The Passage

During WW II a guide has to try to pass a nuclear scientist and his family over the Pyrenees into Spain but are mercilessly purseud by an SS-officer.

This sounds rather as your mainstream war movie of the week and as it stars Anthony Quinn, James Mason, Christopher Lee and directed by the seasoned Jack Lee Thompson, so what could go wrong ? Well quite a lot as it turns out. First there is the SS-officer, so over the top played by Malcom McDowell you are almost thinking its Alex from "A Clockwork Orange" in a Nazi-uniform. McDowell tortures, kills, rapes, sets people on fire, lets his own wounded men die in the snow; there is no end to his sadism. But it is quite an interesting, if not very frightening character and McDowell obviously very much enjoyed playing him. There is no doubt Quentin Tarantino has seen this film as there is even some Hans Lamda lurking there.

But what I found equally rather strange is that TP has the look and feel of some sixties war adventure movie, even the music reminded me of this (and is totally out of place with the rather horrific mood of the film). It has many an audience put off, as it only played one week in the US and did not do much better in Europe.

There existed a VHS version but no DVD for a very long time. Apparently now there is a Blu-Ray version available.

The end is also very confusing. I do remember (but it's a long time ago) from the VHS one a different ending, rather straightforward and not with the very bizarre twists in the version I caught on YouTube (HD-format). The trivia section mentions that even 3 different endings were filmed so there you go.

A very strange war movie for its time but somehow well worth a watch, if the large amount of brutalities doesn't scare you off.

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.

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 .

In "The Passage," conflicting sentiments arise as one contemplates the film's inherent flaws while recognizing peculiar elements contributing to its memorability. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the narrative unfolds with a Basque shepherd tasked with guiding a family escaping the Nazis, all while being pursued by a sadistic SS officer. The film boasts an impressive cast, including Anthony Quinn and James Mason, who deliver acceptable performances. Christopher Lee appears as an agreeable gypsy, showcasing a departure from his usual villainous roles. However, it's Malcolm McDowell who steals the spotlight with an overblown portrayal of an evil, sadistic, and wry Gestapo officer. His performance is, at times, more campy than menacing, bordering on a pantomime of a Nazi officer.

J. Lee Thompson's direction is, unfortunately, unable to elevate the film beyond its flaws. The narrative is marred by an uneven script and lackluster pacing. The attempt to create tension and suspense falls short, and certain scenes feel disconnected, making it challenging to engage with the characters and their plight.

The cinematography, while visually capturing the gloomy reality of the wartime setting, is unable to salvage the film's shortcomings. The snowy landscapes become the backdrop for the final confrontation between the pursued family, the Basque shepherd, and the Nazis, delivering a moment of breathtaking intensity.

Reflecting on Malcolm McDowell's own comments about the film, where he acknowledged the lack of artistic greatness, it becomes apparent that he intentionally took his character to an exaggerated extreme, almost like a pantomime queen. While this choice may have added a layer of entertainment, it also highlighted a discord within the ensemble cast.

"The Passage" is not without its supporters, as evidenced by reviews mentioning the film's ability to linger in one's memory. Some viewers appreciate McDowell's captivating performance, acknowledging its uniqueness even within the context of a supposedly mediocre film.

In conclusion, "The Passage" stands as a film with evident flaws, marked by inconsistent acting, pacing issues, and a narrative that struggles to maintain engagement. While it may not achieve the status of a cinematic masterpiece, it manages to leave a lasting impression, largely due to the bizarre and unforgettable performance of Malcolm McDowell. I would rate it a 5.5/10, acknowledging its mediocrity while recognizing certain aspects that make it intriguing for those interested in peculiar cinematic experiences.

...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.