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Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 7:32 am**

(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1975)
Release date: 19 March 2018
Limited Blu-ray Edition (UK Blu-ray premiere)

In one of the most acclaimed films of all time, Michelangelo Antonioni (Blow-up, Zabriskie Point) directed international star Jack Nicholson (The Last Detail, The Border, Wolf) and Maria Schneider (Last Tango in Paris) in an elliptical and fascinating thriller about alienation and lost identities. Now finally making its Blu-ray debut in the UK, this essential work from one of cinema’s most renowned and celebrated film artists is accompanied by an array of fascinating and insightful extra features.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Alternative presentation with original Italian Professione: reporter titles and credits
• Audio commentary with actor Jack Nicholson (2006)
• Audio commentary with screenwriter Mark Peploe and journalist Aurora Irvine (2006)
• New audio commentary with film historian Adrian Martin (2018)
• Jenny Runacre on ‘The Passenger' (2018, 15 mins): new interview in which the South African-born English actor recalls the film’s production
• Steven Berkoff on ‘The Passenger’ (2018, 11 mins): new interview in which the actor-writer-director remembers working with Antonioni
• Profession Reporter (1975, 5 mins): Michelangelo Antonioni discusses The
Passenger in an archival interview conducted at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival
• Antonioni on Cinema (1975, 5 mins): the acclaimed filmmaker discusses The Passenger and his philosophy of cinema
• The Final Sequence (1985, 13 mins): Antonioni analyses The Passenger’s much-celebrated climactic sequence
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Limited edition exclusive 40-page booklet with a new essay by Amy Simmons, Antonioni’s production notes, archival interviews with Antonioni and Nicholson, and film credits
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
• All extras subject to change

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 7:57 am**

DrewReiber wrote:Does anyone know in any definite sense if Warner still has the (licensed?) rights to distribute The Passenger on home video? I keep hearing that Jack Nicholson may hold the rights to the film, but I can't find anything on this subject. Thanks.

I think the rights situation is unresolved... THE PASSENGER was the only one of Antonioni's films not confirmed for the current London NFT season... The programme note said it could only be screened if Antonioni was present, which points to some difficulties or dispute ongoing...

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:18 am**

I'm sorry, the London NFT season?

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:36 am**

flixyflox wrote:Ellipsis clearly means the London Film Festival.

Ok, but aren't the domestic and foreign rights possibly two different issues?

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:08 am**

Ellipsis clearly means the London Film Festival.

No, I think he does mean the London NFT season, which has one week left to run: http://www.bfi.org.uk/showing/nft/antonioni

See the note at the end of the calendar page:

The Passenger (Professione: Reporter)
Unfortunately, Michelangelo Antonioni is not well enough to travel to London for the retrospective and we will be unable to screen The Passenger. We apologise for any disappointment caused. The Passenger is now owned by Sony Pictures Releasing, they have been doing restoration work on the film, and we hope to be able to screen it later in the year.

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 11:17 am**

Ellipsis clearly means the London Film Festival.

No I mean the London National Film Theatre Antonioni Season which is running now in June... Here is the link...

You will not find THE PASSENGER on the website... It is referred to in the 12 page printed NFT booklet "Michelangelo Antonioni: Vision - Passion Style"

It will only be possible to screen this film if Michelangelo Antonioni attends the screening. Please check the NFT website etc...

And I see Kieslowksi has posted the updated info from the NFT site...

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 2:37 pm**

Does this help anyone?

Narshty wrote:According to a flyer from the BFI, who were unable to include it in their current Antonioni retrospective at the NFT, Sony now own The Passenger and are currently undertaking some sort of restoration (probably just creating new elements).

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 3:08 pm**

Maybe this from Amazon giving clue to an upcoming limited theatrical release....

The Passenger (1975)

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Maria Schneider, et al.
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

Rated:
Opening Date:
October 21, 2005 (limited release)
April 9, 1975 (national release)

Would fit in with the latest NFT/BFI info re. Sony Classics, and would suggest a DVD release thereafter...

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 5:46 pm**

I certainly hope this is the case. I adore Antonioni, but have never seen "The Passenger."

On the recent "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" that IFC showed, there was a very short clip from "The Passenger," albeit hazy and pan/scan. The end credits said, and I paraphrase, "Courtesy of Jack Nicholson." The documentary was made in 2004, so I think we can hope that Sony has puchased it since then, and is preparing a new restoration, limited theatrical re-release, and DVD release.

