Blowup (1966)

David Hemmings in a scene from the film, working his models.

Ah, there is so much to love about this film! The fashion, the music, the photography and I am absolutely in love with the character Thomas (Hemmings). Thomas is a fashion photographer who treats his models like shit and is obviously bored by the subject. In his spare time it appears he prefers to photograph nature and people within it. Thomas' outfit in the film is also what made me fall in love with him, he's so stylish and suave. If he were wearing this outfit today he wouldn't look out of place, it's timeless.

Blowup is mainly set in one day, the day in the life of the unusual photographer, Thomas. When he gets carried away spying on a couple in the park, he takes many photographs of the pair and gets caught. This is how we are introduced to the character Jane (Vanessa Redgrave), a woman who is happy to come into a strangers home and take her top off (yes you will get a few odd moments from the director, Michelangelo Antonioni). What makes the story get a little interesting is when Thomas develops the photographs from the park and discovers there is a mysterious man in the picture who appears to have murdered the other person in the photo.

This is the first film I have seen by Antonioni and I gotta tell you I absolutely adored it! It probably has a lot to do with the fact that it was filmed in the 60s but damn, I really loved it! I thought I would be sitting through a pretentious film all about photography but surprisingly it had a story to it. The whole mystery with the photographs he develops is extremely exciting! I guess the only thing that spoils the film is the ending, still not sure what happened. But aside from that I highly recommend it! For photographers, I think it will be inspiring. The photographs that are taken in this film are absolutely exquisite.

Rating: 4/5