Michelangelo Antonioni's first English language film is as maddening to watch as it is absorbing.
Blow-Up (1966)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:35
Fresh:30
Rotten:5
Average Rating:8/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Michelangelo Antonioni delivers yet another masterful cinematic expose with BLOW UP, a provocative mystery set in the seamy mod culture of London. The film follows a photographer (David Hemmings)... Michelangelo Antonioni delivers yet another masterful cinematic expose with BLOW UP, a provocative mystery set in the seamy mod culture of London. The film follows a photographer (David Hemmings) who captures evidence of a murder when he takes some innocent snapshots of a couple in the park. As he digs deeper and deeper into the photograph's actual negative in order to unravel the mystery, he also must contend with a seemingly dangerous woman (Vanessa Redgrave) who knows more than she is letting on. Atmospheric, tense, with a refreshing jolt of humor, Antonioni's stylish thriller influenced the work of many of cinema's most celebrated directors, including Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION, Brian De Palma's BLOW OUT, and David Lynch's BLUE VELVET. [More]
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, David Hemmings, Sarah Miles, Jill Kennington
Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, David Hemmings, Sarah Miles, Jill Kennington, Verushka, Peter Bowles, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Reviews for Blow-Up
As often with Antonioni, a film riddled with moments of brilliance and scuppered by infuriating pretensions.
Relying only on our subjective perceptions and personal interpretations, we are asked to find the truth for ourselves.
See it for the bell bottoms and the birds, and if the existential riddle at the core of the film captures your imagination, so much the better.
Antonioni’s chic study in ambiguity calls into question the notion of photographic truth, and indeed reality itself.
The very last scene poses a profound and beautiful question about movies, the art of storytelling, and Life Itself.
This is so ravishing to look at (the colors all seem newly minted) and pleasurable to follow (the enigmas are usually more teasing than worrying) that you're likely to excuse the metaphysical pretensions.
Whether there was a murder isn't the point. The film is about a character mired in ennui and distaste, who is roused by his photographs into something approaching passion.
O rigor estético aqui exibido por Antonioni, somado à excepcional montagem de Frank Clarke, à bela fotografia de Carlo Di Palma e à atuação inspirada de Hemming, garante ao filme um vigor e um charme que só crescem com o tempo.
The energy of the first hour dissipates just as the mystery is supposed to be deepening. But I envy you if you're seeing it for the first time -- it's still the finest motion picture to ever conclude with mimes pretending to play tennis.
Peter Brunette’s detailed and entertaining commentary refreshingly acknowledges that, at many points, 'Things don’t add up in this movie.'
Every generation has a cautionary tale like Blow-Up, but its hypocrisy is special: it peddles what it condemns. Just as tired and offensive today as it was in '66.
Latest News for Blow-Up
October 27, 2009:
10 Movies That Scared Wes Craven ![]()
Looking for some really scary movies this Halloween season? Wes Craven -- who should know a thing or two about cinematic chills -- has provided Entertainment Weekly with a list... More...
July 31, 2007:
Remembering Michelangelo Antonioni
Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni, who gave the world such influential films as L'Avventura, Blow-Up, and The Passenger, died Monday at the age of 94. More...
October 20, 2005:
RT Critical Consensus: "Doom" Gloom, "Country" Sounds Sweet
This week at the movies brings stories of marines on Mars ("Doom"), iron miners fighting the man ("North Country"), little girls who love horses... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Blow-Up at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

