Review of Don't Look Now (1936) by Paul P — 04 Mar 2008
A noteworthy chapter in the book of horror cinema. This film was pure magic, full of cinematic misdirection, and justifiable tension. Upon first viewing it appears to be quite long & slow, right up to to finale.
Nothing really happens until the end. Of course the payoff at the finale is so bonechillingly terrifying that it makes every minute up to it worthwhile. It does an excellent job of creating danger that doesn't doesn't quite become a threat, until the end of the film.
After so many misleads and dangers that never became all that scary, the final fate seems all the more frightening when something fatal finally does happen. 'Don't look now' is a brilliant film that deserves a second viewing.
Only then can the wonderful subtleties be appreciated. It offers more questions than it can answer, not only in terms of its wider themes of fate and free will but also in plot details. But they are less plot gaps than ambiguities adding to the richness of the narrative, the director's commitment to providing no easy answers making for an endlessly fascinating film.
'Don't look now is perhaps one of the finest tales of the supernatural ever filmed.
This review of Don't Look Now (1936) was written by Paul P on 04 Mar 2008.
Don't Look Now has generally received positive reviews.
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