Reviews of The Passenger
Displaying all 3 reviews
Tony Pauletto
14Nov09
A somberly paced thriller, at first boring but eventually contemplative. Nicholson delivers with intensity and naturalism as always. I was able to rely on his performance for information when the plot was fleeting in the artistry. This is my first experience with Antonioni and I’ve been thoroughly sold on his style and attitude. His direction is very interesting, giving way for themes and ideas to overrun the plot. The exotic locations of The Passenger are really a character in this film and were thoroughly utilized, whether it be for suspense, romance, or whatever. The simple effect of not using music is foreboding and mysterious, just as it is in No Country For Old Men. It’s a dense movie, slow going and plot heavy, and definitely deserves more than one go around.
- Currently 4.0/5 Stars.
Lindsay
28Oct09
The basic question is how to approach this film. In the first place, we know that Antonioni was meticulous about what we see on the screen. It can be assumed that most of what we see was intended to be seen. Then we have to ask: are certain things symbols. Is there a language within a language to this film. This is an issue not often addressed even in academic circles based on the commentaries that I have heard on Antonioni’s work.
Klaus Capra
24Sep09
“-Can I ask you one question now?
One you can, yes.
-Only one, always the same.
-What are you running away from?
Turn your back to the front seat.”
In The Passenger we are introduced to a rootless and exhausted journalist in a completely alienated location who gambles with a dead man’s identity and agenda, and later a nameless woman who tags along on an impressive journey with nothing but a purse. Passengers in a perpetual movement towards recreation of individual meaning and existence, but the thugs after him do not have similar ideology, and there could unfortunately never be enough space to run. I’m not sure anyone could have captured the theme of running from the flesh better than Antonioni.
The aesthetic of the film is beautifully.. still, and the story is structured around great locations. There is a strange, mellow color to this film that I absolutely love. Tovoli’s work is glorious, and the film’s famous penultimate shot really is one of the most poignant in cinema.
Nicholson said this is his favorite role. I agree.
- Currently 5.0/5 Stars.