MovieChat Forums > Don't Look Now Discussion > The love making scene

The love making scene

posted 13 years ago by vispateresa
40 replies | jump to latest

I've always wanted to see that "famous" scene, and at last I managed to find it on the net.

I have to say I was not disappointed. It's definitely the best on-screen sex scene ever shot. It's realistic, intense and erotic.

There was a debate whether Sutherland and Christie had had real sex on the set. There are various stories about it, with Sutherland eventually denying that they had had real sex.

Anyway, I think that the passion they put in the scene is as close as you can get to sex, even if they didn't actually have sex; after all, you can have sex without penetration, can't you?

Does anybody agree?

[–] L0GAN5 13 years ago

I think it probably was. It was the 70s, Julie Christie was a bit of a goer by all accounts, and the outtakes did the rounds in Hollywood. There was obviously more to the scene than what we saw in the final version, and Warren Beatty went mental and tried to buy up the film. You can't really put much stock in what people say: Peter Bart is trying to sell a book, Donald Sutherland is trying to save his marriage, so everyone has a reason for not telling the truth, but if it was all smoke with no fire then there were some mighty over-reactions. Interestingly Christie herself has never confirmed or denied the rumors, and it's her rep on the line.

[–] vispateresa 13 years ago

Thanks for sharing your point of view. I too noticed that Christie never confirmed or denied the rumours, which is odd.

Anyway, this film made me rediscover Donald Sutherland, an actor I loved when I was a young girl (I want to watch "The Day of the Locust", one of those films I saw in bits and never managed to see in whole).

Which other films would you suggest?

[–] L0GAN5 13 years ago

Films like Don't Look Now? Films starring Donald Sutherland? Or films just in general? There's a list somewhere on the board recommending films that Don't Look Now fans might like, but the main Donald Sutherland one that springs to mind is Klute, which is one of my favorite all-time films. Other films from that period I especially like are Walkabout (directed by Nicolas Roeg just prior to DLN), McCabe and Mrs Miller with Julie Christie, Bertolucci's The Conformist, and Looking for Mr Goodbar starring Diane Keaton. They all depict fascinating relationships.

[–] vispateresa 13 years ago

Thanks for your reply. I meant films starring Donald Sutherland.

If you like films "Don't Look Now" you might like "Profondo Rosso" by Dario
Argento.

Ciao!

[–] L0GAN5 13 years ago

Well in that case I recommend Klute above all else if you haven't seen it, an absolutely fantastic film and great chemistry between Sutherland and Jane Fonda.

I also like Invasion of the Body-Snatchers and Eye of the Needle too. Ordinary People is worth watching if you liked Don't Look Now with which it shares a major theme, and The Railway Station Man in which he reunites with Julie Christie; he made another film with Nicolas Roeg too called Puffball.

[–] vispateresa 13 years ago

@Logan: thanks very much for your suggestions.

I recorded "Klute" from the television 5 or 6 years ago, and the tape was collecting dust among others, as part of a pile of VHS marked "to watch". Only, I had forgotten that Sutherland was in it, so I quickly took it from the shelf and I will watch it this evening (what a treat!).

"Ordinary People" is one of those films that - for some reason - never appealed to me (I tend to watch only pre-1979 films, as I pretty much hate cinema made after 1980 - I know it sounds harsh but my cinematographic taste formed around 50's/60's and 70's films), but since Sutherland is in it I will make an exception to my rule ;-)

I also remember he played Casanova for Federico Fellini (I'm Italian so Fellini is one of my favourite directors). I remember seeing bits of "Casanova" and remember it as a very dark and unsettling film, but maybe I will appreciate now.

All in all, I think Sutherland is one of the best actors of all times.

I am also curious about Roeg's work (I remember watching "The Man Who Fell on Earth" when I was a teen-ager as I am a Bowie fan, but remember very little), so it's definitely another one to watch again.

Unfortunately, Roeg's work is not very known here in Italy, and his films are a little hard to find (I'm thinkin about "Performance", I read it's similar to "The Servant", one of my all-time favourite films).

Thanks again for your precious suggestions. Ciao!

[–] L0GAN5 13 years ago

I think the 1980s is underrated (it did produce stuff like Blade Runner/Blue Velvet/Raging Bull etc), but it's a definitely a cut below the 1960s and 1970s in terms of film as an art form.

I've been meaning to watch Cassanova for years ever since I saw Donald Sutherland discuss in a "Scene by Scene" documentary about him. Ordinary People isn't a great film, but it's a solid film with great performances, so definitely worth seeing if you're fan of the cast.