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 6:22 pm**

http://www.sonyclassics.com/thepassenge ... rnate.html

Posted: **Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:02 pm**

Finally! I've got a VHS copy, but this should be a serious improvement. Very good news indeed. And, by the way, what's the deal? Is 2005 the Year of Antonioni or something? L'eclisse, Story of a Love Affair, The Passenger, Boccaccio '70 - am I missing any?

backstreetsbackalright wrote:Is 2005 the Year of Antonioni or something? L'eclisse, Story of a Love Affair, The Passenger, Boccaccio '70 - am I missing any?

Minutes later, backstreetsbackalright trembles with the realization that Antonioni did not contribute to Boccaccio '70. Clearly he was thinking of Visconti, another favorite. In a panic, he charges up the stairs - or at least he would have if not for his broken foot. Limping up stair after stair he makes it to the top where he finds, to his great relief, that no one has yet crucified him for his heinous mistake. He can breath easily again....

Posted: **Fri Jun 24, 2005 1:48 am**

You're lucky... I was just about to bust your good foot for that...

Posted: **Fri Jun 24, 2005 10:02 am**

Does this mean that the plot to knock off Jack in the vain hope that it would free up the rights is no longer required?

I best make a few phone calls.

Posted: **Fri Jun 24, 2005 1:47 pm**

N. Wilson wrote:Does this mean that the plot to knock off Jack in the vain hope that it would free up the rights is no longer required?

I best make a few phone calls.

It wouldn't have worked anyway. Jack would just have figured out a way to assume the identity of some dead guy.

Posted: **Sat Jun 25, 2005 7:59 pm**

The Passenger - SYNOPSIS

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Writer: Mark Peploe, Peter Wollen, and Michelangelo Antonioni
Original Story by: Mark Peploe
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Maria Schneider, Jenny Runacre
Language: English
Running Time: 119 minutes
Release Date: 10/28/2005

Is this the DVD release date?

Posted: **Sat Jun 25, 2005 8:06 pm**

It's most likely the date that Sony Picture Classics will use for a theatrical re-release of the film. The DVD would probably follow afterwards.

Posted: **Sun Jun 26, 2005 8:36 am**

I have always thought that the European version was 124 minutes and the U.S. version 119 minutes. I have never heard of a 139-minute version. What was cut from the 139m version?

Posted: **Sun Jun 26, 2005 9:32 am**

I have the Japanese dvd of Professione Reporter (i.e. the European cut), and it is just over 125 minutes. I don't think a 139 minutes cut was ever distributed.

Posted: **Sun Jun 26, 2005 1:11 pm**

I have a DVD-r of the Japanese DVD, which is, as Arn777 rightfully states, the 125-minute version. Letterboxed at 1.85:1, it looks beautiful.

As to which version Sony Picture Classics will be releasing, it all depends on which elements will be used. If they have had to go to Italy for prime elements, then I see no reason as to not present the 125-minute version. The 119-minute listing may simply come from a generic source like the IMDb. What is cut from the 125-minute version to yield the 119m?

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:50 pm**

If anyone is interested we recently reviewed the Region 0 Japanese disc of the longr European print and the quality is not bad

Antonioni is also our Director of the Week (for another few days)

Posted: **Thu Jul 07, 2005 11:23 pm**

I have a DVD-r of the film, which was made from the Japanese DVD. My copy has burned-in Japanese subtitles, but captures do not have the subs. Did you take cpatures of frames that do not contain subs?

It 's a great film and the transfer on the Japanese disc (which was made from the Laserdisc, apparently) is decent enough. The colors are off a bit, though; the colour scheme should be bluer in the darker scenes.

The DVD-r that I own was from Super Happy Fun.

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2005 12:04 am**

The Japanese DVD has removable Japanese subtitles.

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:07 am**

Oh, I see. I guess that the Super Happy Fun DVD is ripped from the Laserdisc, then.

Posted: **Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:52 am**

Gary's DVD-r of Zabriskie Point was made from a letterboxed VHS. I' was not aware that there ever were letterboxed VHS editions of the film. I was aware there was a very good letterboxed LD.

Be no means an excellent film, but it is interesting in places and I'd love to see a vibrant, razor-sharp anamorphic DVD transfer soon from Warner. Info regarding a new 35mm print and DVD (with a May release, which has obviously been delayed) was posted here.

We definately need more Antonioni on DVD with great transfers. If only all of his best/important films could be treated like L'Avventura and L'Eclisse by Criterion.

Posted: **Sun Jul 10, 2005 1:27 am**

flixyflox wrote:If you're in any way interested in Antonioni you have to to have this... so WHERE is the fucking Warner disc?

Probably in the same place they're keeping their transfers of Warner Independent Picture's Eye to Eye and Eros, on a shelf waiting for WHV's marketing people to get around to releasing them as part of an overall Antonioni promotion.

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49 The Passenger

49 The Passenger