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Booklet - 64-page illustrated booklet featuring writer/filmmaker Jason Wood's essay "The Deeper We Get, teh More Byzantine it Gets", reprinted original article from Sight & Sound (1973), extracts from an early draft of Don't Look Now script (courtesy of BFI National Archive), and credits.

• Poster - a poster for the recent 4K restoration of Don't Look Now. (See photos).

• Art Cards - five collectible art cards. (See photos).

Don't Look Now 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

4K Blu-ray has the potential to offer the ultimate home video experience. So long as 4K projects are managed by knowledgeable people whose goal is to revive original theatrical qualities, not reimagine them or invent new ones while working with HDR and Dolby Vision, I think that 4K Blu-ray will be a tremendous success amongst collectors. StudioCanal's new 4K Blu-ray release of Nic Roeg's Don't Look Now is a genuine stunner that will close the home video cycle for this film. It all ends here -- this will be the best release of this film that you can add to your collection. The new 4K restoration that cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond supervised is fantastic and looks superb on 4K Blu-ray. The folks at StudioCanal should be very proud of what they have done with this classic film because regardless of what happens in the future they have a definitive winner in their home video catalog now. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.