Michelangelo Antonioni’s The Passenger (1975) — Movie Discussion

"I used to be somebody else... but I traded him in." David Locke (Jack Nicholson) is a world-weary American journalist who has been sent to cover a conflict in northern Africa, but he makes little progress with the story. When he discovers the body of a stranger who looks similar to him, Locke assumes the dead man's identity. However, he soon finds out that the man was an international arms dealer, leading Locke into dangerous situations. Aided by a beautiful woman (Maria Schneider), Locke attempts to avoid both the police and criminals out to get him, taking him on a journey through Europe and Africa.

One of the great masterpieces from director Michelangelo Antonioni, this engrossing thriller features some of his most memorable and eloquent images.

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This is a 3 part discussion series extravaganza on movies starring Jack Nicholson, hosted by Sam. Please watch the movie before each discussion. You can view The Passenger here (check settings for subtitles and to adjust quality.)

1. Wednesday December 13 – Five Easy Pieces (1970) directed by Bob Rafelson
2. Wednesday December 20 – The Passenger (1975) directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
3. Friday December 29 – Chinatown (1974) directed by Roman Polanski

Jack Nicholson is not only a top-notch actor but the choices he made are an intriguing way of getting a better handle on the "last golden age" of (New) Hollywood which lasted roughly from 1967 to 1975. 1974 is considered the peak year when Chinatown was released, and with the malignant arrival of Jaws and Star Wars shortly afterwards, the era when "movies meant something" came to a juddering halt. Or, so they say and we can go over these salty opinions in these 3 year-end tributes to a great actor and a great era ;)