Blow-Up - Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film

Country: italy, united_kingdom

Year: 1966

Running time: 111

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060176/reference

Michael says: “Continuing my odyssey to fill some of the gaps in my movie-viewing history, I caught up with Michelangelo Antonioni’s BLOW-UP. Released in 1966, BLOW-UP, while superficially a mystery of sorts, is really a curiously mysterious, visually stunning look at the swinging, mod scene in London. Centered on Thomas, a young, handsome photographer who spends his days partying, drugs, and sex with models, BLOW-UP also follows him on his quest for art. While walking through a park taking random photographs, he comes upon a couple in the distance… kissing? arguing? we’re not quite sure, but Thomas begins photographing them. The woman, Jane, spies him and confronts him, asking for the negatives. Thomas refuses, even after she appears at his studio later, and clumsily tries to seduce him to get the photos. He finally gives her a roll of film, but unbeknownst to her, it’s not the one she wanted. In a beautifully edited sequence, Thomas develops the photos from the park, and in a frenzy of blow-ups and examinations, they reveal a potential murder attempt when Thomas spies what looks like a pistol pointed at the man’s back hidden amongst the trees. From there, we’re never quite sure what is fact, and what might be in Thomas’ minds, as she goes to the park, finds the man’s body, then returns early the next morning, after suffering a brief crisis of conscience, and the body is gone. The film ends in a curious scene back at the park, there Thomas stumbles upon a gaggle of young people, their faces painted like mimes, racing about, echoing the opening scene of the film. When a pair of them begin to mime playing tennis, Thomas takes part, retrieving the ‘ball’ when it lobs out of the court, and tosses it back to them. Thomas has become one with an unreal world, perhaps?

“With his boyish good looks, and irresponsibly arrogant attitude, David Hemmings became something of an iconic star after his turn as Thomas, but he was never able to recapture that appeal. He did enjoy a lengthy career in such films as BARBARELLA, THE RAINBOW, GLADIATOR, and GANGS OF NEW YORK. His performance in BLOW-UP is certainly memorable. Vanessa Redgrave gives a nice early turn as Jane, and in a curious supporting role, as a married friend of Thomas’, we see Sylvia Miles, also in a fairly early role. My favorite appearance was by a model named Verushka, playing herself as one of Thomas’ photographic subjects, and sex partners. There’s a sexy photo shoot between the two at the start of the film, then a beautiful, dead-pan exchange later in the film where Thomas stumbles upon Verushka at a drug-addled party and asks, ‘I thought you were going to Paris?’ to which she responds, ‘I am in Paris.’ Maybe that sums up the film? 4 1/2 cats“

Beth responds: “This film is also famous because of the band playing in the party scene – it was The Yardbirds, during the post-Clapton period when both Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were the guitarists. I think there’s a guitar smashing point? That was Beck.”

Michael responds: “Yes, that’s a great scene, especially how everyone riots over the broken guitar, and then he just dumps it on the side of the road like a piece of trash.”

Cheryl responds: “Definitely one of my favorite films but I always feel the need to add a disclaimer/warning for my students about the sexism that was taken for granted in that time period! The scene with the 2 models is especially problematic but like so many films from that period, it doesn’t diminish the cinematic achievement.”

Michael responds: “Agreed. Seeing that for the first time in 2021 took me out of the film for a bit. We’ve come a long way, but still have a long way to go!”

Blow-Up

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