At first I thought this film was just the rule of right hero story, because Jack tries to rescue Sally from invisible evil and the screen and story is brighter than other movies which we watched already. However, after watching this movie I feel this film has something in common with films which we has watched till now. In concrete there are two points. The first point is Hitchcock's film("Vertigo", "Psycho", "Conversation" and "Blow out" ) have one of the theme of beauty of women's death. Every film has scene which a woman is killed or depiction of murder. I think it is transiency of beautiful woman's life. Also, it shows the idea of women as possession. That reason is that sometimes women are considered that their position or status is lower than men. This is so strange for me. The second point is the guilty that main character feels in each film. In "Vertigo" and "Conversation" it is connected to religious thinking. This is thinkable that the director Hitchcock has been Christian and he has been affected. In everyday life there is a possibility people get guilty, so I think Hitchcock and other director who was influenced by him wanted to show that.

This movie has various camera-work. At the early scene, for example, it seemed that camera was character's eyes by moving it forward. There was also camera work which turn it. I am familiar with them because I think that they are particular to recent films. For these things, I was easy to watch this film. At this time, I like a character of Burk because I tend to prefer strange person and he is curious man for me. I think that the actor is also good. He does not hesitate to kill the targets and irrelevant people. I associate Burk with my favorite movie, "the Terminator". Above all, I was surprised to that Sally was eventually killed by Burk. Terry has had a sad past that his associate had been murdered on duty. So I thought that Terry would be able to save Sally in this time, but it was not true. He has lost his friend again.(I should regard her as his girlfriend.) I was interested in that the audiences have not be able to look beyond the story. This film is suspense and love story. Also, it is included sad music. My favorite scene is last one. I was so moved by it. I felt that it was the sadness and beauty. I will never forget that scene. As a result, I think this film is a masterpiece.

Based on all the Brian De Palma films I have seen as of now, I have no problem is stating that 'Blow Out' is my absolute favorite among them. De Palma's technical prowess has never been in doubt and it is again on show in this tightly paced conspiracy thriller, but he also adds layers to the screenplay through his visual choices and the protagonist Jack Terry played by John Travolta has the kind of depth and humanity that I couldn't find in some of his other films.While talking about the themes of the film, one has to make a comparative analysis because the nature of the film lends itself to such an approach. The connection to Antonioni's 'Blow Up' is unmissable if someone watches both the films. Both films are about a person unearthing a truth through their technical expertise, a truth that could somewhat go unnoticed by a layman. However De Palma is in no way trying to bring in an element of abstract existentialism that is a big part of 'Blow Up'. I think 'Blow Out' is also influenced by Hitchcock's 'Vertigo'. De Palma uses the colours of Red, White and Blue in a very meaningful and thematically poignant way just like Hitchcock did with the colours red and green in 'Vertigo'. As a matter of fact the shot of Manny's apartment room engulfed by the red neon light was very reminiscent of Judy's apartment in 'Vertigo' which had the green neon light coming in from outside. 'Blow Out' also shares with 'Vertigo' the Orpheus-esque theme of a character hurt by something in the past intentionally going through a similar incident again which breaks him permanently. 'Blow Out' can be compared with Coppola's 'The Conversation'(which was also tangentially influenced by 'Blow Up') because both films involve a character whose past trauma has led them to resort to something else for spiritual respite. For Jack Terry in 'Blow Out' it is the B- movie industry, while for Harry Caul in 'The Conversation', it is religion. However Jack isn't as psychologically broken and introverted as Harry was.Apart from everything that I mentioned, one can't forget that this is a political conspiracy film. The film was made at a time when USA was ready to move on after enduring the traumatic incidents that marked the 70s like Vietnam and Watergate by electing Ronald Reagan. De Palma at a political climate like this coming out with a film of this sort, must have tried to claim that this is nothing but a false sunrise and in the end, the film and the political deviousness that is depicted in 'Blow Out' turned out to be prescient. I think 'Blow Out' is also a bit of a love letter to all the grind-house sleazy exploitation films of the 1970s. The film opens with a scene which makes fun of these kind of films including De Palma's own films which did at times go overboard with the sleaziness. But over the course of the film and especially with the beautiful ending De Palma conveys that no matter how technically inept and thematically vapid these exploitation films may be, they still will always carry the filmmakers' blood, sweat and tears. There will still be something personal in these films too.The screenplay for the most part works. But there are a few sloppy elements here and there like exposition through television news reels and I also thought the climactic set-piece of the film gets a little too overblown. However the mild shortcomings of the screenplay get completely outweighed by De Palma's technical mastery. We get split screens, split diopter shots, tracking shots,etc. like all other De Palma films. There is a particular scene where De Palma uses the 360 degree shot and the camera revolves in a circular motion over and over again and it brilliantly expresses the paranoia of Jack in the scene.This might be Travolta's best role of his career. He is brilliant with the nuance as well as the gradual sense of paranoia that engulfs him. He fully realises the character and endures the psychological journey that the character of Jack goes through in a convincing way. Nancy Allen is very sweet and likable as Sally, although it can be said that at times, the character becomes a bit too dumb. John Lithgow is also brilliant as the psychotic Burke.I will end this review by saying that although I made a very thematic analysis of the film, simultaneously I also have to drive home the fact that 'Blow Out' is not just a thematically poignant, but also a very entertaining and funny film. It has something for everyone. Highly recommended.

