The Passing

This film presents two seemingly unrelated narratives...one concerning a young death-row inmate awaiting his execution, the other centering on a pair of aging war buddies who are out of step with modern times and contemplating suicide. These characters merge for a bizarre and unexpected final curtain.

Despite the observable indicators of a piggy-bank budget, this is an interesting and unusual indie project. Don't expect a marvel of special effects magic or edge-of-your-seat action...this is a quiet, meditative, and curiously spiritual film focused more on the characters than the fantastical situation at hand. As spotty as it may be in execution, THE PASSING is a poignant, thoughtful effort which demands greater regard.

6/10

The Passing is a film without a plot, an experience with seemingly no end. The viewer is just as likely to be bombarded by documentary-style footage of two old men hanging around as he is to watch the grim torture of a rapist, or the psycho-tronic sounds and weird visions of medical instruments. To be honest, I really liked this movie, but I also found it pretty boring, so I would have to watch 15 minutes a day for about a week, watching it in small doses, like reading a chapter a day of a book. But I can't say I didn't find the whole experience mesmerizing. Not having any idea what this movie was about, I first thought it was going to be about demonology, or murder. The film takes its sweet time coming to any semblance of a plot, but even this aspect of the movie isn't handled in any obvious ways, but is rather interpreted by the viewer via sounds and feelings. Never is the plot really intelligible, but never is it really uninteresting either. I don't know what else to say about this movie but that the editing was excellent, the music excellent (both the contrasting 20's and 80's music samples and the scary-as-f88ck syntheziser song that drones through the whole thing) and the two old men were great actors. I really believed for the most part that they were just two old friends hanging out, and there was some documentary team following them around (and this movie was made far before the docudrama fad became cheesy). In fact, the only thing I didn't find so interesting about this movie was the plot, which seemed a little tagged on- but oh well. It's a shame that someone associated with this movie, the editor at least, didn't go on to greater recognition.

Ernie and Rose are two elderly men sharing a home. Friends for 40 years, they bicker, laugh, reminisce and discuss death. Wade is a young man arrested on a murder charge and facing execution. One day Ernie's and Wade's paths cross, leading to an extraordinary outcome...

This is a curious film, and quite an unlikely candidate for DVD release. Released in 1983, and apparently made on a very limited budget, the print quality is poor, and much of the secondary character acting is unimpressive, yet it's not without charm and fascination. Johnson and Plaster deliver quite captivating performances as the elderly friends - their suicide attempt scene is hilarious - and the overall ensemble has a strange, almost improvised quality.

Ultimately an uneasy mix of quirky character study, cheap production values and dated sci-fi, yet it's also rather sweet.

Not the best film in the world. The lighting is poor, he acting wooden and the plot, although interesting is buried in a pile of ham-fisted direction. BUT, when you consider this film was made on a the sort of budget that would cover an assistant sparky's wages on a Tom Cruise movie using minimal equipment, by a bunch of part timers, you have to give them high marks for an ambitious effort that just manages to keep the right side of interesting from beginning to end.

Indeed there is enough art house style camera work, cleaver use of a 78 RPM soundtrack, and fairly natural dialogue to make the whole 90 minutes a worth while watch; provided you are able to over look the restrictions of the minute budget. Add in some blackly funny Stan and Ollie type moments, such as the suicide by gas cooker sequence, and the result is a film that has cult classic scrawled all over it.

Astonishing, Spiritual, Compelling and full of humor and heart. Great performances by Welton Benjamin Johnson and James Plaster. Special thanks to Gladys Vivian Johnson beloved mother and wife. The great Matriarch, mother to all children and excellent homemaker.