The Passenger
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Movie Reviews of The Passenger
Movie Review: A very strong film, on the edge of brilliance
Summary: 4 Stars
More accessible and less mysterious than any of the other widely known Antonioni movies, with more of a plot in a traditional sense. Nicholson plays a disillusioned, depressed reporter who switches identity with a dead man in hopes of freeing himself from his old life. But life follows anyway, in the form of his wife and producer, who want to find out what happened to him, and the men who knew the arms dealer that Nicholson has now unwittingly become. Along the way he falls in like with Maria Schnider as a young woman who seems lost herself, and who seems to be using Jack's journey to give her own life meaning.
Nicholson is lower key than usual, and very, very good; by far the most human of all Antononi's leads. His accessibility makes the film easier and more fun than most of Antonioni's movies, but somehow there's a lack of depth and resonance of the earlier, more obtuse Antonioni films. (And still that penchant for stilted, weighty dialogue).
It's not as amazingly shot as most of the earlier films, except for a shot near the end that's one of the mot amazing 'how did they...?' shots I've ever seen.
If Schnieder could act this might well have been a truly great film, but she's so wooden, especially next to Nicholson's humanity, that the central relationship doesn't carry the weight it should (and I don't buy that it's intentional).
All in all a very worthwhile, watchable film, but frustratingly seems to just miss being a true masterpiece.
Movie Review: Antonioni style and mood
Summary: 4 Stars
I find it hard to judge this film objectively. I think it's something you either like or you don't--like sushi. I don't like sushi but I do like Antonioni, maybe for superficial reasons -- the style, the visuals, the beautiful actors, shots of exotic places. Maybe there's nothing wrong with liking a film for how it looks.
The story is quite good--better than most of A's stories. A man, tired of his life, grabs a chance to be someone else and then discovers that he can't escape himself after all. It's a good theme, worthy of exploring and A. does it masterfully. The title, The Passenger, reminded me of Camus' short novel, The Stranger. Both "heros" are basically observers, unable to connect meaningfully with life. The Stranger takes place in Northern Africa, too, and again we see a European searching for something in a culture that's very different from his own.
A young, trim Jack Nicholson is a pleasure to watch and Maria Schneider is appropriately mysterious and appealing at the Girl. She delivers her lines badly but that adds, maybe to the foreign feeling of the film.
Mostly it's a mood that Antonioni spells...it's almost as if he is a musician and you leave the theater with the tune stuck in your mind, playing over and over. Here, it's the images that stay with you...quite lovely. He tells a sad story but tells it so beautifully that it's the beauty that you're left with.
Movie Review: "People disappear every day ... "
Summary: 4 Stars
Jack Nicholson says the making of Michelangelo Antonioni's "The Passenger" was "the biggest adventure in filming I ever had in my life." That's saying plenty, and probably explains why the actor did his first solo commentary for the DVD. Nicholson clearly remains a disciple of his "Passenger" director.
The actor frets about talking over some of the master's mysterioso scenes, apologizing for "distracting" viewers. No worries -- Nicholson is great company, of course, and his memories of making "The Passenger" are rich and fairly detailed.
The restored "Passenger" made the rounds of art houses last fall. The film needs to be seen on a cinema screen but it's rewarding on DVD as well. Repeat viewings pay off as the movie reveals more of its secrets with every spin.
A second commentary track comes from screenwriter Mark Peploe ("The Sheltering Sky"), who based the tale on his experiences as a docu maker. Peploe's talk drags at times, but if you want to dig into the movie he provides a lot of detail. The journalist who shares the track just saw the film for the first time and adds nothing.
The remastered "Passenger" looks quite good for a 1970s movie, its images wear-free and mostly easy on the eyes -- a tad stringent or sun-bleached on occasion, probably by design. Images are widescreen, of course, enhanced for 16x9 monitors. The two-channel audio is good enough.
Movie Review: Why?
Summary: 4 Stars
Yes, why do I like this film? You would think that it just drags along, but no, you really get into it. It `moves' along in a mysterious, captivating manner. I could just `feel' the heat and dust in the air during certain scenes. You have to view the last scene with Jack Nicholson's commentary as he explains how it was done. It broadened my appreciation for talented directors. Just for that scene alone it was worth the purchase price.
Yes, I like this film and will continue to view it. It has a story. It is what it is, and may not appeal to everyone, though. It's an examination of someone's life and representative of what some people will do to escape from that life no matter what that entails. In the end, though, this film makes you realize that far away hills are not always as green as you think. Or maybe they are. It's just a different kind of `green' that you were always looking for...and got.
Movie Review: Worth the Wait
Summary: 4 Stars
It was fun watching a young Jack Nicholson with Maria Schneider in a performance I read was rated one of his best. It's kind of like some old Rolling Stones songs though; you have to be a fan to appreciate them. Well you have to like Jack to appreciate this one. I can't help but think that the only reason Maria Schneider got this role was because of her notariety from Last Tango In Paris. I found her performance lackluster and kept thinking there had to be many choices which would have been better than her. Heck they even had to change the premise because she could not drive; what sense did that make?
The final scene was truly amazing when you realize just what they had to do to make it and is reminiscent of the opening scene in Touch of Evil in that it broke new ground.
I especially enjoyed being able to subsequently watch the movie with Jack's commentary. That is a great feature of the DVD.