Blow-Up moovie review. The plot of Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow-Up, which deals with semiotic problems, is about the arrogant Thomas, the owner of a photography studio in London, who realizes the murder after examining in detail the photograph he took by chance. Starring David Hemmings, Sarah Miles and Vanessa Redgrave.
For the project he is working on, Thomas wants to photograph the makeup-free, non-artificial aspects of modern life. For this purpose, he wanders around the suburbs, parks and alleys and takes photographs. The inclusion of photography in the film makes the semiotic position even more complex. On the other hand, when a narrative film with cinematography is processed with photographic elements, it creates something that is functionally equivalent to reality, which includes credibility, one of the important elements of the film. This situation creates Antonioni’s artistic framework.
The composition of Blow Up, which is considered one of the important films of Antonioni, one of the new realism directors, is based on the combination of a main development and a side narrative that showcases Thomas’ life. Antonioni’s film was presented to the audience according to contemporary cinema standards. He manages to reach the conclusion step by step, without presenting the detail in the photograph to the viewer. This situation is given when Thomas enlarges the photographs and begins to examine them, noticing a small detail and enlarging the details in the photograph one by one.
In the film, which also includes certain scenes from the England of the period, Thomas is introduced to the audience with his dissatisfaction and love of work. Thomas, who has some problems in his private life, is a cold, arrogant type who puts himself at the center of his life. Thomas is actually someone who adopts a careless attitude in order to overcome the problems in his life.
The images of the film are quite successful, it is built within the framework of a plot that progresses without boring the audience and even involves the audience in the event. There are also eye-catching details in the movie. While walking around the city, Thomas suddenly enters an antique shop.
Here, among many things, a large moth suddenly catches his eye and he picks it up. Then, when this moth comes to his house, he doesn’t know what to do. Although it seems that the prop and the antique dealer are unnecessary in the film, this actually indicates that the director presents a piece of himself to the audience. This situation can also be presented as evidence that Antonioni identifies with his hero.
In short, with Blow-Up, Antonioni includes in his films the things he portrays in his imagination and experiences contradictions in life. Blow Up, which is a very successful movie, has already taken its place among the must-watch movies.
Blow-Up (1966)
Directed by: Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring: David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills, Peter Bowles, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Julian Chagrin, Claude Chagrin, Susan Brodrick
Screenplay by: Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra
Cinematography by: Carlo Di Palma
Film Editing by: Frank Clarke
Costume Design by: Jocelyn Rickards
Art Direction by: Assheton Gorton
Music by: Herbie Hancock
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Date: December 18, 1966 (US), March 16, 1967 (UK)
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