Blow-Up (1966)

A mod London photographer seems to find something very suspicious in the shots he has taken of a mysterious beauty in a desolate park.

Director:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (story), Julio Cortázar (short story "Las babas del diablo") (as Julio Cortazar)

Stars:

David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Jane
Sarah Miles	...	Patricia
David Hemmings	...	Thomas
John Castle	...	Bill
Jane Birkin	...	The Blonde
Gillian Hills	...	The Brunette
Peter Bowles	...	Ron
Veruschka von Lehndorff	...	Verushka
Julian Chagrin	...	Mime
Claude Chagrin	...	Mime

Storyline

A successful mod photographer in London whose world is bounded by fashion, pop music, marijuana, and easy sex, feels his life is boring and despairing. Then he meets a mysterious beauty, and also notices something frightfully suspicious on one of his photographs of her taken in a park. The fact that he may have photographed a murder does not occur to him until he studies and then blows up his negatives, uncovering details, blowing up smaller and smaller elements, and finally putting the puzzle together.

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Plot Keywords:

photograph | photographer | park | fashion | blow up | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes reality is the strangest fantasy of all.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK Italy USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blow-Up

Filming Locations:

77 Pottery Lane, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bridge Films, Carlo Ponti Production, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As a way of bypassing the Production Code (i.e. censors), MGM created "Premiere Productions". This was a dummy company which had no agreement or affiliation with the Production Code and, therefore, did not have to adhere to its standards. MGM did not have to cut the full frontal nudity or other sexually explicit scenes and maintained all rights to the film. When the film opened to rave reviews and excellent box office, this defeat was considered the final blow for the Production Code's credibility and was replaced with a ratings system less than two years later.

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Goofs

When Jane and Thomas are discussing the photographic film in Thomas's house, there is a pillow with the number three on it propped up vertically against the back of a couch. A little later, this pillow has moved to the top of the back of the couch at the point where the arm meets it and no one has touched it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mime: Give me your money. Do it.

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Connections

Referenced in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

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Soundtracks

The Thief
Written and Performed by Herbie Hancock

User Reviews

The best color film by Antonioni

This, along with L'Eclisse, is one of the two best Antonioni movies. It is very different from his earlier films in that it is much less overtly intellectual and is purportedly a thriller. However, it is no more a standard thriller than is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Instead, it is an examination of reality and illusion and an exploration of what distinguishes the one from the other. The movie has an exceptional lyrical quality to it, which of course is also not associated with thrillers. The color is gorgeous and Vanessa Redgrave is a total surprise. I have generally not found anything appealing about her, but in this movie, master-magician Antonioni transformed her into a ravishing beauty. Sarah Miles is also very sexy as the next-door neighbor. Young Jane Birkin plays a groupie who gets to roll around nude in the photographer's backdrop paper. As in L'Eclisse, the final scene is stunningly poetic.