Blow-up is a 1966 mystery thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni about a fashion photographer, played by David Hemmings, who believes he has unwittingly captured a murder on film. It was Antonioni's first entirely English-language film.
Blow-up | |
---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Michelangelo Antonioni |
Produced by |
|
Screenplay by |
|
Story by | Michelangelo Antonioni |
Based on | "Las babas del diablo" by Julio Cortázar |
Starring |
|
Music by | Herbert Hancock |
Cinematography | Carlo Di Palma |
Edited by | Frank Clarke |
Production company |
|
Distributed by |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
Country |
|
Language | English |
Budget | $1.8 million |
Box office | $20 million |
The film also stars Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Tsai Chin, Peter Bowles, and Gillian Hills, as well as 1960s model Veruschka. The screenplay was by Antonioni and Tonino Guerra, with English dialogue by British playwright Edward Bond. The film was produced by Carlo Ponti, who had contracted Antonioni to make three English-language films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (the others were Zabriskie Point and The Passenger).
The plot was inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" (1959), translated also as "Blow Up" in Blow-up and Other Stories, in turn based on a story told to Cortázar by photographer Sergio Larraín, and by the life of Swinging London photographer David Bailey. The film was scored by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock.
Except for the music for the opening and closing title and credit sequences, the music is diegetic, as Hancock noted: "It's only there when someone turns on the radio or puts on a record." In the main competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, Blowup won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, the festival's highest honour.
The American release of the counterculture-era film with its explicit sexual content (by contemporary standards) by a major Hollywood studio was in direct defiance of the Production Code. Its subsequent critical and box-office success influenced the abandonment of the code in 1968 in favour of the MPAA film rating system. In 2012, Blowup was ranked No. 144 in the Sight & Sound critics' poll of the world's greatest films.
Screenplay
The plot is a day in the life of a glamorous fashion photographer, Thomas (Hemmings), inspired by the life of an actual "Swinging London" photographer, David Bailey, and contemporaries such as Terence Donovan, David Montgomery and John Cowan.
After spending the night at a doss house, where he has taken pictures for a book of art photos, Thomas is late for a photo shoot with Veruschka at his studio, which in turn makes him late for a shoot with other models later in the morning. He grows bored and walks off, leaving the models and production staff in the lurch. As he leaves the studio, two teenaged girls who are aspiring models (Birkin and Hills) ask to speak with him, but the photographer drives off to look at an antique shop.
Wandering into Maryon Park, he takes photos of two lovers. The woman (Vanessa Redgrave) is furious at being photographed, pursues Thomas, demands his film, and ultimately tries to snatch his camera. He refuses and photographs her as she runs off.
Thomas then meets his agent Ron (Peter Bowles) for lunch, and notices a man following him and looking into his car. Back at his studio, the woman from the park arrives, asking desperately for the film. They have a conversation and flirt, but he deliberately hands her a different film roll. She, in turn, writes down a false telephone number and gives it to him.
He, curious, makes many enlargements of the black-and-white film of the two lovers. They reveal the woman worriedly looking at a third person lurking in the trees with a pistol. Thomas excitedly calls Ron, claiming his impromptu photo session may have saved a man's life. Thomas is disturbed by a knock on the door, and it is the two girls again, with whom he has a romp in his studio and falls asleep. Awakening, he finds they hope he will photograph them, but he realizes there may be more to the photographs in the park. He tells them to leave, saying, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!"
Further examination of a blurred figure under a bush makes Thomas suspect the man in the park may have been murdered after all, during the time Thomas was arguing with the woman around the bend.
As evening falls, the photographer goes back to the park and finds the body of the man, but he has not brought his camera and is scared off by the sound of a twig breaking, as if being stepped on. Thomas returns to find his studio ransacked. All the negatives and prints are gone except for one very grainy blowup of what is possibly the body.
After driving into town, he sees the woman and follows her into a club where The Yardbirds, featuring both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck on guitar and Keith Relf on vocals, are seen performing the song "Stroll On".
A buzz in Beck's amplifier angers him so much, he smashes his guitar on stage, then throws its neck into the crowd. A riot ensues. The photographer grabs the neck and runs out of the club before anyone can snatch it from him. Then, he has second thoughts about it, throws it on the pavement, and walks away. A passer-by picks up the neck and throws it back down, not realizing it is from Beck's guitar. Thomas never locates the elusive woman.
