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The Passenger is one of those movies that is all about the vision of the director, in this case, screen legend Michelangelo Antonioni. Starring none other than Jack Nicholson, and featuring a plot billed as an international romantic thriller, The Passenger defies expectations by turning the genre on its head, making the characters and the story secondary to theme and tone. London-based Journalist David Locke (Nicholson) is working in North Africa when a fellow traveler by the name of David Robertson, who looks remarkably like him, happens to die suddenly. Burned out and depleted, Locke decides to assume the dead man’s identity, drops everything, and starts again as a new man with a new life. With no idea of who Robertson was or what he did for a living, Locke uses Robertson’s datebook as a guide as he travels through Europe and Africa, takes meetings with people he finds out are gun runners, and ends up falling for a beautiful young woman (Maria Schneider). As Robertson, David Locke thinks he has found an exhilirating new freedom, but the fact is he's in over his head: there are people looking for him and his life could be in danger. The movie is a thriller in structure only. While designed for suspense, it’s just a premise for Antonioni to explore on themes of identity, humankind’s seemingly futile relationship to the world around us, and isolation. For Antonioni, the action is the means by which the image unfolds, and not the other way around. The actors and the plot are set pieces, simply smaller means to a larger end, and the image and atmosphere supersede all else. A slow pace, long, lingering shots, a focus on emptiness, and a detached, almost brutally objective point of view are the trademarks on full display here. Especially notable is the stunning seven-minute long shot in the final scene, one of the most famous in cinema history, which Nicholson, in his commentary, tags as an "Antonioni joke." It caps a crowning achievement by one of the big screen’s most visionary directors.

Synopsis
For decades, Michelangelo Antonio's existential drama has been nearly impossible to track down, but thanks to Sony Pictures Classics, THE PASSENGER finally gets the exposure that it deserves. In an impressively low-key performance, Jack Nicholson plays David Locke, a reporter who is researching a story in the North African desert. But when he discovers the dead body of a mysterious man he had just recently befriended, a strange compulsion overtakes him. Passing off the dead man as himself, Locke assumes the identity of Martin Knight and travels to Barcelona on a dangerous mission. Once there, he finds himself falling for a beautiful girl (Maria Schneider) as he drifts further and further away from the man he once was. It isn't long before he realises just how much danger he is in, but by that point, it might be too late to turn back. Antonio's gorgeous, haunting film incorporates elements of a traditional Hollywood thriller, only to leave them behind in search of something deeper. The result is an unsettling and daring work that casts a truly hypnotic spell. Nicholson's surprisingly downplayed performance is perfect for the role, as is Schneider's timid, beautiful presence. Featuring one of the most unforgettable closing shots in movie history, THE PASSENGER is a must-see for anyone with a serious interest in film history.

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8 Reviews 5 star:  (4) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: How films are made, 29 Jan 2007 By  Alan Tucker (Stroud, Gloucestershire Great Britain) - See all my reviews    Apart from the superb film itself there are two 'commentaries' on this disc, one a run-through of the film with Jack Nicholson talking about his view of it as a masterpiece, describing some of his experiences while making the film, with some asides about Antonioni for whom he obviously has great admiration and affection. Similarly there is another run-through with the script-writer, Mark Peploe (who also wrote the original story). Though rather hesitant and understated, this is also worth-while. For the student of film or for those of us who just love film as an art, this is an absolutely essential DVD. If the film at first seems slow and confused, stay with it, watch it again, play Nicholson's commentary. The experience will relive itself in your mind's eye with more and more understanding and pleasure.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   7 of 7 people found the following review helpful: Sublime Antonioni, 5 Sep 2006 By  Britalian "Britalian" (Italy) - See all my reviews I'd heard about this but never had the opportunity to see it before this release. It was worth the wait. The cinematography by Carlo Ponti is wonderful and brings the best out of the fantastic locations. The two leads are great: it makes a nice change seeing Nicholson underplaying it for a change - a great and subtle performance. And Maria Schnieder is very effective playing against him (Did she have breast reduction between Last Tango and this?) Full of classic Antonioni images that will be imprinted on my mind for a long time to come. Recommended.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: You need a big screen!, 17 Aug 2007 By  J. Preece (Newport, South Wales) - See all my reviews    I saw this in the cinema. I had no idea what to expect. It was fabulous. I loved every minute, and when I came out I felt I had been through a complete experience - i felt I had been in the cinema for days. That's why I can understand people who are disappointed and frustrated by it. It's made for cinema, not TV, and DVD just ain't the same. I can give it only four stars - unless you've got a private Odeon in your mansion, in which case it's five. Antonioni's films are slow, but he was the last great European filmmaker who understood the medium. In these days of push-button editing the chance for viewers to immerse themselves in long, single shots are gone, and with them the nature of the art.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 8 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews best film of the 1970s? A jaded journalist steals another man's identity & gets embroiled in arms trafficking connected to North African liberation movements. Read more Published 6 months ago by HJ