So Last week in class was another movie night, and we watched Blow-Out, directed by Brian De Palma. This thriller about a sound-man and his experience with a conspiracy was interesting to say the least. De Palma, as Donna put in lecture, is pretty gutsy and gritty in his decisions for filming this movie. Some of his better known works include Carrie and Scarface, both very embedded in pop culture today. His main influence for decisions in Blow-Out seems to be much of Hitchcock's work; some of the scenes have been compared to the Hitchcock ones of the past. The one I absolutely loved was a scene where Sally is walking into the station; you are given a view of the killer through the clear front of the building at several levels above, and when he comes into focus it almost takes your breath away. As well as having some breathtaking and suspenseful scenes, it also has some clever dialogue and great underlying themes in particular criticizing the movie business and America in general.

We discussed the ideas present in the movie that could be possible themes, like the corruptions and the cover-ups that exist in American society and the goal of filmmakers to achieve a sense of reality in their films. Filmmakers were starting to realize they had to have something the audience could easily relate to, and the realistic sounds, look, etc. played a big part in how good it looked on the big screen. At the same time, they had to cover up flaws in footage (sound-dubbing is only one example). In effect, it would be "perfectly" realistic. In the same way, this film shows how America also has the tendency to cover up its flaws and weaknesses, to maintain a good look on the surface when in fact it starts out rough, tainted, and unkempt. When the official asks Jack (main character) to pretend he never saw a thing, we also get an in-your-face view of how law officers as well as high-society types are so easily corruptible and also how they cover up things to save themselves. De Palma not only sets out to entertain us, he shows us a dirty but realistic criticism of U.S. society as it really exists, corruption and all.

This is where Jack comes in. He's a fighter for the truth in a world where people would rather not hear the ugly truth, but hear a pretty lie instead. When he believes there was more to the "freak accident" that ended a politician's life, and the fact that he recorded it on tape, it only fuels his quest for this "truth". Meanwhile, he is in obvious danger, and so is his friend Sally. This mix of suspense, thrill, and heavy meaning make for an interesting, if cheesy watch. But I heartily recommend seeing it if you ever get the chance.