As for Nicolas Roeg, he's my favourite director so I'm probably a little biased. I think Don't Look Now and Walkabout are his best films followed by Bad Timing. Performance is such a strange psychedelic film, but definitely worth watching; it's something of a cult classic in Britain because of Mick Jagger. The Man Who Fell to Earth tends to be highly rated but I never warmed to it personally, but obviously worth a look if you like Nic Roeg. You'd probably like Petulia too if you like Don't Look Now even though it's not actually directed by Roeg; it stars Julie Christie and Roeg worked as the cinematographer on the film, and it was edited by the guy who edited Roeg's early films, so it has the feel and look of a Nic Roeg film even though he didn't direct it. I actually think that fans of Don't Look Now would probably prefer it to some of Roeg's other films.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] DakotaKitten 12 years ago

Donald Sutherland went into the editing suite and demanded certain scenes were edited to his liking, Nicolas Roeg agreed, the outtakes of these scenes were destroyed, Sutherland made sure of this, thus nothing did the Hollywood circuit.

I tend to think the scenes were real and far more revealing in their original form and that's why Sutherland was in the editing room making sure the footage got destroyed.

M
http://www.darkrealmfox.com/

[–] Bree_33 12 years ago

halcyonmag:

"Apart from the focus on the red coat, which would serve well as a title, Don’t Look Now has perhaps one of the frankest, most affectionate and real sex scenes ever to be filmed (Get it? Don’t look now?). It caused another huge censorship row after Last Tango In Paris (because everyone remembers Marlon Brando saying “Go get the butter”). There are rumours about the authenticity of the scene, claiming that Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland were not actually “acting”. It may be art-house cinema, but it’s not porn, so let’s not desperately try to google it, yeah?"

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[–] L0GAN5 12 years ago

Donald Sutherland went into the editing suite and demanded certain scenes were edited to his liking, Nicolas Roeg agreed, the outtakes of these scenes were destroyed, Sutherland made sure of this, thus nothing did the Hollywood circuit.

I doubt Sutherland had the clout to do anything like that at the time. From what I hear it was Warren Beatty that had the problem (after he discovered Sutherland had been stuffing his girlfriend), and contacted the producers so he could help cut the film "pussy hair by pussy hair".

[–] mathmaniac 12 years ago

I can't imagine the scenes being more revealing - then they would be simple porn.
Today, this stuff looks tame. What makes the love scene still very erotic is the music and pace. Really, stuff today makes this scene look 'old school.'

I've seen Donald Sutherland in many movies - he seems to specialize in showing his naked backside!

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] maddiemoon31 13 years ago

I watched this movie once when I was 13 or 14, and I just remember that the sex scene seemed to last forever, which it's only around 4 minutes long, but it still seemed like it was 15 minutes long. I just thought it was weird that they were reading their daughter's obituary then start getting it on.

It's like being inside a dream or something.. There's truth, but no logic.

[–] KinksRock 13 years ago

What you are seeing is great acting and great directing. The fact that people actually think it's real is a testament to the talent on screen. If the sex was real, it would have been more repugnant than erotic.

The Charm of Making: Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha

[–] vispateresa 13 years ago

@KinksRock: You may be right, yet there are some signs (that I'd rather not discuss here) that make me think that the two were not faking.

[–] KinksRock 13 years ago

Come, come. We're all adults. Let's hear it.

The Charm of Making: Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha

[–] schwa88 13 years ago

The horrible music that was playing during this sex scene is enough to make it a complete turn off, if Donald Sutherland's skinny body was not enough.

[–] vispateresa 13 years ago

Come, come. We're all adults. Let's hear it.

OK, I'll try not to be too explicit, in case someone too sensitive was reading.

1) the sweat. Maybe it was the director's choice not to clean it off their bodies, to let it all look more "real". Maybe it was really hot in the bedroom; yet, it is a sign to me that the two were not acting.

2) towards the end of the scene, Julie Christie makes a gesture where she lays on the bed with her arm over her head. Now, this is a typical gesture of total abandonment that a woman makes after making love. And this looks so genuine, that I think they weren't just acting.

Well, that's my opinion, for what it's worth. Ciao!

[–] KinksRock 13 years ago

I think what you are seeing is excellent directing and acting.

Jaan Pehechan Ho

[–] Tanaro_Fubine 13 years ago

Donald Sutherland described the love making scene during his Inside The Actor's Studio interview.

He said it involved a couple of very noisy hand held cameras and the director shouting instructions.

"Donald, put Julie's nipple in your mouth!"

"Julie, cum!"

[–] vispateresa 13 years ago

@NosferatuRGX: as if they needed instructions!! ;-)

[–] max_flame 13 years ago

meh

[–] LilPlumley 13 years ago

I agree with you. Christie and Sutherland are great actors. They made me believe they were truly in love.
What I've always wondered is this: doesn't a man get an erection while filming such a scene? Or would he be too embarrassed by the many people standing around?

Hey Andy, did you hear about this one? Tell me, are you locked in the punch?

[–] kidjay83 13 years ago

i think the only real part of that film was when donald sutherland is eating julie christie out .

[–] 13 years ago

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