Blow-Up

A mystery/thriller whose central theme is alienation, Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 classic Blow-Up is a film in which events may or may not have been observed, and might or might not have consequences for the observer. After a cynical photographer named Thomas (the late David Hemmings) takes a series of photos of a couple arguing in a park, he is confronted by the woman (Vanessa Redgrave), who desperately wants the roll of film, ultimately tracking him to his apartment where she attempts to seduce him. After fobbing her off with a different roll, Thomas retires to his darkroom, where--after seeing something unusual in one of the new prints--he begins a series of enlargements, with the final hazy "blow-up" depicting what appears to be a man with a gun shooting someone: a discovery that brings Thomas out of his personal and professional lethargy. Snagging Oscar nominations for Best Director and Screenplay, Blow-Up makes its long-awaited DVD debut in an excellent widescreen transfer, with clear (but low-level recorded) sound, and two extras: a somewhat scholarly commentary track by Antonioni historian Peter Brunette, and a music-only option highlighting Herbie Hancock's jazzy soundtrack. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Mar. 21, 2017—Criterion, 111 min., not rated, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1966's Blow-Up features a great transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include the 2016 “making-of” featurette “Blow Up of Blow Up” (54 min.), two new pieces about director Michelangelo Antonioni's artistic approach (47 min.), a 2016 conversation between star Vanessa Redgrave and photography curator Philippe Garner (45 min.), archival interviews with costars David Hemmings (27 min.) and Jane Birkin (9 min.), an excerpt from “Michelangelo Antonioni: The Eye That Changed Cinema” (6 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar David Forgacs, an updated 1966 account of the film's shooting by Stig Björkman, and the 1959 Julio Cortázar short story on which the film is loosely based. Bottom line: a landmark classic receives a stellar Criterion release.]