One Of De Palma’s Most Sophisticated Thrillers — Blow Out (4K Review)

As a peeping tom prowls outside a college dorm in the early 80s, voices overlap, arguments crescendo, and hot young things “get busy” behind conspicuously open curtains. John Travolta adds the sound effects to a video nasty, as the director laments the lack of a perfect scream for the scene's defining moment. Director Brian De Palma apes himself in a way in this sequence, with its point-of-view shots and extended takes to build tension… plus the boobs of course. 

However, the rest of Blow Out feels like one of De Palma's most sophisticated thrillers and boasts what is arguably John Travolta's best performance. 

When Travolta's Jack is asked by his director to find some new sounds, he takes himself out with his reel-to-reel and hangs out on a bridge at night. Using a powerful directional microphone he points it toward the various clicks, croaks, and hoots of wildlife, with the camera taking us as close visually as the sound does, before suddenly finding himself recording a dramatic car accident. 

As the car plunges into a lake, Jack leaps in to rescue those trapped inside, pulling out Sally (Nancy Allen) a sex worker with a high-end clientele. 

Later, when Jack listens to the tape of the accident, he manages to tease out and separate the sounds within and starts to uncover evidence of a conspiracy, suggesting that maybe the crash wasn't an accident after all. Working with Sally, he tries to expose the conspiracy, but whether he does it with the intention of protecting her, or just to nurture his own obsession with the truth is debatable. 

There are obvious comparisons here, of course; Blow Out owes a stylistic debt to both Coppola's The Conversation and Antonioni's Blow Up — with a clear nod to the latter in its title. But what Blow Out does differently to those films lies in De Palma's pulpy, Hitchcockian direction. It's a smart thriller wrapped in a trashy jacket giving it an accessibility that is lacking in most films of this type. Travolta's Jack walks a fine line between “nice guy” and obsessive, opposite Nancy Allen's earnest and sweet Sally. A character who makes up in charm what she lacks in agency. John Lithgow gives a chilling turn as a cold and calculating killer who will stop at nothing to finish the job he bodged. 

De Palma's striking imagery is brought to life in 4k in this new release, the muted cinematography is sharp and clear, a reflection of a dirty city and a dirty world. Before crescendoing into it's horrific finale where the screen suddenly fills with colour and movement. Also worth mentioning is the particular attention given to the film's exquisite sound design. Blow Out has never sounded better. 

Blow Out may not be one of De Palma's most famous films, but it is a wonderful showcase of his skill as a director. Boasting some excellent visuals and sound design, backed up by career defining performances. While you may not see the need for an upgrade to your Blu-ray — if it's a film you haven't seen before — it's worth considering this release for your first watch. 

Blow Out joins The Criterion Collection in 4K on the 22nd of July.