I am in mourning. I have lost a good friend. Twenty-three years ago, as a college student, I caught my first screening of Michaelangelo Antonioni's BLOW-UP. I remember exiting the theatre in a state of pure bliss, stunned and mesmerized by what I had just seen. Surely this was the most profound and imaginative film of all time, I told myself. Subsequent viewings over the next dozen years just served to confirm my first impression. When last I saw it in the early 90's, I was still quite convinced that it deserved a spot on my top 10 list of all time favorites. For over two decades I have carried it in my head, not just as a great movie, but as a sort of philosophy. Yet something quite disconcerting happened recently after my latest viewing of the film. It suddenly dawned on me that BLOW-UP, though still quite fascinating in many ways, definitely fails as a motion picture. This is due mainly to an extremely slow and almost insubstantial first half in which nothing really happens. The film's decided lack of truly compelling characters does help the situation either. So why such a radical shift in my opinion now, after all these years? Perhaps the main reason for this is that in my younger days I tended to measure a movie's greatness' by its arty cinematography and moody atmosphere. I would become so enthralled by these qualities that I would often blind myself to the other aspects by which a film should also be judged, such as its acting, script and characters. Twenty-three years of subsequent movie-going has allowed me to understand that a truly successful motion picture is composed of many key ingredients, most of which come together, whether by accident or design (or both), to form a truly satisfying whole.
BLOW-UP, nevertheless, does have its virtues. The film's dreamlike second hour contains some of its finest moments, among them a raucously bizarre concert scene featuring the Yardbirds and a truly lyrical finale that is totally devoid of dialogue. This last scene, involving the main character, a mime troupe and an imaginary tennis match, culminates in one of modern cinema's most quietly devastating moments of revelation. To this day that scene is as symbolically poetic and existentially haunting as anything I've ever seen on film. In fact, I believe that BLOW-UP's great reputation among many critics and viewers (including that young college student of 23 years ago) comes in large part due to this memorable ending. Overall however, and mainly because of the 2 reasons cited above in paragraph one, Antonioni's hypnotic film does not consistently work its magic from start to finish and therefore fails, despite moments of greatness, to be a completely satisfying experience.
Rest in Peace dear friend. There will always be a special place in my heart for you. It's just that regretfully, from now on, I shall be visiting your grave a lot less often.
FINAL VERDICT: ` 7 ' (Down from my original 10).
BLOW-UP, nevertheless, does have its virtues. The film's dreamlike second hour contains some of its finest moments, among them a raucously bizarre concert scene featuring the Yardbirds and a truly lyrical finale that is totally devoid of dialogue. This last scene, involving the main character, a mime troupe and an imaginary tennis match, culminates in one of modern cinema's most quietly devastating moments of revelation. To this day that scene is as symbolically poetic and existentially haunting as anything I've ever seen on film. In fact, I believe that BLOW-UP's great reputation among many critics and viewers (including that young college student of 23 years ago) comes in large part due to this memorable ending. Overall however, and mainly because of the 2 reasons cited above in paragraph one, Antonioni's hypnotic film does not consistently work its magic from start to finish and therefore fails, despite moments of greatness, to be a completely satisfying experience.
Rest in Peace dear friend. There will always be a special place in my heart for you. It's just that regretfully, from now on, I shall be visiting your grave a lot less often.
FINAL VERDICT: ` 7 ' (Down from my original 10).