Blow-Up (1966)

A mod London photographer finds 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 8 wins & 9 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 (as 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:

photographer | murder witness | fashion photographer | swinging london | blow up | 

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Taglines:

Michelangelo Antonioni's first British film

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michelangelo Antonioni said that he was aiming for a sense of "cold, calculated sensuality." He tried to help capture that feeling by using what he called "enhanced" or the "hardest and most aggressive" of colors. It was part of his vision to "recreate reality in an abstract form. I wanted to question 'the reality of our experience,'" he said. "This is an essential point in the visual aspect of the film, considering that one of its main themes is to see or not to see the correct value of things."

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Goofs

Reflection of bald man with glasses in the top right corner when Thomas is in the phone booth.

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Quotes

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

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Alternate Versions

Some of the music was rescored for the Warner DVD release, namely the latter part of the opening title music. The VHS releases' music remain intact.

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Connections

Referenced in The Son of Samsonite (2002)

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Soundtracks

Jane's Theme
Written and Performed by Herbie Hancock

User Reviews

Still fascinating after all these years!

'Blowup' is frequently mentioned as one of the most influential movies of the twentieth century. And I believe it is. But it is no dry and dull document that the viewer must force himself to "appreciate" while he stifles his yawns. Like 'Citizen Kane', 'Breathless' and 'Psycho' it is not only an important movie milestone, it is still a living and breathing work of art that will fascinate and impress any movie lover who approaches it with an open mind. 'Blowup' lures you in with its snapshot of swinging 60s London, and it's tease of being a murder mystery, which it really isn't, but by then you're hooked. This movie is a puzzle with no solution, a text with any interpretation the viewer cares to bring to it. That may sound heavy going and off putting, but this is a surprisingly watchable movie. Even the "boring" sequences are interesting! Anyone who enjoys David Lynch, Dario Argento (whose 'Profundo Rosso' deliberately referenced this), Nic Roeg or Jim Jarmusch, movies where atmosphere and visual images are more important than characterization, plot or dialogue, will appreciate this 60s classic. I think it gets better with every viewing.

Details

Country:

UK Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 1967 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Blow-Up

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,800,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,066

Company Credits

Production Co:

Premier Productions, Carlo Ponti Production, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1