At a drug-drenched party in a house on the Thames near central London, the photographer finds Veruschka, who had told him that she was going to Paris; when confronted, she says she is in Paris. Thomas asks Ron to come to the park as a witness, but cannot convince him of what has happened because Ron is terrifically stoned. Instead, Thomas joins the party and wakes up in the house at sunrise. He returns to the park alone, only to find that the body is gone.
Befuddled, Thomas watches a mimed tennis match, is drawn into it, and picks up the imaginary ball and throws it back to the two players. While he watches the mime, the sound of the ball being played is heard and his image fades away, leaving only the grass as the film ends.
- David Hemmings as Thomas
- Vanessa Redgrave as Jane
- Sarah Miles as Patricia
- John Castle as Bill
- Jane Birkin as the Blonde
- Gillian Hills as the Brunette
- Peter Bowles as Ron
- Veruschka von Lehndorff as herself
- Julian Chagrin as Mime
- Claude Chagrin as Mime
- Susan Brodrick as Antique Shop Owner (uncredited)
- Tsai Chin as Thomas's receptionist (uncredited)
- Jill Kennington as Model (uncredited)
- Peggy Moffitt as Model (uncredited)
- Harry Hutchinson as Shopkeeper (uncredited)
- Ronan O'Casey as Jane's lover in the park (uncredited)
- Reg Wilkins as Thomas's Assistant (uncredited)
Noted cameos
Several people known in 1966 are in the film; others became famous later. The most widely noted cameo was by The Yardbirds, who perform "Stroll On" in the last third. Antonioni first asked Eric Burdon to play that scene, but he turned it down. As Keith Relf sings, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck play to either side, along with Chris Dreja.
After his guitar amplifier fails, Beck bashes his guitar to bits, as The Who did at the time. Antonioni had wanted The Who in Blowup, as he was fascinated by Pete Townshend's guitar-smashing routine.
Steve Howe of The In Crowd recalled, "We went on the set and started preparing for that guitar-smashing scene in the club. They even went as far as making up a bunch of Gibson 175 replicas ... and then we got dropped for The Yardbirds, who were a bigger name. That's why you see Jeff Beck smashing my guitar rather than his!" Antonioni also considered using The Velvet Underground (signed at the time to a division of MGM Records) in the nightclub scene, but according to guitarist Sterling Morrison, "the expense of bringing the whole entourage to England proved too much for him".
Janet Street-Porter can be seen dancing in a silver coat and red/yellow striped Carnaby Street trousers during the scene inside the nightclub. A pre-Python Michael Palin can also be seen in the motionless crowd watching the Yardbirds.
The opening mimes were filmed on the Plaza of The Economist Building in St. James's Street, London, a project by 'New Brutalists' Alison and Peter Smithson constructed between 1959–64. The scene in which men leave The Spike was shot on Consort Road, Peckham. The park scenes were at Maryon Park, Charlton, south-east London, and the park is little changed since the film. The street with maroon shopfronts is Stockwell Road and the shops belonged to motorcycle dealer Pride & Clarke. Outside shots of the photographer's studio were at 77 Pottery Lane, W11, and 39 Princes Place, W11. Photographer Jon Cowan leased his studio at 39 Princes Place to Antonioni for much of the interior and exterior filming, and Cowan's own photographic murals are featured in the film.
The scene in which the photographer sees the mysterious woman from his car and follows her was in Regent Street, London. He stops at Heddon Street where the album cover of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust was later photographed. The exterior for the party scene towards the end of the film was shot outside 100 Cheyne Walk, in Chelsea. The interior, which is believed to be the same address, was shot in the apartment of London antiques dealer Christopher Gibbs. The restaurant on the corner where Hemmings stops is on Blacklands Terrace, Chelsea SW3, where there is still a restaurant but no longer the one used in the film. The scene in the reproduced Ricky-Tick club with the Yardbirds performing "Stroll On" – a modified version of "Train Kept A-Rollin'" – was filmed at Elstree Studios, from 12 to 14 October 1966.
Box office
The film was distributed in North America by MGM shell company Premier Pictures. Writing about Antonioni for Time in 2007, the film writer Richard Corliss states that the film grossed "$20 million (about $120 million today) on a $1.8 million budget and helped liberate Hollywood from its puritanical prurience".
