49 The Passenger

[Matango]

I was in a Malaysian hotel once, about 20 years ago, watching The Buddy Holly Story in the TV lounge while waiting for my ride to the airport. The ride came and I flew via Bangkok, Dhaka, and some other places in the Middle East to London. Went from the airport to my home, walked into the living room, and my brother was watching The Buddy Holly Story on TV. I imagine that's a coincidence-level that would never make it to the screen.

Just as an aside, why does no-one ever seem to discuss the probable African snuff-tape scene in The Passenger? Are sliding window bars really that much more engaging than a live execution?

[oh yeah]

This is a film that I can't get out of my mind. I think it's those gorgeous sun-baked Chad/Barcelona/Andalusia locations juxtaposed with the existential dead-ness of it all, the sense of a life winding down and approaching its end slowly but very surely... (the picture doesn't have much in the way of traditional suspense, I suppose, but there is an undeniable pull on the viewer in its last 30-40 or so mins)

The cumulative effect of the film is so powerful, the technical aspects so fascinating (Antonioni never before used the camera in such a free, 'objective' manner as he does here) that I can totally forgive some of Maria Schneider's less-than-stellar line deliveries. Anyway, her performance, flawed as it might be, is a lot more interesting than a more polished one would have been.

Of course the penultimate shot is unforgettable, but I also especially love the very last one, which the end credits play over [seen just a bit upthread]... it's an unspeakably beautiful image, and I think further drives home the feeling of 'life goes on', gives off a kind of cosmic detachment which I find hard to articulate. Anyway, as is evident, I find much hard to articulate about this beguiling, haunting, haunting film. Oh well.

[hasnamus]

Any help would be very appreciated. Does anybody know the artist and title of the song in the last credits shot?

I've searched everywhere and can't say I was successful. Thanx!

[kinjitsu]

Any help would be very appreciated. Does anybody know the artist and title of the song in the last credits shot?

The song is Canco de Lladre (Song of the Thief), a Catalan folksong arranged for guitar by Spanish composer Miguel Llobet (1878-1938). No idea about guitarist.

[hasnamus]

The song is Canco de Lladre (Song of the Thief), a Catalan folksong arranged for guitar by Spanish composer Miguel Llobet (1878-1938). No idea about guitarist.

Mille Grazie!

[George Drooly]

As far as I can tell, this is the only available Blu of this film:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/El-Report ... ay/110051/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's well priced, but the Amazon reviews regarding picture quality are very harsh. Anyone have this disc? Or know if it (and Zabriskie) is EVER getting a US release

[Pepsi]

From Blu-ray.com:

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p (upconverted)

You probably get the same image upscaling your DVD with your Blu-ray player!

[George Drooly]

Thanks, sounds like I'll be waiting

[feihong]

I bought the disc. It is not worth it. The dvd legitimately looks better.

[ellipsis7]

As far as I can tell, this is the only available Blu of this film:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/El-Report ... ay/110051/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's well priced, but the Amazon reviews regarding picture quality are very harsh. Anyone have this disc? Or know if it (and Zabriskie) is EVER getting a US release

One lives in hope that ZABRISKIE POINT is included in the Criterion deal with Warner Bros, certainly there was a lovely new HD resto DCP when it was rereleased theatrically hereabouts in 2014... THE PASSENGER is a different kettle of fish, the current DVD coming from Sony after several years in limbo when the rights were owned by Jack Nicholson...

[Randall Maysin]

I suppose it's a shame that Indicator couldn't or wouldn't replace or re-do the Nicholson and screenwriter commentaries on The Passenger? I've heard they're not very good at all.

[Big Ben]

The Passenger? That's pretty amazing. I've been waiting to see that on Blu for a long time and with extras to boot. I think Nicholson himself owns the rights though? MGM gave them to him in exchange for something if I'm remembering correctly. Or am I mistaken?

[Pepsi]

THE PASSENGER

There's listed a third commentary: Audio commentary with film historian Adrian Martin.
Also it's now Limited Edition of 5,000 copies, instead of 3,000 earlier. So someone other than I, have also pre-ordered this.

[domino harvey]

I was already getting it, but hooray for Indicator enlisting the new King of Commentaries!

[Rayon Vert]

So someone other than I, have also pre-ordered this.

That was me.

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

Any info on the Passenger "remaster"?

I'd say this is definitely an upper-tier Antonioni title. I have been waiting for this for so long; the R2UK Sony dvd that I own is very outdated, badly compressed and interlaced. I actually tried giving it a spin last year, but my Oppo couldn't manage upscaling it to look just somewhat passable, so I am looking forward to finally being able to revisit the film again. I have been lucky to see it on 35mm, and that closing shot, one of the best ones ever, I just don't want to see it in crappy dvd resolution. Given Indicator's history, this should look great, even though it will be sourced from an older master, but it would be nice to have some kind of confirmation. Definitely not sitting on my hands waiting for Criterion to release it.

[MichaelB]

On the basis of what I've seen so far - and I understand the final encode will advance on this - I reckon people are going to be pleasantly surprised.

Some people have been spooked by the Spanish BD looking so terrible, but in no way does that reflect what Sony's master actually looks like. And Powerhouse's encoding policy, in line with pretty much everything that David Mackenzie works on, is to give the main feature maximum room to breathe while compressing the extras much more (especially modern talking-heads pieces shot against static backgrounds). Handily, in this particular case three of the major extras are commentaries so don't take up much additional disc space at all.

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

Thanks for the update, Michael. Sounds promising indeed. I have 8 Indicator-titles, all them great, Criterion-level releases. The only reason why I don't have more is that too many of the films themselves aren't quite up to scratch/not my cup of tea, but I'm sure that this Passenger release will become an instant favorite of mine.

[Apperson]

Caps-a-holic on The Passenger.

[Pepsi]

It' sure much sharper than the DVD, but I have a feeling that the color timing is made for tube television. Too bright, bad black levels, and an overall dull / flat feeling. In those days they made low contrasted copies for transfering the film for TV use.

Let's see it in motion when I get it in a few weeks. Still happy to have it.

[Drucker]

I re-watched the film right before this announcement and wasn't too into it, but good god I think it looks amazing, and comparable to the texture of the last few 1970s films I've seen theatrically in 35mm over the last few months. Though the upgrade is seemingly less pronounced than major restorations, I think it makes a huge difference.

[Craig Wallace]

There is a scene in the 1982 MGM/UA vhs video of Antonioni's The Passenger that is missing from the Sony DVD and Indicator's blu-ray. The video is missing much of David Locke's visit to his home in London and the scene at the lemon grove in Spain. However, it does include a scene in which Locke asks passers-by on a street in Barcelona if they can identify the whereabouts of the places "Parque Comunal" and "Umbraculo" that are noted in Robertson's diary.

[M Sanderson]

Opinion on the transfer seems to range from looking amazing, to looking OK. To me, it looks like a strong encode of a dated master. I feel there are definitely more nuances to be teased out. Light and shade seemed a tad murky - like watching through sunglasses. An essential film, and obviously for it to look better, a fresh scan is needed.

[tenia]

It definitely is an older master, though it's not one of the bad ones. I've seen better in terms of older masters, but this one stille is serviceable. Still, it's clearly open to improvement, and a new restoration would certainly gives the movie a more organic aspect.

[_shadow_]

A new restoration would undoubtedly take those white tables right down into the yellow-green zone that we are being asked to understand was the true look of all movies back then, along with flattened contrast and blues moving to teal...