1) The film Blow Up uses creative cinematography and framing to draw attention to the relationship between characters and their surroundings. 2) A key dress worn by Veruschka von Lehndoff appears almost liquid, emphasizing the tension between freedom and constraint in the changing boundaries between dress and body. 3) The film explores tensions between order and chaos, represented in the contrasting styles of dress between different characters and social groups.

1. Blow UpMichelangelo Antonioni
Christopher Vitale – Fashion Film

2. Cinematography
• Before we look at the role of
fashion in Blow Up, it is important
to note the level of depth and
ingenuity in terms of production
• Antonioni has a surreal sense of
the power of framing
• Throughout the film, characters
are framed by their surroundings,
often blending seamlessly, or
made to stand out.
• The sets in some shots engulf and
in other exaggerate the figure of
the on-screen actor.

3. Cinematography
• Antonioni draws the audiences attention to things by bringing them closer to or
further away from the camera and consciously composes his shots for effect
• For instance, this shot exaggerates the size of the camera and makes it a visual
focal point for the audience to latch onto. We are able to deduce what comes next.

4. Cinematography
• Antonioni drives his plot with
dramatically angled shots and
interesting compositions
• Many of the shots are seemingly
static, with the movement focused in
character motion or clothing motion
• This is both visually interesting to the
audience and allows one to focus their
attention on other elements of the
film such as, what the actors and
actresses are wearing at a particular
point in time.
• More importantly the framing
consistently obstructs us from seeing
the whole picture. We need to look
beyond the foreground.

6. The Dress
• The dress worn by Veruschka
von Lehndoff (who plays herself
in the film) was designed by
Jocelyn Rickards
• Notice how the dress seems to
be almost liquid, dripping and
full of motion as Versuchka
poses for actor David
Hemmings playing the
photographer Thomas
• The boundaries between the
dress and the body change as
position change. There is
freedom but also tension
between the two.

7. The Dress
• The dress worn by Veruschka
von Lehndoff (who plays herself
in the film) was designed by
Jocelyn Rickards
• Notice how the dress seems to
be almost liquid, dripping and
full of motion as Versuchka
poses for actor David
Hemmings playing the
photographer Thomas
• The boundaries between the
dress and the body change as
position change. There is
freedom but also tension
between the two.

8. Theme of
Tensions
• One of the prevailing themes in
this film seem to be the tension
between the chaotic and the
subdued – in the opening scene
the jubilant car full of mimes
(still confused why they are so
excited, they’re mimes) is
juxtaposed against the factory
workers leaving in silene
• The blandly dressed workers,
nuns in full white garb, and a
military officer are all passed by
mimes in disheveled,
checkered, striped, chaotic
dress and painted faces.

9. • This is a time of evolution not only in dress but in lifestyle
• Sex is a major piece of this film and Antonioni explores the changing opinions
about sex in multiple characters
• Take a moment to think about the treatment of nudity by the girl from the park.
She is shy and covered the entire scene
• Juxtapose this against the teenage girls who have an really awkwardly mixed
emotional sexual experience with Thomas in the studio seemingly because he is
a fashion photographer

10. • The outfits these girls wear are colorful and pieced together in a more chaotic
way than the girl from the park.
• They stand out against the backdrop of the studio, where the girl from the park
is wearing simpler patterns, more grays and dull shades, and blends in with the
background.

11. • We are constantly drawn to looking closer at things in this film as Thomas dives
deeper and deeper into his photos
• As he does this, the picture becomes more and more distorted
• The meaning of the things he is searching for becomes harder and harder to
explain
• The parallel between the painted artwork and the photography is an obvious
element of the story

12. • The lifestyle of fashion photography, how accurate or not it may be, is what
Antonioni is seeking to represent
• Unrelenting sexual exploration, unbounded creativity, and freedom are all
things that become echoed in the films wardrobe, but they are juxtaposed with
a masterful use of environment and cinematic composition.

13. • Finally, we end with the park.
• The park is visited multiple times in the film and becomes the focal point of the
films action
• Antonioni uses the depth of these shots to bring his characters in and out of
focus – for instance here the couple is seen in the distance as pieces of the
background it is hard to see exactly what is going on, and it is up for
interpretation. Antonioni seems to be obsessed with interpretation.