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)
Blow Up (Greece) [el]
Blow Up (West Germany) [de]
Blow up - förstoringen (Sweden) [sv]
Blow-Up (Canada: French title) [fr]
Blow-Up (Deseo de una mañana de verano) (Spain) [es]
Blow-Up - Depois Daquele Beijo (Brazil) [pt]
Blow-Up - erään suudelman jälkeen (Finland) [fi]
Blowup - Deseo en una mañana de verano (Argentina) [es]
Cinayeti gördüm (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Ekstaze '67 (West Germany) [de]
História de Um Fotógrafo (Portugal) [pt]
Nagyítás (Hungary) [hu]
Poveæanje (Croatia) [hr]
Powiekszenie (Poland) [pl]
Uvecanje (Serbia) [sr]
Yetzarim (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Zvetsenina (Czechoslovakia: Czech title) [cs]

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

UK | Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (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:

Janet Street-Porter can be seen wearing striped PVC trousers and dancing to the Yardbirds during the club scene.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the mimes stop Thomas in his car at the beginning of the film, the entire film crew is reflected on the side of it when we are given the shot from behind them. When it returns to the view from the passenger side we see that a single old man is walking by on the other side of the street.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Top Gear: (2004-05-09)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Stroll On

Still fascinating after all these years!

'Blowup' is frequently mentioned as one of the most influential movies of the twentieth century. And I believe it is. But it is no dry and dull document that the viewer must force himself to "appreciate" while he stifles his yawns. Like 'Citizen Kane', 'Breathless' and 'Psycho' it is not only an important movie milestone, it is still a living and breathing work of art that will fascinate and impress any movie lover who approaches it with an open mind. 'Blowup' lures you in with its snapshot of swinging 60s London, and it's tease of being a murder mystery, which it really isn't, but by then you're hooked. This movie is a puzzle with no solution, a text with any interpretation the viewer cares to bring to it. That may sound heavy going and off putting, but this is a surprisingly watchable movie. Even the "boring" sequences are interesting! Anyone who enjoys David Lynch, Dario Argento (whose 'Profundo Rosso' deliberately referenced this), Nic Roeg or Jim Jarmusch, movies where atmosphere and visual images are more important than characterization, plot or dialogue, will appreciate this 60s classic. I think it gets better with every viewing.