VERDICT
SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME CINEMA CHOICEDonald Sutherland and Julie Christie
play grief-stricken couple John and LauraTime for another look...
Can a 4K remaster make amends for an earlier BD disappointment?
Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 ghost story is a tricky fi lm to pin
down. While the supernatural overtones ensure Don’t
Look Now fi ts comfortably within the horror genre,
it steers clear of traditional scares. Instead, Roeg
uses the narrative framework to craft a devastating
portrait of grief, while simultaneously playing with
temporal jumps and unpredictable editing to keep
you off -balance and conjure a palpable sense of
unease. Adult cinema in the truest sense of the
phrase, Don’t Look Now is a classic by any measure.
Picture: For this UHD disc (and cinema re-release)
Studiocanal undertook a 4K scan/restoration of the
original camera negative, with grading supervised by
the fi lm's cinematographer, Andrew B Richmond.
The resulting 1.85:1 HDR10 picture is both satisfying
and niggling.
First, though, the 1080p disc. Based on the same
restoration as the 4K disc, this improves in every way
on its 2011 predecessor. Gone is the excessive digital
fi ltering that blighted that eff ort, robbing it of fi ne
detail and giving the imagery a thick waxen
appearance. Instead the image is alive with native
fi lm grain, while textural details in the photography
appear tighter and more fi nely resolved.
However, Roeg's almost perpetually moving
camera, up-and-down light levels and the fl uctuating
fi lm grain don't always play to the strengths of
the 4K HDR format. Some shots show the benefi t
of the extra resolution, but others feel soft and fl at.
And grain can become more intrusive.
« Don't Look Now The HDR and wide colour presentation makes
much more of an impact. There's a boost to
highlights (candles in the church, for example)
and colour saturation is greatly improved. As well as
giving life to the varied hues of the Venice boats and
costumes, the grade appears to have paid particular
attention to that infamous red coat. And like the
1080p disc there's a warmer palette here, which
on occasion makes fl esh tones a bit peaky.
Audio: If you were hoping for an Atmos remix, this
probably isn't the fi lm for you. Still, the DTS-HD MA
2.0 audio track works well with the often sparse
sound design, bringing fi delity to Pino Donaggio's
score and ambience to sequences like Chapter 2's
restaurant meeting. Dialogue is always strong.
Extras: Accompanying the fi lm on the 4K disc and
the fi rst of two 1080p platters are an archival chat
track with Roeg and fi lm critic Adam Smith, plus
three new extras: Pass on the Warning (42 minutes)
is a discussion of Don’t Look Now with various
fi lmmakers and academics, including Danny Boyle
and David Cronenberg; In A Kaleidoscope of Meaning
(15 minutes) features many of the same people
analysing the fi lm’s use of colour; and 4K Restoration
Featurette chats with colourist Steve Bearman and
Anthony B. Richmond about the process.
A second 1080p disc houses archival features
from the 2011 Blu-ray. These include interviews,
the 20-minute Don’t Look Now: Looking Back
documentary and a gallery of behind-the-scenes
photos. The set also includes a soundtrack CD,
poster, art cards and a booklet. AvB & MC
Don’t Look Now:
Collector’s Edition
« Studiocanal « Ultra HD Blu-ray &
Region B BD « £35
WE SAY: This bumper 4K release for
Roeg's unnerving chiller is a fi ne
upgrade on the previous UK BD.
Movie:
Picture:
Audio:
Extras:
OVERALL:4K PLAYBACK^91
ULTRA
HD