Blowup (1966): Antonioni’s Film Unfinished???

March 9, 2022 by

 

The park scenes were at Maryon Park, Charlton, south-east London, and the park has changed little since the film, despite Antonioni painting the grass green to meet his requirements.

Place of murder: Maryon Park, London

The plot of Blowup was inspired by Julio Cortázar’s short story “Las babas del diablo” (1959), published in the book End of the Game and Other Stories, in turn based on a story told to Cortázar by photographer Sergio Larraín.

Subsequently, the short story was retitled “Blow Up” to connect it with the film.

Swinging London

The life of Swinging London photographer David Bailey was also an influence.

Sean Connery

Several people were offered the role of the protagonist, including Sean Connery, who declined when Antonioni refused to show him the script.

Other candidates included the photographer David Bailey, and Terence Stamp, who was replaced shortly before filming began after Antonioni found David Hemmings in a stage production of Dylan Thomas’s Adventures in the Skin Trade.

The opening mimes were shot on the Plaza of The Economist Building in St. James’s Street, London, a project by ‘New Brutalists’ Alison and Peter Smithson constructed between 1959 and 1964.
The park scenes were at Maryon Park, Charlton, south-east London, and the park has changed little since the film, despite Antonioni painting the grass green to meet his requirements.
Photographer John Cowan leased his studio at 39 Princes Place to Antonioni for much of the interior and exterior filming, and Cowan’s own photographic murals are featured in the film.
Other locations included Heddon Street, where the album cover of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust was later photographed, and Cheyne Walk, in Chelsea.

The rock club scene featuring the Yardbirds performing “Stroll On” – a modified version of “Train Kept A-Rollin'” – was filmed at Elstree Studios, from 12 to 14 October 1966.

Also in the rock club scene, English broadcaster, journalist, writer Janet Street-Porter appears as a dancing extra in a silver coat and stripey trousers.

Unfinished Production?

Actor Ronan O’Casey claimed that the film’s mysterious nature is the result of an “unfinished” production.

In a 1999 letter to Roger Ebert, O’Casey wrote that scenes which would have “depicted the planning of the murder and its aftermath – scenes with Vanessa, Sarah Miles and Jeremy Glover, Vanessa’s new young lover who plots with her to murder me – were never shot because the film went seriously over budget.”

O’Casey had previously told this story already to Der Spiegel in 1967, where he stated that Dyson Lovell played the part of the murderous lover.

Two scenes in particular give credence to this theory. The first in the restaurant when the new lover’s character (played by Lovell) is seen tampering with Thomas’ car.

The second scene occurs when Glover and Redgrave are glimpsed together in a Rover 2000 (which also appears elsewhere) following Thomas’ Rolls Royce.

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