Analysis Of Antonioni's Blow-Up

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In Antonioni’s Blow-Up, symbols are a large part of the characterization of the main character Thomas, and play a huge role in the execution of the themes and overall plot. The film is rarely direct, having many scenes and interactions whose intended purpose is complicated and usually hard to decipher at first, leaving the watcher very confused after it’s completion. While many aspects of the film seems disjointed with no connection or meaning whatsoever, most of the meaning is symbolically hidden, what many people believe contributes to the appeal of the film. As expected from the title, the largest and most obvious symbol is the blown up photographic images depicting the murder. The photographs themselves represent the truth of the incident …show more content…
Despite the fact that the main mystery of the story is left unresolved and open, the watchers get a sense of closure because the presence of the mimes is a repeated material that gives the ending a sense of finality. We gain an insight to Thomas’s character at the beginning of the film because he pays the mimes, showing us that he can appreciate art forms and isn't frugal with his money. Furthermore, it's shown that he is disorganized and maybe not the most responsible person as his money is just carelessly found in the back seat of his car. The mimes themselves are an additional symbol for illusions versus reality. In the last scene, we watch Thomas give in to the false reality of the mimes when he “throws” the imaginary lost tennis ball back to the mimes. But his transition progresses even more as the scene goes on. There's a strong significance to the ending of the film where we hear the actual sound of a tennis ball on a racket back and forth while the camera is focused on only Thomas. This symbolizes his transition out of reality into fantasy and the blending of his illusion with his perception. There’s a lot to be taken from the film, as one would say, “between the lines”. Whether it's to understand Thomas as a character, or to come to terms with the film in and of itself, the symbols and hidden context behind the scenes in Blow-Up create a multi-dimensional film that leads the watcher thinking. While the focus tends to be on the obvious murder mystery that has no clear explanation or closure within itself, the subtlety of the prominent symbolism creates a stronger significance than even that of the

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