It takes place on several days in 1966 in London, England, following the events in the life of a hip fashion photographer. Unfortunately, it failed the movie code at that time in the United States because of two sex scenes.
Thomas (David Hemmings) is a wealthy fashion photographer who makes his money taking pictures of models in his expensively-equipped studio. On the side, he's working on a book of photos that includes candid shots of the seamier side of life, including a men's hostel. He's working on the book project with Ron (Peter Bowles). Thomas has trouble focusing for any length of time and is quickly diverted by impulse and new events. He's also a misogynist, which was not unusual for the 1960s.
The film begins by showing us some of 1960s London youth culture, including a mime troupe, a ban-the-bomb rally, and a hyper David Hemmings taking fashion photos of models like Veruschka von Lehndorff in pop fashion. When he wanders through a park to take pictures to finally end his book, he encounters a couple in an apparent romantic tryst. Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) sees him taking photographs and tries to get the film from him, but Thomas refuses. He later develops the film and blows the pictures up, realizing he may have witnessed a murder.
The rest of the film follows his next couple of days trying to figure out the truth. In the process, he's distracted by two teenage girls (Jane Birkin and Gillian Hills) and a concert by the Yardbirds in a local rock club. The mime troupe shows up again at the end.
I have always loved this film. It came out when I was active as a student photographer for publications at Goshen College. I could smell the chemicals when Thomas worked in the darkroom. I was awed at how much film he wasted and why he made such huge enlargements with no intermediate steps. And I'm always a sucker for good mysteries, especially when they involve photographs. David Hemmings was brilliant, albeit unlikeable.
Some of the film doesn't make sense unless you can immerse yourself in the 1960s. The struggle against meaninglessness, the superficiality of much of the pop scene, is juxtaposed against the stark reality of murder.
Thomas (David Hemmings) is a wealthy fashion photographer who makes his money taking pictures of models in his expensively-equipped studio. On the side, he's working on a book of photos that includes candid shots of the seamier side of life, including a men's hostel. He's working on the book project with Ron (Peter Bowles). Thomas has trouble focusing for any length of time and is quickly diverted by impulse and new events. He's also a misogynist, which was not unusual for the 1960s.
The film begins by showing us some of 1960s London youth culture, including a mime troupe, a ban-the-bomb rally, and a hyper David Hemmings taking fashion photos of models like Veruschka von Lehndorff in pop fashion. When he wanders through a park to take pictures to finally end his book, he encounters a couple in an apparent romantic tryst. Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) sees him taking photographs and tries to get the film from him, but Thomas refuses. He later develops the film and blows the pictures up, realizing he may have witnessed a murder.
The rest of the film follows his next couple of days trying to figure out the truth. In the process, he's distracted by two teenage girls (Jane Birkin and Gillian Hills) and a concert by the Yardbirds in a local rock club. The mime troupe shows up again at the end.
I have always loved this film. It came out when I was active as a student photographer for publications at Goshen College. I could smell the chemicals when Thomas worked in the darkroom. I was awed at how much film he wasted and why he made such huge enlargements with no intermediate steps. And I'm always a sucker for good mysteries, especially when they involve photographs. David Hemmings was brilliant, albeit unlikeable.
Some of the film doesn't make sense unless you can immerse yourself in the 1960s. The struggle against meaninglessness, the superficiality of much of the pop scene, is juxtaposed against the stark reality of murder.