Don’t Look Now (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD]

This is an excellent film. The new 4K HDR version is a noticeable improvement on the the Blu-Ray version. The colors are much better, due to the larger color space of the HDR format. The 4K resolution reveals several flaws in the original camera negative. A number of scenes are grainy and underexposed. A few appear to be out of focus. Perhaps it was all deliberate. Roeg's visual style is eclectic. Pans, zooms, hand-held shots; scenes done in available light, scenes that look like they belong in a David Lean film (Roeg was the original DP for Doctor Zhivago). The sense of disorientation, of strangeness and foreboding, is striking. No one has ever made a film like this one.

How could you go wrong, here? Finally, we have got the Criterion's treatment to one of the most innovative, groundbreaking, atmospheric, intellectual, stunningly beautiful movies ever made. Julie Christie delivers another haunting, heartbreaking, poetic performance as tragic, and mysterious Laura Baxter, who's trying to recover in a wintry Venezia, Italy (splendidly photographed by Anthony B. Richmond), along with her stronger, stubborn, more logical, and yet ultimately most unfortunate husband (Donald Sutherland, in a then new, memorable look, presenting another "out of time" performance, as well!), after a series of mysterious tragedies, and wildly intersecting, more, and more troubling events are slowly fragmenting the life of this upper class, intellectual, gorgeous, evolved, affectingly in love, International couple, trying desperately to make sense of life, in a city (Venice) that is indeed supposed to be one of the most gorgeous, all over the World, but, that here, however and inexorably, it becomes slowly more and more intricate than a labyrinth of dark, and madding proportions.What's there for me to add yet, that hasn't been said already, about this very personal masterpiece? I'd probably like to remind to everyone, and, if i may, especially, to all younger audiences, that the often overlooked, yet phenomenal director Nicolas Roeg, after years spent as a progressive, clever, outstanding, and truly inimitable top cinematographer (he had actually photographed several of Julie Christie's top 1960's hit movies, among them, the exceptional and eccentric, dark and romantic "Petulia" another true gem, and best movies of that decade, directed by Richard Lester in 1968 for Warner Bros. and which i highly recommend to all of those 'real great Cinema lovers', or to the counterculture's nostalgic crowd), here, after a stunningly memorable directing debut starring Mick Jagger, the dazzling film noir "Performance" co-directed, with another obscure, yet great filmmaker, Donald Cammell (his most famous, and recognized movie, remains MGM's "Demon Seed", also starring Julie Christie, and, still very timely and modern, if someone thinks it was shot back in 1977!) and, after shining at the helm of another much lower budget, exceptionally brilliant Australian venture of a movie called "Walkabout", too, here Roeg backed by Paramount, and, with an impeccable, strong script, inspired by a short novel of the same name, written by the great Daphne Du Maurier (Hitchcock's "Rebecca" and "The Birds", among other cult novels translated into greatly successful movies, i also highly recommend), he finally was directing with firm, and yet brilliantly groundbreaking, and shockingly, striking visionary moments, an unique, personal motion picture, and achievement, with no precedents, a complete new take (for 1973) on Horror, but, also on romantic psychological dramas, featuring tremendously affecting performances, and mysteriously unexplainable events, shot with elegant flashback's, and flash forward's, to capture what lies between life and death, and perhaps..the shining.I strongly recommend this movie to everyone today, and, provokingly, especially to all those just addicted to the never ending ordeal of tired, and tiring "bubble gums", CGI's action, or Marvel's blockbuster's movies, mostly made today, to, at least, have a good taste, or (hopefully) even appreciate what real filmmaking is truly about, and, why stars like Christie and Sutherland last forever, and should be watched with insightful attention, while they haunt your heart and soul in movies, such as this one.The Criterion's restoration is formidable as usual, with, besides all the great work in order to restore the magnificent, dark colors of the original print, also featuring greater sound, so enhancing the beautiful, classic score from Italian musician Pino Donaggio, and, offers great short documentaries, and rare interviews, too, about the making of what remains one of the most atmospheric and, never exploitative (so do not expect easy scares, but, instead, many increasing, and, highly disturbing sequences, just deeply moving, and, so slowly affecting the viewers), accomplished films I personally ever watched, and re- watched again, and again, i don't even know how many times, while always finding more, and more precious unforgettable cues, and momentum, sense and sensibility.

