| Blowup | |
|---|---|
 Blowup DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Michelangelo Antonioni |
| Produced by | Carlo Ponti |
| Written by | Michelangelo Antonioni Tonino Guerra Edward Bond (dialogues) |
| Starring | Vanessa Redgrave David Hemmings Sarah Miles |
| Music by | Herbie Hancock |
| Cinematography | Carlo Di Palma |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) |
| Release date(s) | United States: December 18, 1966 United Kingdom: January, 1967 |
| Running time | 111 min |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Blowup (as in screen credits, also rendered as Blow-Up) is an award-winning 1966 British-Italian art film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and was that director's first English language film. Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( September 29 1912 &ndash July 30 2007) was an Italian Modernist Carlo Ponti ( 11 December 1912 – 10 January 2007) was an Italian Film producer with over 140 production credits Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( September 29 1912 &ndash July 30 2007) was an Italian Modernist Tonino Guerra (born 16 March 1920) is an Italian poet writer and Screenwriter who has collaborated with some of the most prominent writers of Edward Bond (born 18 July 1934) is an English Playwright, Theatre director, Poet Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January, 1937) is an English Academy Award, two-time Cannes Best Actress, David Hemmings ( November 18, 1941 &ndash December 3, 2003) was an English Film Actor and director Sarah Miles (b 31 December 1941, Ingatestone, Essex England) is an English theatre and film actress Herbert Jeffrey Hancock ("Herbie" born April 12 1940 is a Jazz Pianist and Composer. Carlo Di Palma ( April 17[[ 925]] Rome, - July 9[[ 004]] Rome) was an Italian Cinematographer, renowned for his work on The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The year 1966 in film involved some significant events Events Walt Disney, well known for his creation of Mickey Mouse died on The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest An Art film (also called an “art cinema” “art movie” or in the U Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( September 29 1912 &ndash July 30 2007) was an Italian Modernist English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States It tells the story of a photographer's involvement with a murder case. The film was inspired by the short story "Las Babas del Diablo" ("The Droolings of the Devil") by Argentinian writer Julio Cortázar, and by the work, habits, and mannerisms of Swinging London photographer David Bailey. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Julio Cortázar, born Jules Florencio Cortázar ( August 26, 1914 &ndash February 12, 1984) was an Argentine Author Swinging London is a catchall term applied to a variety of dynamic cultural trends in the United Kingdom (centred in London) in the second half of the 1960s A photographer is a person who takes a Photograph using a Camera. David Bailey CBE (born 2 January 1938 in Leytonstone, London) is a celebrated English Photographer.
Blowup stars David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle, and Jane Birkin. David Hemmings ( November 18, 1941 &ndash December 3, 2003) was an English Film Actor and director Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January, 1937) is an English Academy Award, two-time Cannes Best Actress, Sarah Miles (b 31 December 1941, Ingatestone, Essex England) is an English theatre and film actress John Castle (born 14 January 1940 in Croydon, Surrey) is an English actor Jane Mallory Birkin OBE (born 14 December 1946) is an English-born French Actress, Singer and Film director. The screenplay was written by Antonioni and Tonino Guerra, with the English dialogue being written by British playwright Edward Bond. Tonino Guerra (born 16 March 1920) is an Italian poet writer and Screenwriter who has collaborated with some of the most prominent writers of Edward Bond (born 18 July 1934) is an English Playwright, Theatre director, Poet The film was produced by Carlo Ponti, who had contracted Antonioni to make three English language films for MGM (the others were Zabriskie Point and The Passenger). Carlo Ponti ( 11 December 1912 – 10 January 2007) was an Italian Film producer with over 140 production credits This article refers to the 1970 movie 'Zabriskie Point' For the soundtrack album see Zabriskie Point (album; for the natural monument see Zabriskie Point. The Passenger ( Professione reporter) is a Film directed and co-written by Michelangelo Antonioni, released in 1975
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Synopsis
The story concerns a photographer (Hemmings) who may or may not have inadvertently preserved evidence of a murder, which may or may not involve a woman (Redgrave) who visits the photographer in his studio. As is typical with Antonioni films, the story does not follow a conventional narrative structure.