According to Variety, the movie earned $5,900,000 in North American rentals in 1967.
Critical reception
Film critic Andrew Sarris said the movie was "a mod masterpiece". In Playboy magazine, film critic Arthur Knight wrote that Blowup would be "as important and seminal a film as Citizen Kane, Open City and Hiroshima, Mon Amour – perhaps even more so".
Time magazine called the film a "far-out, uptight and vibrantly exciting picture" that represented a "screeching change of creative direction" for Antonioni; the magazine predicted it would "undoubtedly be by far the most popular movie Antonioni has ever made".
Bosley Crowther, film critic of The New York Times, called it a "fascinating picture, which has something real to say about the matter of personal involvement and emotional commitment in a jazzed-up, media-hooked-in world so cluttered with synthetic stimulations that natural feelings are overwhelmed".
Watch movie Blowup online on Amazon
Watch movie Blowup online
Watch The Movie On PrimeAb Ke Baras Full HD Movie Download
Badhaai Ho Badhaai Full HD Movie Download
The Hidden Eye- Teesri Aankh Full HD Movie Download
Sadak Chhap Full HD Movie Download
Diljala Full HD Movie Download
Baaz: A Bird in Danger Full HD Movie Download
Shaheed (1948) Full HD Movie Download
One Man Army-Gulami Full HD Movie Download
Adirindi Gurui Full HD Movie Download
Chandipriya Full HD Movie Download
Jaathi Malli Full HD Movie Download
Kodanda Ramudu (2000) Full HD Movie Download
Hiran Ne Kanthe Full HD Movie Download
Aaj Ka Neta Full HD Movie Download
Shakti-The Devine Force Full HD Movie Download
Keelu Gurram Full HD Movie Download
Lakshadhikari Full HD Movie Download
Konte Kodallu Full HD Movie Download
Mayadari Malligadu Full HD Movie Download
Anuraag Full HD Movie Download
Silsila Full HD Movie Download
Download latest Movie from bollywood
- 1> baaghi 3
- 2> THE SKY IS PINK MOVIE FULL STORY AND REVIEW
- 3> Luka Chuppi
- 4> TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE
- 5> Kabir Singh
- 6> Street Dancer 3D
- 7> Simmba
- 8> Gone Girl
- 9> The Girl Who Lived
- 10> Ludo
- 11> DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE
- 12> GUILTY
- 13> The Godfather
- 14> Adventures of Rusty
- 15> Sooryavanshi
- 16> Satyameva Jayate 2
- 17> Thappad
- 18> Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
- 19> KGFChapter 2
- 20> Mardaani 2
- 21> Pinjar
- 22> Shivaji maharaj
- 23> Ek Villian 2
- 24> Hungama 2
- 25> Divergent
- 26> Mumbai Saga
- 27> The Internship
- 28> HIT (telugu)
- 29> Panga
- 30> The perfect date
- 31> 16 December
- 32> Gopala Gopala (Telugu)
- 33> Brahmastra
- 34> Gangubai Kathiawadi
- 35> Manmadhudu
- 36> Nenu local
- 37> Mahanati
- 38> Shatamanam bavathi
- 39> Lagaan
- 40> After
- 41> MOM
- 42> Shamshera
- 43> Raguvaran BTech
- 44> Khakee
- 45> The villain
- 46> OM
- 47> Mr. perfect
- 48> Bueatifull mind
- 49> Hichki
- 50> Gabbar Singh
- 51> Jogi
- 52> Before Sunrise
- 53> Before Sunset
- 54> Before Midnight
- 55> The Big Bull
- 56> Top Gun: Maverick
- 57> The Purge
- 58> The Sky is Pink
- 59> Laxmmi Bomb
- 60> Sadak 2
- 61> Sufna
- 62> Prithviraj
- 63> PK
- 64> Coolie No 1(2020)
- 65> Black Widow
- 66> Dear Zindagi
- 67> Dil Bechara
- 68> PHIR HERA PHERI
- 69> WAR
- 70> Dostana
- 71> RRR: Roudram Ranam Rudhiram
- 72> Maidan
- 73> Dabbang 3
- 74> Chhalaang
- 75> life as we know it
- 76> SherShaah
- 77> Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar
- 78> Event Horizon
- 79> 83
- 80> Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai
- 81> Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl
