Blow-Up

Blow-Up seems so unlike Antonioni's other work, that it took me a while to work up the courage to see it. Also, some of the reviews I read were absolutely polarizing. Now, after seeing it, I can understand why. It's not a movie for everyone; the plot is completely aimless, confusing, and left unresolved. However, for those reasons, it's brilliant.

The 'plot' centers around a young photographer in London, Thomas. You're not given much insight into Thomas' character, or anyone else for that matter. He seems to live day-to-day, without much care. He photographs a couple in a park, and after developing his photos, he slowly starts to realize he's captured a crime in his photos.

Antonioni doesn't even give the whole plot away until well after the halfway point of the movie. Even after that, there's little to no dialogue in the rest of the film. Though, this increases the sense of paranoia that overcomes Thomas, and eventually, the viewer. There's a lot of glass in the set design, and very often, you see the reflection of a character or object in them. This, to me, pretty clearly illustrates that things may not be as they appear, that things may be imagined, or merely a reflection of reality. Speaking of which, the set design is stellar, especially the ecclecticity of Thomas' loft. The cinematography is exquisite, is at once beautiful and disorienting.

Towards the end is one of the most bizarre scenes I've ever seen in film. The Yardbirds are playing in a club in London, performing Stroll On, which is a very lively rockin' tune. However, even though the club is packed, all of the kids watching the show aren't moving. They're just standing there, staring, in a daze. After problems with the amp, one of the guitarists smashes his guitar, and then throws the neck and headstock into the crowd. Only then do they react, and they go completely apeshit. Seeing the entire crowd standing still, as if in a trance, it's extremely unsettling.

I'm not even going to touch the ending, because once you put the pieces together, it's pretty easy to comprehend. But, it's amazing, nonetheless. It illustrates how elegant of a director Antonioni is.