Movie Review – Blow Up

Blow Up (1966) – An arrogant fashion photographer(David Hemmings) suddenly discovers that some photos he’d taken while walking in the park may contain evidence of murder.  As he tries to figure out what’s going on he must deal with a mystery woman (Vanessa Redgrave) who isn’t telling him everything.

I’ve been watching this series of related movies backwards – starting with Coppola’s “The Conversation”, then DePalma’s “Blow Out” and finally the original.  Of the three, this is far and away the most daring.  My first impulse was that it was going to be terribly dated.  The scene for the story is the mod fashion world of Sixties London.  But very quickly Antonioni sweeps you up into the story.  Which is a little surprising in itself since the main character, the fashion photographer, is an utterly unlikeable person.  He is narcissistic and a misogynist.  He has no real interest in the women in his life, except as objects in his photographs or as sexual conquests.  The essence of his life is that he is always in control.  Like any good rabbit hole the farther down it he pursues the question of the apparent murder, the farther out of his control the whole thing becomes.

The whole thing winds up in an ending that is absolutely perfect for the story and utterly un-Hollywood.  It surprised me and pleased me.

This was Michealangelo Antonioni’s first film in English.  The soundtrack, provided by Jazz great Herbie Hancock, is spectacular and unique.  The music only occurs when music might occur in real life (when the radio is on, for example).  The overall effect is stunning.  It’s unsurprising that the movie took the Grand Prix at Cannes.

That’s not it’s only claim to fame.  Hollywood was still working under the lumbering burden of the outdated Production Code when this movie was made.  With some sexually explicit scenes (yes, pretty tame by today’s standards) there was no way that it would pass the official censors.  But the Production Code only applied to the major studios that had signed on.  “Blow-Up” was produced under a smaller studio’s name and therefore slid through.  When the acclaim rolled in, followed by great ticket sales, the Production Code was finally, and gloriously, dead.  The movie should hold a special place in movie history just for that accomplishment.

Rating – ***** Highest Recommendation