Don’t Look Now

Abstract

In one sense the plot of Don’t Look Now can be described as a search for the meaning of an image as, utterly unconscious of what he is doing, a bereaved father searches among the living for traces of his dead daughter. It is a curious search, to be sure. For not only cannot John Baxter admit to himself that he is engaged upon it, but through most of the film there is little outward evidence of pursuit. Nonetheless it organises the events of the film and gives the narrative its thrust. For the latter does not appear to work in the classical way, that is through the presentation of characters whose actions cause certain effects, which may in turn change some or all of the characters. Furthermore, actions do not appear on the surface to bring about succeeding events. However, there are two powerful factors which do help weld the story events into an organised narrative in which meaning is generated and discovered.