Reviews

N.B. I Post the spoiler alert, because I discuss general details of the ending, and it is hard to talk about it without describing it. I will try to be general, for anyone reading this for research purposes, without giving away too much. A beautiful, picturesque film. I just about think this film is faultless. Each frame of the 105 minutes has perfect attention to detail. If you've been unaware of this film up to now, stop reading this review and see it - nothing will prepare you for the ending, and you'll get much more enjoyment if you have no idea of what's coming next. There are three main scenes, which critics usually pull out from the film. The opening scene, certainly is well made, and conveys a very British approach, in the house and its architecture. British audiences should find very much that this will relate to them. And then when Christine dies, Donald Sutherland's performance is incredible! The second notable scene is the Love scene - and it is a love scene and not a sex scene. The couple capture an intimate relationship, which conveys more passion than most sex scenes. The realism in which it is filmed also makes audience feel like a voyeur to the extent that it is such an intimate scene. Its also so important as it is the first time Laura Baxter was able to touch her husband since Christine's death. The characters are played brilliantly by their respective stars. Donald Sutherland becomes the English architect in a foreign city perfectly, and Julie Christie deserves an Oscar for her performance. Many didn't like the film on its release, because they associated Christie with the more mainstream 'Dr Zhivago', but in my opinion, the role here is far more complex and intricate, and therefore the better film. The ending is truly one of the greatest in film history. You'll want to watch it over and over, to see all the levels of meaning. Even those realists who believe the dwarf woman is only the serial killer who'se victims have been in the backdrop throughout the film, will find it intriguing, because serial killers are usually tall dominating males. The thought of being killed by an old dwarf lady in a red coat challenges our schema, and that is what conveys wider meanings. My own interpretation is that the woman represents death. In Folklore death wears a hood after all, and although I'm not great on historical contexts, I believe that there was a plague on Venice in the 16th Century or there abouts, which religious society called the red death. The Red Colour schemes define this film as art, and the piano music will haunt you. If you enjoyed this it might be worth seeing:

1) The Human Stain- Anthony Hopkins et al,- a very similar tone, and very repressed characters.

2)Masque of the Red Death- Vincent Price et al, - Not as complex as DLN, but a good use of historical contextualisation and the representation of death

3) The Life Of David Gale - Okay, this is a little different, but the slowish pace, and wider messages are likely to appeal to a similar audience. Thanks for reading this review. I hope it was useful, in helping you make up your own interpretation of this masterpiece.