Monday Movie on the Mind: Blow-Up

Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Movies With Abe: Monday Movie on the Mind. I’ll be kicking off each week with a clip or trailer from a film that happens to be on my mind, designed as a retrospective look at some well-known, forgotten, or underappreciated classic from movie history, be it antique or current. Chime in with your thoughts about the film or any other movies that you might be thinking of this week!

Blow-Up
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
Released December 18, 1966

This stylized film is a fascinating look into the world of photography and the trickiness of perception. Only moments in, we’re already introduced to Thomas (David Hemmings) and his rather aggressive style of photography, essentially simulating sex with his model using his camera. That’s only the beginning of this wildly trippy movie that manages to stay grounded despite sending its character into considerable conflict with reality. Hemmings plays his part admirably, as does a very young Vanessa Redgrave in his first major film role. The film is perfectly bracketed and represented by its first and last scene, both embedded below. There’s nothing like a mimed tennis match to really get you thinking about what's real and what's not.