- 82> Mr India
- 83> Vivah
- 84> Anokha Bandhan
- 85> Ghost
- 86> Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship
- 87> Haseen Dilruba
- 88> Laal Singh Chaddha
- 89> Qismat
- 90> Rajput
- 91> Drive
- 92> Dil Chahta Hai
- 93> Dil Ki Baazi
- 94> Dil Ka Rishta
- 95> Teesri Manzil
- 96> Dil
- 97> Love Aaj Kal
- 98> Khaali Peeli
- 99> Bunty Aur Babli 2
- 100> Atrangi Re
- 101> Gulabo Sitabo
- 102> Jodi
- 103> Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari
- 104> Deewana
- 105> Attack
- 106> Sardar Udham Singh
- 107> Toofan
- 108> THE LOVEBIRDS
- 109> Jersey
- 110> Ginny Weds Sunny
- 111> Thalaivi
- 112> Shiddat
- 113> Angels vs Zombies
- 114> Koi Mil Gya
- 115> Thank God
- 116> Bhuj: The Pride of India
- 117> Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
- 118> The Platform
- 119> Bird Box
- 120> Roohi Afzana
- 121> Torbaaz
- 122> Nikamma
- 123> World War Z
- 124> Extraction
- 125> Train to Busan
- 126> Life of Pi
- 127> SHAADI MEIN JROOR AANA
- 128> Himmat Aur Mehnat
- 129> To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You
- 130> Mimi
- 131> Good Newwz
- 132> Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
- 133> Raabta
- 134> Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- 135> Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- 136> Chhapaak
- 137> War of the Worlds
- 138> Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- 139> Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- 140> MURDER MYSTERY
- 141> Shakuntala Devi
- 142> Bachchan Pandey
- 143> Jayeshbhai Jordar
- 144> Sheer Qorma
- 145> Saina
- 146> 'O' Pushpa I hate tears
- 147> Kedarnath
- 148> MS Dhoni The Untold Story
- 149> Chhichhore
- 150> Badhaai Ho
- 151> Unstoppable
- 152> Oz the Great And Powerful
- 153> The Girl on the Train
- 154> Haathi Mere Saathi 2020
- 155> The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
- 156> Gandhi Se Pehle Gandhi
- 157> The Song of Scorpions
- 158> Srimanthudu
- 159> Hello Guru Prema Kosame
- 160> Beauty and The Beast
- 161> Black Panther
- 162> Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- 163> Bole Chudiyan
- 164> Fidaa
- 165> Duvvada Jagannadham
- 166> Bruce Lee: The Fighter
- 167> Hyper
- 168> Yaara
- 169> Red (2020)
- 170> Shivam
- 171> That Is Mahalakshmi
- 172> Nishabdham
- 173> Aashram 2020 web series
- 174> Laxmii
- 175> Mismatched
- 176> STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2
- 177> NAIL POLISH
- 178> Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi
- 179> KAAGAZ
- 180> 12 o Clock
- 181> The Power
- 182> bolo hau
- 183> Tribhanga
- 184> JAMUN
- 185> Madam Chief Minister
- 186> Maasaab
- 187> Aadhaar
- 188> Tanhaji
- 189> Bhaagi 3
- 190> Bhootnath
- 191> MALANG
- 192> Jai Mummy Di
- 193> Haathi Mere Saathi 2021
- 194> Shakeela
- 195> Unpaused
- 196> Annayya
- 197> Vamsoddharakudu
- 198> Mrugaraju
- 199> Narasimha Naidu
- 200> Sankranti
- 201> Manasu Maata Vinadhu
- 202> Anjaane
- 203> Apaharan
- 204> Bachke Rehna Re Baba
- 205> Bewafaa
- 206> Roohi
- 207> Radhe
- 208> Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai
- 209> Yeh Mohabbat Hai
- 210> Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?
- 211> The Tomorrow War
- 212> DehradunDiary
- 213> Meri Shaadi Karaoo
- 214> Matruu Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola
- 215> No One Killed Jesica
- 216> Aag Ka Goola
- 217> Eight Million Dollars
- 218> Three Hundred
- 219> Cats and Dog
- 220> Decoy
- 221> Gold Rush
- 222> You Have Got Mail
- 223> Final Destination three
- 224> Tofan
- 225> Jungle