Review of Blow-Up (1966) by Nannina G — 09 Apr 2008
Quiet, voyeuristic, and compelling. Blowup is a true masterpiece. So much so that you forgive its strange conceits, some of which work (who would have thought that mime tennis would be so beautiful), and some of which don't (the orgiastic stripping of two wannabe models was unnecessary).
Visually and narratively it is stunning, though only the first is apparent in the beginning. The story boils slowly, drawing one in without really realizing what is going on. The revelation dawns gradually, and hits hard, leaving you with very few answers, as each consecutive blow up becomes hazier and harder to read even as it is telling the story.
Photography acts as a foil to cinema. While one gives you all the information you can't process it because it goes to fast, the other is a frozen moment that can be analyzed but is taken out of context. Who knows what happened that day in the park? To our photographer it doesn't really matter beyond a haunting shot that slipped through his fingers, which he'll never be able to shake. To the man in the grey suit I'd say it mattered immensely.
This review of Blow-Up (1966) was written by Nannina G on 09 Apr 2008.
Blow-Up has generally received very positive reviews.
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