Monday, September 3, 2012

Directors POV: Blow Up ~ Rear Window





I wanted to note some interesting aspects I recognized between both films. As discussed in class Blow Up is a distance homage to Rear Window. Using the theme of imaging as the main essence of the film. Not literally pertaining to the imaging we associate with cameras but metaphorically as to the lives we live and the lens we view them with. 

There are two diverse forms in which the films were directed. Alfred Hitchcock used a more "efficient" form in which he used just the right amount of allotted time to capture what he wanted to portray to the audience. While Michelangelo Antonioni used a denser, more detailed form.

This entangles with the actual plot of each film. In Blow Up we are illustrated with the main character, Thomas, who is so caught up in his ego he does not ingest the details that surround him. While capturing the moments at the park he believes himself a hero for supposedly preventing a murder, when realistically the murder took place. The style of directing contrast with the outlook the main character has on his surroundings. Thomas was accustomed to narrowing out his surroundings, focusing and controlling on the superficial things, which were in front of him. If he were to have viewed the circumstances through the “lens” of the director, things may have turned out differently.

It’s fascinating to see this complex relationship between the views we as an audience have compared to the view Thomas has. It turns to the realization that Thomas is a small insignificant pond in the world. Although he believes he can control everything, there is very little he can control outside of his studio. Michelangelo, as the director, is almost playing the role of God as he decides who sees what becoming the ultimate illustrator of life.


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