Blow Up

I must admit, I added Blow Up to my Netflix queue because I read somewhere that Jane Birkin (muse of the Hermes Birkin Bag), acted in it and I wanted to see what an icon of that much fashion caliber was like. It was a small role for her and I soon forgot why I rented it because I became so immersed in the film itself.

I didn't have any other background on the film besides the Birkin reference. I knew vaguely that people were fans of director Michelangelo Antonioni, but this was my first real experience with any of his films. I was instantly mesmerized by how every scene blended with the next in a liquid transition of emotion, color, and 60's mod strangeness.

David Hemming's character is so unpredictable that it is impossible to stop watching him out of fear that you might miss whatever fantastic thing he does next. His character lives in a perpetual state of artistic creativity. He is one of those rare artistic geniuses who just makes and makes and makes for the purpose of making. It was beautifully bizarre. The best part about the movie is that it is from 1966, and I've yet to see it's rival in my lifetime (I'm an 80's baby for reference).