**** May contain strong spoilers ****This is a review made by StoneDraim... and that means that if you want to read a probably different kind of review, keep reading....This is my personal experience, my personal point of view/perspective and my personal opinion... and my opinion is just one of like 7 billions in this world.Wow. This movie is from 1981, and kicks off in a really scary and psychological way. You are in the seat of a murder going from window to window. The breathing from the killer is on edge and a dark thump is going through the screen in a rhythmic way... at the same time the sounds and music from the night life is breaking through. A couple is having sex, two girls are dancing, one girl is masturbating and there is movement in the hall way... and the breathing keeps on coming closer, just to end in a scene ripped off from the classic of "Psycho". Cut; to Jack Terry (John Travolta) sitting in a movie theater commenting what he just saw. Follows does the discussion between Jack and the movie director, talking about sound effects. And when the conclusion is made, cut to black background, wind is whining out with a wind shield wiper showing that this production is made by Brian De Palma. Solid performed and solid production to kick things forward. Being a movie from 1981, this is made with pure horror and fine production, starting this motion picture off like a silent rocket just waiting to explode. The bar is set high.... really high.It keeps on; about 7 minutes into this one there is class act camera production and class act camera angels squaring off into a divided screen showing news on one side, the movements of the sound editor Jack Terry working on new sound effects. I loooove this kind of movie magic. The first movie I knowingly and consciously saw by Brian De Palma was "Snake Eyes" with amongst others Nicholas Cage and Gary Sinise. Brian De Palmas way grabbed me and I have always looked forward seeing more movies from and by him. His cinematography and flicks of details is just jaw dropping. So, I dived into "Blow out" with high expectations.... no...as TOTO puts it on their album XIV from 2016; Great expectations.Even in this one Brian De Palma stays within a time frame and shows the events from different angles. It is very interesting how he and the production team has put together the accident and the events during night time several times here. "Snake Eyes" really comes to mind.Nice little touch of a recording and production detail; at one moment the sound is being recorded from outside (or so it should give the impression of). The visual is recorded through a window. The scene and lines is carried out indoor and the sound is from outside; just to cut and the sound is being up close with Sally (Nancy Allen) indoor. Brian De Palmas interest of movie productions is shining through in "Blow Out". Jack (Mr. Travolta) is making sound effects and also cuts out pictures in a magazine just to photograph them and make a little picture-to-picture type of clarification of the "car accident". Mr. De Palmas show off of in and out focus and in and out zoomings in the same cut and scene (see time 18:20) is top notch. He even delivers two twists in the end that both gives the movie a sad depth and also a clever twist for Jack to wrap his work up to. Well... do you like how different types of styles blend together speaking of sound- and movie production, and at the same time getting a full "blow(n) out" (pun intended...?) thriller, turn this 1981 classic on.Over to the movie as a product: - The production : Magnificent! Astonishing! Visuals that is excellent, camera angles and recording at its peak, sound editing within the sound editing... I could go on and on. Considered this production is made 1981, its shining! - The actors : John Travolta and John Lithgow is almost spot on. Nancy Allen... either is she plain and simple bad or is Mr. De Palma playing around with her, 'cause her acting in this one is way off; her delivery of the lines, her accent of words and her awful facial expressions during... well, during all the time. - The story : A man recording a killing, and then dwells into a detectives work to put out the true story. In the alley, a dark killer is on a hunt. The political twist is that they hire an already known serial killer... really good story! - Entertainment : All the way through.... as written earlier; I love this kind of recording, screen writing, cinematography and production. - Age : 157,8 out of 10. (The final rate is based most on my own entertainment of the movie. Short elucidation of the rating: 8 Excellent movie and a solid production 7 Well made movie. Proper entertainment.)