As a professional photographer, the main character mixes with the rich and famous in the London of the sixties. One day he chances upon two lovers in a park and takes photos of them. The woman of the couple pursues him, eventually finding his apartment and desperately trying to get the film. This leads the photographer to investigate the film, making blowups (enlargements) of the photos. This process seems to reveal a body, but the director uses the heavy film grain and black and white imagery to obscure the image. Black-and-white is a number of Monochrome forms in Visual arts. This drives the photographer to keep making blowups and try to find the truth.
He does eventually find the body in the park, but this time, unfortunately and surprisingly, he is without his camera. He tries to get a friend to act as witness, but later the body is gone.
Ultimately, the film is about reality and how we perceive it or think we perceive it. This aspect is stressed by the final scene, one of many famous scenes in the film, when the photographer watches a mimed tennis match and, after a moment of amused hesitation, enters the mimes' own version of reality by picking up the invisible ball and throwing it back to the two players. A tight shot shows his continued watching of the match, and, suddenly, we even hear the ball being played back and forth. Another version of reality has been created. Then, at the very end, Hemmings, standing all alone in the green grass of the park, suddenly disappears, removed by his director, Antonioni.
Celebrity appearances
The film contains appearances from various famous people of the day, and some people who would become famous later.
In a scene near the end, The Yardbirds perform "Train Kept A Rollin'", Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck play side by side until Beck smashes his guitar à la The Who. The Yardbirds are an English rock band noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous Guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck James Patrick Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944 is an English Guitarist, Composer and record producer Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, England) is an English The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus fame can be seen very briefly in the crowd in this scene, and future media personality Janet Street-Porter can be seen dancing in stripey trousers. Michael Edward Palin, CBE (born 5 May 1943 is an English Comedian, actor writer and Television presenter best known for being one of the members Monty Python’s Flying Circus (also known as Flying Circus or during the final series just Monty Python) is a BBC Sketch comedy Janet Street-Porter (born 27 December 1946 is a British media personality Journalist, Television presenter and producer As Hemmings enters the club where The Yardbirds are playing, a poster on the entry door with a drawing of a tombstone contains the following epitaph: Here lies Bob Dylan Passed Away Royal Albert Hall 27 May 1966 R. Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major I. P. — an obvious reference to Dylan's use of electric instruments during the performance.
Antonioni had considered using The Velvet Underground in the nightclub scene, but according to guitarist Sterling Morrison, "the expense of bringing the whole entourage to England proved too much for him. This article is about the band For their self-titled album see The Velvet Underground (album; for the book see The Velvet Underground (book Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr ( August 28 1942 &ndash August 30, 1995) was one of the founding members of the Rock group The "[1]
Filming locations
The first scene (with the mimes acting) was filmed on the Plaza of The Economist Building (Piccadilly, London, 1959-64, project by Alison and Peter Smithson). The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London Piccadilly is a major London street running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. English Architects Alison Smithson (1928-1993 and Peter Smithson ( 18 September 1923 - 3 March 2003) together formed The park scenes were filmed at Maryon Park, Charlton, southeast London, and the park is little changed since the making of the film. Maryon Park is in Charlton London, situated on the A206 Woolwich Road (the opposite side to the Thames Barrier) The park includes Charlton is an area and an electoral ward south-east London, in the London Borough of Greenwich, located between Greenwich and Woolwich London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The street with the many maroon-coloured shop fronts is Stockwell Road, and the shops belonged to motorcycle dealer Pride & Clark. The A203 is a primary A road in South London. It runs from Brixton to Vauxhall connecting the A23 and A3 with MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. Pride & Clarke was a family-run company in South London which traded as a dealer in Motorcycles spares and accessories The scene where Thomas sees the mysterious woman from his car, then proceeds to follow her, was shot in Regent Street, London. Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London 's West End. He stops at Heddon Street, where the cover shot of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust LP was later photographed. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. The photographer's studio was filmed at 49 Princes Place, London W11, later to become the studio of architects Richard Rogers, and currently the London office of architects John McAslan + Partners.
Controversy
Blowup was controversial for its sexual content: it was the first British film to feature full frontal female nudity. Nudity in film refers to the presentation in motion pictures of people without clothing whether as full nudity — a view of someone's entire nude body — or more modest MGM failed to obtain approval for it from the MPAA Production Code in America, but released anyway through their subsidiary Premier Productions, a key event in the Code's eventual collapse. For the television broadcasting term please see Production code number.