I have seen this film so long time ago and titally mesmerized and found all of the director's other movies right away and bought them as many as possible. Now it's been about 10 years and since I finally bought the bluray, I watched it again.The picture quality was super shart and was more then HD feeling. But of course sadly it was mono sound. They didn't restored the sound into stereo.The movie was famous for so many reasons but among them there are two. 1. The famous artistic love making scene 2. The surrealistic editing that has to do with telepathy and foreseeing ability of the father of the dead daugter and an old lady who sees the husband and daughter of the dead daughter who is also blind.The scenary of the Italy is just malvelous and using the Wide Angle lense, it look so nervous and it totally fits to the horror film look that always made me so over the edge of the seat.I knew briflely how beautiful Julie Christie but I felt it again through this movie even though she was already like in her early 40s or late 30s by then.I can see why John Shcleginger worked so many times with her in his early years with her. She was truely a beauty, charming actress.On the other hand, Donald Sutherland as always is acting like he've never acted like this before. He was a fragile, worrying sad person who is constantly thinks that one day his wife might hurt as his dead daughter which he foreseen her death by looking at the image through his glass with blood spreaded imgage when he was working at his study. He ran and ran to save her back then but she was dead inside the pond already.I should talk about the editing. It was alway brief and surrealistic way that make the audience just so surprised and even though it was made back in 1973, it still feels like it is a 22th century film.For isntance the love making sequence, when Donald is making love with his wife Julie, their love making shots are really realistic, but instead of showing them all together, he cuts back and forth to the other scene that both of them are wearing cloth back, looking at the mirror fixing their wordrobe to make sure they are fit perfectly. So we see them undress, making love & wearing cloth back at the same time. It is kind of unmatchable but if you see it it feels very artistic and understandable.Reason for that? There is no reason I guess. Sometimes surrealistic things just have no reason. They are just arranged for art. We as an audience finds it and makes the reason. The critics make one and shouts out loud as if there is reason. What a bomb.The music is always so soft and tender to show the husband and wife's love but when they are walking in the dark, when there are crisis they might be killed, the sharp knife like sound appears and that really hurt me although it is mono sound.the camera work, zoon in is used really powerfully as scary way through the movie and it is unforgettable. You might know what I mean if you see this movie.Again it is bluray and the picure quality is beyond belief. I was bless seeing this restored version.This is a story about loss, love and death.

Criterion released this original if vaguely pretentious 1973 psychic thriller directed by Nicholas Roeg in a fine HD picture, porting over the theatrical trailer from the Paramount DVD and including many new interviews as extras, though no commentary track. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie star.

No me gustó que la película no trae letreros en español. No la pude disfrutar.

It is really unnecessary to review a Criterion release - you know you are getting the best presentation of the film possible, and again they do not disappoint. It is great having this truly amazing film from Roeg on blu-ray and they interviews with the cast and film-makers are terrific, even if they demystify one of the most controversial scenes in film (you know which one I am talking about! :o)).It should be noted that Blue Underground did some of the heavy lifting when they released the title and some of their stuff is carried over here.

In comparison to the Studio Canal region B blu-ray release, Criterion's release is superior in practically every respect - but most noticeably in terms of playback and supplemental material. For starters, the Criterion release does not suffer from agressive use of DNR which blights the Studio Canal transfer. The transfer by Criterion has a very clean and pristine look with practically no flecks or debris on the picture. But this is to be expected as Criterion's digital transfer was created in 4K resolution from the original camera negative. The original monaural soundtrack was also remastered at 24-bit from the 35 mm magnetic track of the film.The Criterion blu-ray release is sadly region locked. It is region A. Criterion have started to release some of their film catalogue in the UK (as region B), but unfortunately that does not include 'Don't Look Now'.The difference between Criterion's offering and that of Studio Canal's is quite marked; which is a real shame for those living outside of the US who want to see a definitive HD version of this film.If you have a multi region blu-ray player, I'd recommend the Criterion release over the Studio Canal release any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Item received, thank you.

Presented in 1.85:1 with tidied up audio this is much better than the Studio Canal version. As usual with Criterion this is the best transfer possible with a wealth of extras. Highly recommended. Worth buying a multi region /zone player just for Criterion discs!