The Passage

...I managed to pack into a dozen scenes with the whole period of Nazi tyranny in a convincingly evil way." - Malcolm McDowell about his work in The Passage.

When I saw The Passage back in 1981, in Moscow, I had no idea that it had been a big flop in the USA where it only lasted a week upon theatrical release, that it was considered a bad movie a failure. It would be much later that I recognized very famous and talented actors who were in the film, James Matson, Anthony Quinn, Christopher Lee, and Patricia Neal. The film was directed by J. Lee Thompson, the Oscar nominated director of highly successful The Guns of Navarone (1961). By the time I was watching The Passage at the theater, I had not seen Stanley Kubrick's A Clock Work Orange or notorious Caligula, and I did not know what Malcolm McDowell was capable of as a screen villain. I did know McDowell from the Lindsay Anderson's O Lucky Man that also had been released theatrically in Moscow several years prior The Passage. O lucky Man had left a deep impression on me and huge part of it was McDowell's performance as Mick Travis, the young naive man with the most charming smile who wanted to succeed in this world. Watching McDowell in The Passage playing the psychotic obsessed Nazi chasing the family of the anti-fascist scientist across the Pyrenees I was horrified and genuinely scared. Every time he would enter the screen, I felt physically sick anticipating some horror act to follow and McDowell never disappointed. I won't argue that the movie may not be a great or even a good one but I do remember McDowell's performance all too well, and I could not forget him in the movie for 28 years. Now, after I've seen so many movies and memorable performances, I realize that McDowell was over the top and judging by his own words, he knew it very well and did it on purpose:

"I played this real nasty Nazi who was chasing these people across the Pyrenees. We all knew real early on that the movie was not going to be any great work of art and so I was determined to have some fun with it. My attitude was that if I was going to play a Nazi, I was going to take it totally over the top and do it right. I ended up playing the character like a pantomime queen. What I was doing was so far out that James Mason turned to me one day and said, 'That's wonderful dear boy, but are you in our film? You seem to be doing something different from the rest of us'..."

If after so many years, one performance in a supposedly bad movie stands out and you can't get it out of your mind, and you remember the exact day when you saw that movie, who you saw it with and how you felt, for me it means that the movie was not bad at all.

World war two flick, told thirty years later. And how did this not win any awards, with all those huge huge names in the cast? A scientist, john bergson (mason), is being hounded by a german soldier (mcdowell), who has been ordered to bring him in. So a poor spanish basque herder (quinn) is hired to bring them over the mountains to safety. So many obstacles. Earlier, i had wondered why this didn't do better at the box office; there are several very unpleasant, violent scenes, as one of the underground is tortured and maimed for information. Not to mention the burning a man alive. Mason himself noted the scenery itself was cold and snowy. And in several spots, the script is just silly. It's just okay. Too bad. With a better script, it could have been great! Directed by lee thompson. Thompson was nominated for navarone.

Okay, So this is an awful movie in the grand scheme of things - but its highly entertaining none the less, and also is quite compelling. McDowell over acts - but is watchable, Lenz is also watchable, and most of the other acting is fine too. The script lends itself to to a poor mans WW2 movie from the 60's, say a B movie - but otherwise there's good stuff along the way! This film is different, therefore worthy of a watch. A notable film score by Michael J lewis boosts it along and makes it feel 'bigger' than what it actually is. Not so bad. Watch it for entertainment value only, and you may not be too disappointed after all.

Although the cast was excellent, Anthony Quinn, as usually was very good, the story was quite predictable . I found that Malcolm McDowell was overacting and a bit silly. His uniform was the old black SS full dress parade uniform, complete with dagger and a sloppily worn Luger holster on the right side, which was hardly ever worn and replaced by the green/gray unifrom (the Luger was already outdated and most officer wore small pistols like the Walther PP & PPK). His armband was not correct. The writers seemed to think the SS were treated like royalty wherever they went and could give orders to other branches of the military, which was just not true. Had McDowell been portrayed as a Gestapo Officer in plain clothes his status might have been a bit different. Anyways, James Mason and his wife seemed a bit old to be parents of the two children, The clothing they were wearing would be totally unsuitable for a crossing like this and what about their footwear ? A very predictable story where you can always guess ahead what is going to happen. The part where Anthony Quinn (who is unarmed and yet has had access to many firearms on this journey) entices McDowell into shooting an avalanche is just ridiculous. I basically enjoyed the movie but it could been much better.

The film talks upon a Basque shepherd (Anthony Quinn) whose assignment results to be the leading a family (James Mason , Patricia Neal , Kay Lenz and Clemens) through the Pyrenees mountains (France) until Spain . But they are relentlessly pursued by an evil Nazi officer (Malcolm McDowell) .

The movie is set in Second War World when Hitler invaded France and ruled the collaborating government from Vichy under command of general Petain .

In the flick there are shocks , action , thriller , shootouts , drama and deal of violence and tortures in charge of Malcolm McDowell .

Acceptable acting with all-star-cast . Anthony Quinn and James Mason are good and give nice performances ; also Christopher Lee acting as an agreeable gypsy , changing his usual villain role .

Malcolm McDowell's interpretation is overblown , he plays as an evil , sadist , wry and murderer Gestapo officer .

The final confrontation between the starring family , the Basque and the Nazis across the snowy landscapes is breathtaking .

The flick was regularly directed by J. Lee Thompson .

The yarn will appeal to suspense , emotions enthusiasts and WWII buffs .

Rating : 5.5/10 , mediocre .