Review of Blow Out (1981) by David H — 24 Jun 2010

Masterful in every way, and one of the very few times when De Palma's direction and script mesh perfectly. The director's formalism is in full force here, though this time it is melded to a simple (yet emotionally complex) story.

Pacing is absolutely perfect; the narrative plows forward with non-stop force. Every sequence builds the mystery and tension perfectly, and the story takes some really unexpected turns (like how De Palma manages to work in some slasher film conventions late in the game without causing a single tonal imbalance, which is frankly incredible).

Performances all-around are fantastic, with John Lithgow doing some especially creepy work as a frighteningly malevolent and sociopathic hired assassin. Pino Donaggio's score is marvellous, one of the few times when I can write that about his music.

And the sound design! There's one sequence early on wherein Travolta's soundman character collects a myriad of natural sounds for use in an upcoming film that, for a movie buff, is orgasmic. Though what really makes Blow Out special is its truly unforgiving and emotionally wrenching climax, which De Palma mercilessly refuses to sugar-coat.

While devastating, it's exactly how the film should have ended, and it's what cements Blow Out as one of De Palma's few masterpieces.