Blowup (1966)

Director:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (story)
Julio Cortázar (short story)

Release Date:

18 December 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Michelangelo Antonioni's first British film

Plot:

A mod London photographer believes that he has photographed a murder.

Plot Keywords:

Photographer | Murder | Fashion | Mod | Darkroom

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations

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	...	Herself (as Verushka)
Julian Chagrin	...	Mime
Claude Chagrin	...	Mime

Also Known As:

Blow-Up (Italy) (USA)
Blow Up (UK) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK | Italy | USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A (video rating) | USA:Not Rated (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Hong Kong:IIB | UK:X (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Italy:VM14 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | Germany:16 (re-rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) (w) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2005) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Chelsea, London, England, UK

Company:

Bridge Films

Trivia:

Terence Stamp was originally cast as Thomas, but was dropped two weeks before shooting began in favor of the then-unknown actor David Hemmings.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Jane gives Thomas her phone number, there is a huge piece of coiled-up hair at the bottom of the screen.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Singing Detective" (1986)

Soundtrack:

Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?

Sixties Marvel

Blow Up is the quintessential 60' s movie with a roster of talented British actors, colourful mod fashions (now back in vogue), dreary post-war London locations and empty streets, groovy music by American composer extraordinaire Herbie Hancock and an Italian director and writer in love with the whole scene. Blow Up is the cinematic equivalent of the TR4 cabriolet, designed by Michelotti and manufactured by Triumph during the same period, and mixes the best of two rather different cultures. The movie offers the right amount of nudity, sensuality and perversion without offending the prude status quo of swinging Olde England. David Hemmings plays a character who is by all accounts snobbish, homophobic, prejudiced, rude and macho. This pseudo thriller/whodunit unwinds rather slowly and with little dialogue and, I think, is just an excuse for Antonioni to show how weird the English were. A must see flick for the ones nostalgic or who missed the 60' s completely.