Blow-Up (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966): Italy | UK

Reviewed by Stephanie Kuhlman. Viewed on DVD.

The ever so controversial film Blow-Up , directed by Michelangelo Antonioni in 1966 was the biggest hit of his career and was shot beautifully in color. This film is filled with sex, drugs and violence, representative of the great era during the 1960’s, and accordingly made the rating system necessary. Blow-Up was refused a Production Code seal due to some full frontal nudity that was not allowed to be cut out, but that did not stop people from seeing it. To get around being fined, the film’s studio, MGM, released it to Premier Films, which was not a part of the MPAA. The film depicted the superficialness of the fashion world and captured the audience with a provocative murder mystery. Antonioni gave audiences a new view about sexuality and nudity in his first English film. Blow-Up keeps you interested from the sex to the murder mystery to the everyday strangeness that the people portray.

Blow-Up centers on human sexuality and exposes the life of David Hemmings, a well-known photographer in London. The film displays sexuality in almost every scene, from the way Hemmings photographs models to the murder scene he comes across, to the orgy in which Hemmings becomes involved. Hemmings is totally living the life. He is a sought-after photographer to whom seemingly every model is drawn, drives a nice sports car, and buys expensive antiques as a hobby. You might think that he was the happiest man alive, but you would be wrong. Annoyed with the usual model types, Hemmings goes off to shoot something more inspirational to him. He stumbles upon a couple in a park that he instantly begins to shoot. Furious and distraught, Vanessa Redgrave runs up to him demanding the photographs, but Hemmings refuses to give them to her. In the background of his finished pictures, Hemmings comes across a potential murder scene, and sees why Redgrave acted the way she did. As things become much more real, Hemmings’ interest increases.

David Hemmings did a great job as the leading role. He displayed an expression so well and portrayed a self-indulgent, relaxed, cool character. The vixen of this film, Vanessa Redgrave, gave a seductive performance that kept even Hemmings on his toes. Redgrave would not reveal herself in the ways that Hemmings wanted, but did in other ways that left Hemmings confused.

This movie created a movement in the film industry, and helped create the rating system we now use today. Michelangelo Antonioni created a brilliant film and picked a great cast to play the characters in it.


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