'Dont Look Now' influence

Plot: Directed by Nicolas Roeg and released in 1973, this combination of a ‘psychic mystery thriller’ follows John and Laura Baxter, as they tragically lose their daughter in a drowning accident and take a break to Venice to escape the trauma. They meet an elderly pair of sisters, whom one blind sister claims to be psychic and insists upon seeing the spirit of their recently drowned daughter. Although Laura takes interest, John resists, although as the narrative continues he questions his sanity as he appears to have his own telepathic hallucinations, as he appears to see flashes of his daughter walking the streets of this strange city in her iconic red cloak. However, not is all as it seems, as these images turn into psychotic, traumatic coincidences that turn into a dramatic, devious and yet demonic twist at the end, leaving the naive John in danger.
After viewing 'Dont Look Now', I recognise many similarities to our own narrative, which are pure coincidences. After analysing the overall film quite roughly, I recognise many similarities to our own piece. These are of follows:

• Begins with ambient sounds and credits


• Child in iconic red cloak - contrasts as she's a innocent blonde (not quite the final girl) and appears happy, whilst ours is sinister and secretive.


• Use of many jump cuts


• Foreboding images and reminders - e.g. up-close shot of river at the very start of the film is almost an omen for the girl drowning. Up closes of rivers of shown throughout the film, being of reminders to the audience


• Many scenes are featured outside. These are shown from ambient lighting, then towards the end of film low key lighting is used. Shows bad things will happen


• Red is shown in practically every shot, which adds to a reminder of the red cloak as well as an omen for a red-hooded figure to be shown later on. We have decided to use red in most shots - the montages - from influence from this film. RED = RAGE, ANGER, BLOOD, PASSION


• Shots at night = very dark which is foreboding. Low key lighting highlights little of the mise-en-scene, making the audience have to think/imagine more and parts of the film. This is likewise to other psychological thrillers. Our dream goes through disequilibrium, adding to a disilussional sense


• The first shot of the red hooded figure is fast. A quick zoom highlights her. Doesn't appear until 34 minutes - obviously a difference with our little time limit. However, the use of variety of camera shots is used upon our figure, too, adding thoughts and different possible personality's to her as she is unknown. Adds curiosity/caution towards the girl within our dream


• Large use of shadows = e.g. red figure running - likewise to ours


• Wide range of reaction shots, zooms, cuts, etc...


• Flashbacks - within 'Dont Look Now' flashbacks are shown of the girl dying, likewise to ours of memory of girl in dream and her getting ready for bed


• Deep lingering music - use of heavy violins/organ when negative/horrific moments. We will use harsh, screechy, negative sounds.


• Overall quite low-key lighting - likewise to ours. Adds a darkened mood likewise to the darkened settings. We will edit parts in deep contrast or darken them, too


• A peculiar ring is heard when figure appears - done on a flute? Ours will feature distinctive sounds


• Can't grasp figure - both physically and with the camera. Within our piece, the dreamer can't grasp the individual mentally, as she is only within her mind. Also, she disappears and is too far away to be seen from camera. Both characters hide their faces, too


• Use of handheld camera adds a shaky effect, as well as the sense of being watched/ chased/ followed. Ours follows this norm, too


• Repetition throughout e.g. - chases, carrying same walks/paces/destinations - ours follows this, such as repetition of dreams in narrative, repetition of shots - pyjama sequence and girl standing still and getting nearer in bedroom, as well as shot reverse shot used throughout


• Figure constantly disappearing past camera


• Contrast of sounds: ambient to diegetic alongside non-diegetic to just non-diegetic back to ambient, etc... e.g. leading mans speech, then used with an organ playing, then just non-diegetic through parallel editing, back to a shot-reverse-shot of him alongside these sounds


• Figure standing still from behind and shadow emphasized (use of standing still eerily and shadow highlighted)


• Sound of a girl crying - we may use this sound if we can find it on http://www.freesound.org/ as it is highly effective


• Huge shock when face revealed - shock as not what expected (believed to be his daughter but in fact an elderly old woman.) Within ours, an innocent young girl is presumed due to her clothing, but through make up we will elaborate with freaky features


• Use of cut in on distinctive object - cut in to her revealing knife from pocket


• Highly effective montage used*(see bottom of blog)


• The cover art of this film also reflects our piece, as a girl is standing staring on a bridge. The landscape has been showed in black and white, whilst the girl has been edited in colour - her iconic red hood shown effectively. Therefore, this piece of prop is obviously essential within the film, as well as our piece. We simply decided through our idea process to use a piece of prop that can be represented again and again and recognisable, to which Jess produced her home-made red cloak. Therefore, it was by pure coincidence and quite pleasing that our opening will parallel a successful psychological thriller.
  

MONTAGE:

• A shot of somebody waking up, followed by a cut to red figures face, a cut in of the knife that she produces from pocket


• A flashback from the mans perspective of his wife screaming from the opening of the film - showing a repetition of the same edits, likewise to ours. Cut to, from side view, the red hooded midget hacking man with a large butchers knife in the neck.


• Flashback of man cradling daughter. Cut in of his neck being slit and a jump cut of his reaction. Another flashback to ball in pond - innocence has been destroyed


• Him shouting as he falls back - use of parallel editing of his son innocent in England, away from disruption. Flashback to figure revealing face (another use of edit reused)


• More flashbacks - e.g. him clinging on to his life in chapel, as non-diegetic church bell sounds start. He rocks in time to the church bell rhythm. This signifies a religious reminder, as Venice is quite a religious city and he has been working on a chapel. Also shows religion has not helped him.


• More flashbacks representing his life flashing before his eyes e.g. - innocent daughter's face, a zoom in to the haunting blind woman who is screaming. Although she's tried to help, she is still harsh at appearance. More sounds start, such as a messy orchestra band which sounds messy/horrific to the ear - alongside the juxtaposition of church bells.


• Even more flashbacks - quite quickly - are used, in order to represent the omens throughout the film that hinted at this point. Is a clever twist.


• Ends on an eye-level shot of the spinning ceiling from his point of view

Overall, as I went to analyse 'Dont Look Now', I only expected obvious similarities - such as the use of a small child or the iconography of the red cloak. However, although I only briefly skipped through sections and chapters of the film, I found many many similarities - with some being the exact of our video, whilst others just being of slight coincidences. However, overall analysing this has helped with my research, on top of even influencing me - e.g. we have now decided to put red in most shots - if not every - likewise to this film, which I noticed it used whilst studying. Moreover, 'Dont Look Now' is very similar to our opening psychological thriller film, due to its conventions listed about and the use of a well-known montage.

Above: The film cover of "Dont Look Now"

Above: When the red hooded figure of the startling appearance of the midget old lady is revealed. This shot is a priority example of the use of the iconic red, as well as a medium shot showing most of the persona. On top of this, most of the film is featured in low-key lighting - likewise to this shot above, which appears freaky and eerie

Above: An iconic scene from the opening sequence of the film. It shows John Baxter finding his daughters dead body in the lake outside of his house. Her red cloak opens up the film, highlighting its trademark iconography - likewise to our piece. The establishing landscape piece is also highlighted, drawn in with a shallow focus as the characters are focused upon. We may also do this. The use of a murky scene/landscape is ideal, too, as ours is similar within some of our settings. As the season is of winter slowly morphing into Autumn - likewise to the picture - another similarity is found.