‘So you got your choice. You can be crazy or dead...’
Wikipedia describes Blow Out as a neo-noir mystery thriller. Not my usual fare. It is a description that suggests labyrinthine plots, slow pacing and detectives brooding in dark rooms. Well, that’s not quite what we’re given here. Things are rarely dull when John Travolta is around…
After accidentally witnessing a murder, Jack, a small-time movie sound recordist (Travolta) attempts to untangle the web of lies and deceit that led to the murder conspiracy in the first place. Enlisting the help of local good-time girl Sally (Nancy Allen), Jack meets resistance when reporting his findings to the local police.
Okay, so the plot is difficult to follow. I often find the best thing to do with a De Palma film is just to lose yourself in the vibes. The nifty camera work. The use of split screen. Pino Donaggio’s swelling score. It’s a world that is easy to get lost in. Crucially, De Palma’s camera work here enhances the story rather than distracting from it and it’s cute seeing Travolta and Allen reunited after their memorable onscreen partnership in Carrie.
Beloved by Quentin Tarantino and critically praised upon release, Blow Out is one of De Palma’s better thrillers and came in the middle of a terrific run of films that also included Dressed to Kill, Scarface and Body Double. While the influences are familiar and easy to identify (Giallo, Hitchcock, Antonioni etc), this still feels like the kind of film that only Brian De Palma is capable of producing. A singular triumph.