Harbour Highlights: Don't Look Now

“Nothing is what it seems”

Welcome to Harbour Highlights, a series of cult and classic favourites, handpicked by the staff of Harbour Lights. For Valentine’s month, Isaac takes us to Venice for what he describes as one of the best portrayals of a relationship ever put to film – Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now.

Based on the short story by Daphne du Maurier, the film follows John and Laura (Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie) who, having tragically lost their daughter, travel to Venice as John takes on a job restoring a church.

Whilst there, they meet a woman claiming to be a clairvoyant who tells them their daughter is trying to contact them.

Dismissive at first, John begins to experience strange sightings and visions, making him question his beliefs.

A landmark film exploring the psychological effects of grief and trauma, Don’t Look Now was lauded for its innovative editing style, using recurring motifs and merging the past and the present through flashbacks and flashforwards to immerse the viewer in John and Laura’s mindset.

With iconic visuals (including one of the all-time endings) and an incredible pair of performances in Sutherland and Christie, Don’t Look Now is as powerful a cinematic experience now as it was fifty years ago.