Don't Look Now
As part of my "everything 70s" project, I've been only allowing movies/shows made in or before 1978 into my Netflix queue. Last night I watched "Don't Look Now" with the very handsome boyfriend. About twenty minutes in I said, "I think I read the story this is based on." It's based on a Daphne du Maurier tale. In typical fashion it seemed familiar to me, but not enough for me to recognize completely. Anyway, about halfway in there's a sex scene and man alive! There is a lot of Donald Sutherland/Julie Christie rubbing of naughty bits. The very handsome boyfriend thought there was too much Sutherland ass, but I was enchanted, mostly because I think there is no way a similar sex scene would make it into a major motion picture today. Especially coming in under an NC-17 rating. It struck me anew how weirdly, falsely prudish Americans are about sex. I found that the second half of the film dragged (not enough ass!) but when it came time for the ending, the very handsome boyfriend said at one moment, "Wow, how Blair Witch," which struck me because I thought exactly the same thing. It's very alike in a critical moment--interesting. But by then I had remembered how the du Maurier story ended, so the ending was somewhat anticlimactic.
While I was remembering the ending, though, I recalled how much it surprised/scared me when I read it.
Take home lessons: Donald Sutherland's hair is amazing (truly, home perm?) and don't got to Venice. Just don't.
Comments
I remember seeing that movie and it freaked me out. As for the Donald Sutherland/Julie Christie love scene, it was always rumored to be real.
The Independent Film Channel is showing a series about sex as an artistic element in movies, and how things have changed in American cinema over the years. Critic Elvis Mitchell and filmmakers Martha Coolidge, John Waters, Allison Anders, Miguel Areta, and Atom Egoyan were interviewed.
Here's a link to the site for the series
Posted by: Marta Acosta | August 3, 2007 05:30 PM
You know, watching that movie I had a hard time seeing how the sex scene couldn't be real. They don't cutaway as they generally do in love scenes and it's clear that his naughty bits are in contact with hers.
The IFC program looks interesting. I hope they rerun it so I can catch all four parts.
Posted by: Stephanie | August 4, 2007 05:08 PM