The Passenger

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Alistair M @FilmWatcher1961 May 31 Came across this film on late night TV. A real slow burner,in the quintessential European 70s style.Beautifully shot,with great scenery and is a great document of 70s life and times. Sure the plot was a bit vague at times but visually it's superb and performces by the cast are understated and believable. It definitely is a traveloge,Africa London Munich Barcelona and Andalusia in Spain.If you enjoy looking back at scenes from the past,this film is rewarding. I can see why some film buffs would consider it a classic.It has themes that are straight out of film school. In these days of fast paced SFX,Super Heroes,gratuitous violence etc.A slower paced film,that doesn't shove itself down your throat is refreshing. Not quite a classic,but not far off it.Well worth a watch.Final scene with the famous continous shot,alone makes it worth a watch.I can see why Nicholson saved it See more Max M. @Househuntermax May 30 No idea why this movie is rated so highly by critics and the audience. With the set up, it had the potential to be a good, tense, chase thriller. But nothing happens. Like nothing. See more Alain E @AlainE Apr 18 For me this is one of the ten best films ever made, an opinion I admit, not shared by many. It is a philosophical movie about fate and predetermination. Very well acted and photographed. A young Nicholson and Maria Schneider are spectacular. The main character finds himself in a personal and professional dead end in a remote small African hotel. The original title is Professione: Reporter and I have no idea why it was changed for the American release. The hero disillusioned with his life adopts the identity of the only other European visitor at the hotel when that person, with whom he has a physical resemblance, dies suddenly. He eventually realizes when he keeps his various appointments, that his dead neighbour was an arms dealer, who supplied weapons in vicious civil wars in Africa. Still he does not abandon his new identity and things do not end well. The conclusion occurs near the end at a famous sequential shot with the violence happening off screen. See more Giulia S @Giulia-01 Jan 23 Fotografia pazzesca! Sequenze che sembrano inseguire il soggetto tanto qaunto i personaggi inseguono il protagonista! See more Jonathan B @RT09451788 09/22/2024 Just watched this wonderful film for the first time - 50 years after it was made. Was there a soundtrack? I don't know, I was hooked on the characters, the settings and listening hard for the dialogue. I shall watch it again very soon because I found it a very enjoyable and immersive. I try to find films that are well regarded but about which I know as little as possible. I've read a few comments since viewing the film but haven't seen any reference to a possible relationship between the Maria Schneider character and the gun runners. Wasn't she in London to see whether the JN character turned up at his house? Wasn't she in Barcelona because that was where the dead man was going next? Didn't she 'deliver' JN to the gun runners? See more Blu B @RT43513976 05/16/2024 A New Hollywood Classic Drama. Despite having hardly any soundtrack at all it never really feels dry which is a testament to the strong direction. It's very arthouse style and cut from the same cloth as something like The Swimmer but it never doesn't make sense if that makes sense. Everything about it is very well done. The camerawork especially the long takes are exceptional at times and the settings are very memorable. The pacing is good but this is a very slow burn the entire way. It keeps your interest by as it goes on it keeps asking more questions in your head and you want to find out the answers as the questions keep piling up. Why did he throw away everything? Will he get caught? What is the endgame? What is in the schedule book? Why is she staying with him? It never directly answers those questions outright as instead giving suggestive ones. Anyone who knows New Hollywood style movies knows what I'm talking about. This is very much against the mundane. Even if your breaking the law, going against societies expectations, don't have a plan, that doesn't mean your a evil person. If anything it means your living. I will say this defintely isn't for everyone though as it requires a lot of patience and investment but if you stay with it, it will reward you. Anyone who is a fan of the director, any actors in this, arthouse type of plots, or New Hollywood style dramas will like this. See more Read all reviews

The Passenger

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