Awards
Academy Awards
- Nominated: Best Director - Michelangelo Antonioni
- Nominated: Original Screenplay - Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra, Edward Bond
BAFTA Awards
- Nominated: Best British Film - Michelangelo Antonioni
- Nominated: Best British Art Direction (Colour) - Assheton Gorton
- Nominated: Best British Cinematography (Colour) - Carlo Di Palma
Cannes Film Festival
- Won: Grand Prix - Michelangelo Antonioni
Golden Globe Awards
- Nominated: Best English-Language Foreign Film
Influence
Brian De Palma's Blow Out (1981), starring John Travolta, which alludes to Blowup, used sound recording rather than photography as its central motif. The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing (Best Director is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British The Palme d'Or ( English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded to competing films at the Cannes Film Festival. Brian De Palma (born Brian Russell DePalma on September 11 1940 in Newark New Jersey) is an American Film director. Blow Out is a 1981 thriller Film, written and directed by Brian De Palma. In the DVD commentary to his 1974 film The Conversation, which is also about sound recording, Francis Ford Coppola said he, too, was inspired by Blow Up in writing the screenplay. The Conversation is an Academy Award nominated mystery thriller about audio surveillance written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director,
In Mel Brooks's film High Anxiety, a minor plot line involves a bumbling chauffeur who takes a picture showing the evil assassin (wearing a latex mask of Brooks's character's face) firing a gun at point-blank range at someone; he makes blow-ups until he can see the real Brooks's character, standing in the elevator in the background. Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American director, Writer, Composer, Lyricist High Anxiety is a 1977 Comedy film produced by directed by and starring Mel Brooks. (Technically speaking, the chauffeur does not make blow-ups; the joke is that he simply makes bigger and bigger enlargements until he has one the size of a wall. )
Indie filmmaker Jonathan Blitstein has said that the last scene of his 2007 film Let Them Chirp Awhile was trying to evoke the tennis ball scene at the end of Blowup. Jonathan Blitstein (born in Lake Forest Illinois) is an American indie filmmaker and screenwriter Let Them Chirp Awhile is an independent film drama-comedy by Jonathan Blitstein which was filmed in eighteen days in New York during October 2006
This film also inspired the Indian movie Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, in which two photographers inadvertently capture the murder of a city mayor on their cameras and later discover this when the images are enlarged. The Indian film industry is the largest in the world in terms of ticket sales and number of films produced annually (877 feature films and 1177 short films were released in the year 2003 This article is about the 1983 film For the 2007 film with a similar title see Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (2007 film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro The park in which the murder occurs is aptly named "Antonioni Park".
The comedy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery features a parody of the scene in which Hemmings' character photographs a model while barking commands and voicing enthusiasm. Austin Powers International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first Film of the Austin Powers series.
This film also has a heavy influence on the music video for Amerie's "Take Control", from her 2007 album, Because I Love It. Amerie Mi Marie Rogers (born January 12 1978) better known as Amerie, is a grammy nominated multiracial ( African-American & Korean " Take Control " is an R&B – Funk song written by Cee-Lo Green, Mike Caren and Amerie for Amerie's third studio album Because I Love It is the third Studio album by American R&B / Funk singer Amerie. [2]
The opening bassline on the track "Bring Down the Birds" from Herbie Hancock's score served as the centerpiece for the song "Groove is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite. Herbert Jeffrey Hancock ("Herbie" born April 12 1940 is a Jazz Pianist and Composer. Deee-Lite was a House and Club/Dance group formed in New York City.
Notes
- ^ Victor Bockris and Gerard Malanga, Uptight: The Velvet Underground Story. Victor Bockris (born 1949 is an English-born US-based Author, primarily of Biographies of artists writers and musicians Gerard Joseph Malanga (born March 20[[ 943]] is a North American Poet, Photographer, Filmmaker, curator and archivist p. 67. New York: Quill, 1983. ISBN 0-688-03906-5
- ^ "NEW RELEASE: Amerie "Take Control"". Video Static. January 9, 2007. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Retrieved July 30, 2007. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
Further information
- Brunette, Peter. Audio commentary on the 2005 DVD (Iconic Films).
- Hemmings, David. Blow-Up… and Other Exaggerations: The Autobiography of David Hemmings.
External links
- Blowup at the Internet Movie Database
- Alternative Film Guide in depth review of film DVD
- Where Did They Film That? — film entry
- Peter Bowles about Blow-Up's filming
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by A Man and a Woman tied with The Birds, the Bees and the Italians |
Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival 1967 |
Succeeded by If.... |
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