Yar, you be here: Blow-Up > Customer Reviews

Blow-Up Customer Reviews (25 - 27 of 58 Reviews)

Of course no comment needs be made about the film itself -- it deserves every accolade garnered in its long life. The nature of observation, perception and reality, layers of meaning within meaning... it's all here for discovery.

One could have hoped for a bit more in the extras, however. What we get are two threadbare theatrical trailers and an absolutely braindead "commentary" by some halfwit critic, who completely misses the poetry, whimsy and most of the symbolism of the film. In fact, his self-important babbling threatens to ruin the whole presentation, so I recommend you avoid it altogether. With as much analysis, speculation and adulation as this film has gathered over the years, I'm sure much better extras could have been included.

And the packaging here is painfully cheap....

But no mind, the film itself rises above all the negatives (pun intended).

A Popular Art?
Poor Antonioni. He learned - the hard way - that the nature of Film derives from its strange popular basis. How else did MGM get in on the backing of 'Blow Up?' The film's success probably had less to to do with Antonioni's oblique look at swinging London than with the whole Mod scene it coincidentally highlights - the frenetic life of a fashion photographer, the scantily-clad models, the rock-and-roll bands, the impromptu orgies (the best are always impromptu), the (real or imagined) murders, the attempted blackmail. Antonioni's mistake was that we could never pin down his attitude toward such subject matter. Surely the man who created 'L'avventura' was only interested in the surfaces of his subject (it had no depths to speak of)? Surely he was cleverly disparaging the lifestyle of this idiot photographer? Fact is, Antonioni was secretly in love with it. Just as he would be duped by the stupidities enacted in 'Zabriskie Point.' He wasn't as objective as his better admirers believed. He was middle-aged. He was Italian. And he was getting over Monica Vitti. 'Blow Up' is fascinating, all the same. And it certainly doesn't deserve some of the comments of the uninitiated - outcasts of the "Film Generation," who wouldn't know an art film if it fell on them....

Ah - yes - I remember it well..................
Any film which encourages 30 (or more) people to submit a written review has to be just a little bit special. There are more than enough subjective and objective reviews listed here before mine to make any additional comments redundant. However - having been a teenager during most of the 60's - and also having personal knowledge of the films locations gives me perhaps an edge over some other reviewers. The park used in the film is Maryon Park which is located in Charlton - a suburb in the south-east of London. The antique shop was actually a general food store and was owned by the parents of one of my school friends. We used to take walks round the "park" nearly every lunchtime and therefore I know it like the back of my hand. Because of this personal knowledge - I was unable to experience the tense hypnotic effect that the film is supposed to generate for some of its viewers - such as in the night scene in the park. Anyway - I digress - the film attempts to typify the "mod" era and almost succeeds. If you want to see REAL mod fashion and design - take a look at any repeat of the old 60's pop music show "Ready Steady Go" - then compare. Even the Yardbirds (as wonderful as they were) - could have chosen a more appropriate track. I must admit - the film is MUCH more enjoyable than I was expecting - having read most of the reviews before mine I was almost put off buying it - as I had my doubts to its general watchability. I do totally recommend this film/video to anyone who lived through this era - in particuar native Londoners. Todays teenagers/twentysomethings may find it trendy to say they enjoyed it - because of the mod connections - but very few actually will if they were being REALLY honest.