Blow Out 4K (1981): A Taut, Tense and Involving Thriller (Review)

The poster for Blow Out – a stark picture of John Travolta’s face screaming from within a void of blackness – has been staring at me ever since I first noticed it in my dad’s movie collection as a little kid. I never knew what it was about, who was in it, or what genre it was, but I’ve known of the film’s existence for a while. Finally watching it felt like a culmination of many years of intrigue, even with only having a poster to go off. And it was worth the wait, Blow Out is a taut, tense and involving thriller that doesn’t overstay its welcome, and never once made me lose interest in its knotted, intricate story.

I’m still relatively new to Brian De Palma’s directorial efforts, having only seen the first Mission Impossible movie and even then, that was part of my first run-through of the full series and not specifically because of De Palma. I see certain similarities between that film and this, particularly in De Palma’s stylish visual choices. There’s a lot of overhead shots, moments of tension that choose to let it linger rather than go for shock value, and (unexpectedly for me) some rather high-octane set pieces towards the end, giving the film a welcome action-packed conclusion that offers some catharsis after being wrapped up in the film’s constant state of foreboding.

Travolta is a great leading man. He’s always intrigued me as an actor, especially on the rare occasions nowadays where he picks a good project. He always has this very charming but also slightly sinister smile, like there’s something every character of his is hiding under the surface just waiting to be unearthed. This is certainly true of his character here, a sound technician named Jack Terry. Although he interacts with directors and engineers for his day job, he is somewhat of a recluse, constantly tinkering with his audio equipment and staying in his room, which also functions as his office. He is likeable to a certain degree, but his character is more interesting for his profession and his relationship with Nancy Allen’s Sally than he is by himself.

Blow Out is a reimagining of the 1966 Michelangelo Antonioni film Blow Up, where a fashion photographer believes he has captured a murder. Blow Out takes the same general idea but translates it from photography to audio. Jack is on a bridge at night, capturing audio of birds and nature, and both sees and hears a car crashing into the river. Upon further inspection, he’s also sure that he hears a gunshot which takes out the tyres (hence the term “blow out”), which draws him into a massive conspiracy.

It’s the kind of plot that is, admittedly, pretty ridiculous. A taut murder-mystery instead reveals itself to be a radical attempt to rig and influence the result of an American presidential election (obvious current joke is obvious). However, De Palma strikes just the right tone throughout to make the plot feel genuinely suspenseful and gritty.

The surprising appearance of a young John Lithgow as the film’s antagonist was a welcome sight, as he provides some skin crawling menace that helps elevate the tension further. His performance definitely fits into the cliche of soft-spoken, calmly conniving villains that we see a lot of in films, but Lithgow plays it beautifully. The balance is just right, and as a result the threat of his character working behind the scenes before eventually fully revealing himself works wonders.

I have mixed feelings on the character of Sally, played by Nancy Allen (side-point: as a Nightmare Before Christmas fan, it did not go over my head that the two main characters are called Jack and Sally. Just thought I’d mention that). Nancy Allen’s performance isn’t the problem, but I’m not sure quite what tone they’re going for with her. She comes across as a somewhat cutesy, ditsy character who unwillingly ended up in this incredibly precarious situation. A happily married presidential candidate caught in the act with a mistress? That’s a headline. But underneath that there’s also a darker more desperate side to her, who’s putting the cutesy appearance on as a veneer to hide a much more depressing and scarred life that she leads.

It’s a bit of a confusing balance. I don’t consider it a flaw, it’s probably just the character not fully clicking with me, but it feels like this character is in a different film to both Travolta and Lithgow, and I wasn’t sure what the character was really supposed to be. Having said that, this doesn’t mean I didn’t have sympathy for her, and the explosive, downbeat ending came as an unexpected shock. The film does a good job of hooking you in emotionally, before ripping your heart out of your chest when you see just how everything ends.

The soundtrack also helps sell the ending even more. Throughout the film it’s a strange mix of the typical orchestral soundscapes mixed with some groovier elements, but both combine in a really cathartic way at the climax.

Blow Out is one of those thrillers that doesn’t leave you with too much to say, even though it’s really good. It’s just a very well constructed story, with an engaging flair to Brian De Palma’s direction, a striking look, and some standout performances. It’s a classic example of a well-written and well-made thriller that is full of twists and surprises, and while it’s not up there with some of the greatest films of all time, it at least deserves a thought when you’re in the mood for a great film.

Rob (A De Palma Completist) also reviewed Blow Out for its prior (non-4K) release. Read that Review Here

Alex’s Archive – Blow Out (1981)