Blow-Up (1966)

Thomas (David Hemmings) is a successful photographer.  He is working on a collection of his photos with a publisher, works with top models such as Veruschka (as herself), and has young would-be models offering sexual favors for a chance to pose for him.  One morning, he drives to an antique shop that he is interested in purchasing.  He notices a nearby park and decides to wander with his camera, taking pictures of random things that catch his eye.  Then he spots the couple.  The pair are flirting and walking up an incline.  Thomas is entranced and moves to intercept.  Hiding among the bushes and behind trees, he snaps a series of photos.  Spotted, he decides to leave but the woman (Vanessa Redgrave) purses him, demanding the film.  She even tries to steal his camera.  She runs away and he snaps a few more photos as she goes.  Later, she shows up at his studio, again demanding the photos.  He gives her a bogus roll of film and commences to develop the shots.  As he looks at the shots, he sees one where the woman is gazing off to stand of trees.  Blowing up that section, he sees a figure hiding.  Further blow ups show a gun.  In one of his later shots of the woman running away, he notices a figure on the ground.  Is that the man who had been with her?  It is hard to tell, the picture has been blown up beyond recognition.  When he goes back to the park that evening, he finds the man lying dead.

The movie does not go where one expects it to go.  It is not a murder mystery but an exploration of Thomas' grasp of reality.  In person, he saw lovers in the park.  In first developing the film, he saw the woman constantly urging the man to a particular spot in the park.  In blow up, he saw a figure in the woods.  In further blow up, he sees the outline of a body?  Maybe.  When discussing it with others, he repeatedly says he saw nothing.

The film is scattershot.  There does not appear to be a central narrative.  Best described as a character study of Thomas himself who has an eventful day.  He is not a likable man.  Though clearly wealthy (he drives a Rolls Royce) and successful, his life is empty.  He lies pointlessly (e.g. he claims he has no time then sits idle, he claims to have a wife, and then modifies that it is the mother of his children, then says they have no kids).  What is the point of it?  His first reaction to realizing he has photographed a murder is that he'd like to get clearer photos of the corpse.  Though advised to call the police, he doesn't.  In the end, he goes back to take pictures of the corpse, but the body is gone.  Dejected, he wanders the park and finds mimes playing tennis.  He joins the game and fades from reality.

An artsy film that probably gained its fame more from the full female nudity (a first at the time) than the story.  Mediocre.