BLOW UP

UK, 1967, 113 minutes, Colour.
David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Peter Bowles.
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.

Blow Up is a film by Michelangelo Antonioni. It was his first film in English. He subsequently made "Zabriskie Point and "The Passenger" in English. Antonioni is a respected Italian director. He had made such significant films as "L'Avventura", "The Night" and "The Eclipse". He moved into colour with "The Red Desert" in 1974. He is considered as a filmmaker studying the alienation of modern man. There is alienation of an individual from his or her environment. People are alienated from one another. This theme culminated in the presentation of modern Ravenna in The Red Desert and, in a parable form, an exploration of a woman lost in this environment.

In "Blow up", Antonioni studies the modern London environment of the mid sixties. He questions what is reality underlying appearances. How do appearances coincide with reality? He was later to do the same kind of thing for modern America in "Zabriskie Point" in the late sixties. He did it on a much wider scale and with more universal application in "The Passenger". David Hemmings was at the beginning of a successful career in this film. It was also one of the earliest films of Vanessa Redgrave. Over the years "Blow Up", from being a controversial film, has become something of a classic.

1. The meaning of the title: camera work, inflating things,, explosions? The implications and overtones for the themes of the film?

2. The focus on camera work and on the eye.. the eye as a lens? Eyes seeing, lens focusing? The significance of using the symbols of modern photography? A photo as the appearance of reality? The film and photos? Images and appearances and reality? People looking at appearances and being sure or unsure? The photographer and the artist as makers of images. encompassing appearances and reality? Their ability to note and to present clues for the interpretation of reality? The relationship of truth and reality.

3. The importance of colour, the blues and the greens of the credits, the Park? The details of the London locations, the atmosphere of London in the mid sixties? The world of poverty. the streets in the suburbs, the world of fashion, the world of drugs? The contrast with the atmosphere of the park? The mid sixties style of music? The modern song towards the end?

4. How interesting is this Italian look at England? An Italian, keen on studying the alienation of modern man in his modern environment, studying England and London in the sixties? The importance of the emphasis on the fashion world? (Fashionable appearances - what is reality?)

5. How helpful was the structure of the film in its various days and nights? The significance of the action happening over a Saturday and a Sunday? The relationship of the clowns to the structure: their appearance at beginning and end? Clowns as human beings covered by humorous appearances? The reality and unreality of clowns, human beings as clowns?

6. The film's focus on the hero as an ordinary young man, as a fallible young man? The importance of his social status: his emerging from the doss house. yet the contrast of his car with its intercom, etc.? The style of his work, his skill, his producing a book and his social concern? The strengths and weaknesses of his character? His arrogance, especially with the models? His relationship with the models, his interest in antiques? His relationship with his artist friend and the discussing of the various works of art, with the artist's wife? The relationship with the young girls curiously visiting him? Sexual and sensual emphases, in the photography of the model, the visit of the young girls, the woman trying to get the photographs back? The visual presentation of the orgy with the young girls? The transition to visiting the friend, the drug scene and its decadence.

7. The presentation of the hero as an observer of life, via his camera? A certain detachment from what he saw? Putting photographs in a book etc.? The difference with his becoming involved in the incidents in the park? A sensual involvement with the models at the session? His detachment from the models in bullying them?

8. Images versus words, e.g. in the book, the blowing-up of the stills? The looking at the stills blown up sending him back to reality?

9. The visual presentation of the park, audience involvement with the photographer, curiosity, the autumnal atmosphere of the park with the wind, the silence? Audience identification with the hero taking the photos and pursuing the couple?

10. The contrast with the girl pursuing him, her pleading, her anxiety? The encounter in the park? Her arrival at the house? The emotive tensions between the two, within the girl herself? Her nervous listening to the music? Her trying to manoeuvre the hero into giving the photos back? The appeal to sexuality? The famous contrast of the two torsos?

11. How did the film present the details of photography, cameras, developments of photo, the processes of blowing up the stills? The detailed realism? Audience involvement in the puzzle about what happened in the park via the details of photography? The importance of the examination of the photos, detail, the retracing of the narrative by images rather than words?

12. The intrusion of the two girls at the beginning, the revelation of the kind of world of the photographer? The irony of their later intrusion? Their silliness and giggles, trying on the dresses, sexuality and their disappointment at not getting photographed? Observation and moral comment?

13. The hero being made alone and isolated by his awareness of what happened in the park? The importance of the visit of the artist's wife and the discussion about what had happened? Her support? His testing the reality of what happened by talking to someone else? The question of evidence? The importance of the glimpse of the woman in the street? The irony of the noise of the music and the dancers? The song, the incident with the guitar, the crowding in on the isolated photographer and his trying to break free back into the street? The irony of the guitar and passers by picking it up?

14. The hero trying to get some support from Ron? Audience interest in him because of the book and the photos? His immersion in the world of drugs? His failure to respond? Ron and his opting out of helping?

15. The significance of the hero's return to the park, the contrast of darkness with the light of day, the questions of true or false? The significance of his return the following morning? After he himself had opted out in the drug world? How had the night affected him? Why did he return to the park? Conscience, integrity, involvement? Detachment?

16. The intrusion of the clowns on his isolation? Their inviting him to be involved rather than opting out? The technical presentation of the miming of the tennis? The gradual invitation to involvement, watching the ball, his being invited to participate by throwing the imaginary ball? The ball which did not appear but which seemed real? How ironic then was it that the hero himself disappeared at the end of the film leaving the park alone?

17. What was the view of the world of the director? of its superficialities, depths? Man's ability to cope? The importance of the individual, his place in society and the effect of society on him? Man and his relationship to truth? Involvement, sensitivity, conscience? The importance of being true to self? How pessimistic was the film, how optimistic?

18. Why has the film become something of a classic in its time? The quality of content, style and technique? The blend of both?