Blow-Up
Composite Score: 82.2
Starring: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills, Peter Bowles, and Veruschka von Lehndorff
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Writers: Michelangelo Antonioni and Tonino Guerra
Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Box Office: $35,329 worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Blow-Up was Michelangelo Antonioni’s first English-language film, and it follows the story of a young fashion photographer who uncovers a murder that takes place in the background of his photos. The mystery-thriller dives deep into our perceptions of reality and the ways that film/cameras can distort that, breaking down the protagonist’s (and the audience’s) belief in his own mastery of what is being put onto the film in the process. Its cerebral exploration of this story of murder and cover up and suspense has kept it as a film that viewers continue to discuss years later.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
David Hemmings’s Thomas is one of the more difficult protagonists to root for in film. He consistently takes advantage of the women who want to model for him, brokers questionable business deals with his friend’s money, and just generally goes around acting like a tool. I know that he’s meant to represent that brand of culture from the era and that his goal of uncovering the truth about a murder is generally noble, but those truths don’t help the litany of other flaws in his character. The biggest help to the problem of Thomas is the film’s focus on its themes rather than its characters and story. While focusing away from the characters and story might still turn off some viewers, it does help the film remain palatable despite its less-than-lovable protagonist.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Blow-Up’s exploration of its themes through on-screen metaphors and detailed camera work makes the film as great as it is. From the first scenes in the park, framed in the same way that Thomas is photographing the area, to keep the audience within his perspective, to the closing scene of Thomas watching a mime tennis match, the theme of the camera’s power comes through consistently. Even in the provocative moments in Thomas’s apartment, it is the camera doing most of the sensual work, implying and hinting at what is there far more often than showing anything. In all of these moments, Antonioni plays with what the audience is looking for in a film and invites us to think more deeply about what we see on the screen. The critique goes even deeper than just of film and film consumption. By calling into question the objectivity of a camera, the film also raises questions about photography, news reports, and anything else utilizing camera technology. Perhaps even to a greater extent, the film even calls the audience (in a very postmodern way) to question their own sense of sight. Why should we believe or trust what we see, just because we see it. Who is to say what the motivations of the photographer or cinematographer or videographer or even the people who arrived at a place before us might have for their viewers? Maybe it’s not quite so cynical as that – instead asking the audience to approach visual media in a similar way that they approach visual art, not looking for reality to be mirrored back but instead a distorting of that reality that causes you to engage more deeply with the world around you. Whatever Antonioni’s goal, it is unquestionable that the film’s theme resonates and leaves you thinking after the final credits go up on screen.
Powerful theming and imagery help Blow-Up overcome its questionably relatable protagonist and make its way onto the list of the Greatest Films of All Time. Antonioni’s venture into English-language films is not without its flaws, but its lasting ideas keep the audience coming back for more. If you are interested, check this one out streaming now on HBO Max (while you can).
