The Passage (1979)

I'll put a disclaimer right at the top here that states that I do think 1979's The Passage is not a good film. It's a nasty watch, full of drawn out, sadistic situations and a bleak plot that elicits the hollow response of "why" to anyone who spends their time on it. And yet, it's interesting, if only to see the completely bonkers, untethered performance by Malcolm McDowell as a maniacally evil SS nazi officer. It's like they gave him a bunch of coke and liquor before the cameras were rolling, dressed him up in gestapo digs and set him loose on the other cast members. The story is about a German scientist (James Mason) being led across a treacherous mountain range by a rugged guide (Anthony Quinn). Hot on their heels is McDowell's Captain Von Berkow, who will stop at nothing, as well as kill, maim and intimidate everyone along the way to capture them. That's about all the plot goes for, and aside from some gorgeous Swedish locations, it's a very unpleasant affair to put yourself through, unless, like me, you're a die hard McDowell fan. His performance is something to bear witness to though, like a particularly bad car crash, so messed up and terrible that you can't take your eyes off it. Whether he's terrorizing and murdering a poor gypsy village led by Christopher Lee, shedding his uniform down to his outlandish SS issue jockstrap and raping Mason's daughter, or jovially playing chef as he chops off Michael Lonsdale's fingers with kitchen knives, he's a devilishly disgusting monster and one wonders how a performance so brash and obviously over the top slipped through the producer's net. An off putting, ugly, gratuitous flick that's worth a watch for pure morbid curiosity, and to see McDowell truly push boundaries into zones of extreme discomfort.

An insult to the intelligence of audiences worldwide and a smear upon their very souls, this film is among the true insults to the art of cinema. Disgusting in almost every way imaginable and indiscriminate in its violence and sadism, the director seems to strive desperately to terrorize his audience by filming the most unholy scenes possible. Quinn is awful but not nearly as ridiculously insane as McDowell is in what could only jokingly be called a "performance." His goofy murderer Nazi may have been intended as over the top but it is actually sewer level stupid. This is not only the very worst motion picture ever made about the Second World War. It is simply one of the worst films ever made and has nothing at all to recommend it in the very slightest. I saw this in London when it was first released and have never forgotten how really bad a film it was. Despicable, sickening, and beneath contempt. Not to mention a complete waste of time. Trash, garbage, celluloid rot, and much more.

Director J. Lee Thompson delivers a systematic, if quite unpleasant and foolish World War II action thriller with an outstanding cast lead by the hardy Anthony Quinn (who was in Thompson's "The Greek Tycoon" the year before), James Mason, Kay Lenz, Patricia Neal, Michael Lonsdale, Malcolm McDowell and Christopher Lee. Great cast indeed, although everyone looks rather uninterested with the obvious exception of McDowell itchy, overblown performance as a sadistic SS Captain. You can see he is having a ball in the role, from his delivery of the dialogues and his torturous actions. It's "Clockwork Orange" set during WW2, but even the dreary context can't hide his humorous shtick.Anthony Quinn stars as a Basque mountaineer that's hired by the resistance to guide American professor Bergson (James Mason) and his family from France over the dangerous Pyrenees ice-swept mountains into Spain. While at the same time being tracked by the dogged, cold-blooded SS officer Von Berkow.In all well-budgeted "The Passage" can be seen as an interesting failure. It wasn't the rough-and-tumble, old-school war adventure I was expecting. There's so much wrong with it, but for some reason it holds you there. Everything but the kitchen sink has been thrown into it, without any sort of care. The structure is odd, being adapted by Bruce Nicolaysen from his own novel "The Perilous Passage". Continuity seems off at times, as scenes just don't come together on this mission/on-the-run format. It should be epic, but set-pieces come across as individual moments in what are routine situations and the wonderful scenery never really comes into play. Thompson's efforts are workman-like, but indistinguishable. The pace is slow, action is half-hearted (even with its blood spurting, barbaric violence and grand explosions) and the suspense is ragged with McDowell's random craziness making it worth the buzz. From showing his excellent chopping skills when preparing a meal "Chop, Chop, Chop!" revealing his Swastiska jockstrap to Kay Lenz's character before raping her and imitating Hitler by putting a comb above his lip. The tone just feels misguided, but tame and cartoonish nowadays it was crude and uneasy at the time. You can see this being a cult- favourite and this especially could be favourable due to its very strange, tripped-out climatic ending. I was very surprised where it went because of how powerful and ghastly the execution was (face painting anyone?), but to find it actually was only a tease lessen the impact with its multiple versions. The editing was all-over-the-place, and the finale was the tip of that. Better things can be said about the camera-work, where it did flow around the action well enough demonstrating the dark, shadowy realism of the predicament. Visually it was glum."The Passage" might leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, but it's rather transfixing due to McDowell's creepy histrionics that you can't believe what you are seeing.

Not a particularly good WWII yarn, but worthwhile for Anthony Quinn's commanding performance as a bitter sheepherder who is asked by the French Resistance to smuggle scientist James Mason and family across the Pyrenees. Nazi Maclolm McDowell is on their trail. It's violent but hardly exciting with one scene of brutality after another (Mason's daughter is raped by McDowell, an uncooperative Gypsy is set afire). As good as Quinn is, Mason is given little to do. Patricia Neal has almost no dialog as his infirm wife and Kay Lenz is oddly cast as his resourceful daughter. McDowell is outrageous, acting as if he just stepped out of CABARET's Kit Kat club (as one of the dancers!) He's perks up the film, but only to propel it to campy heights. Michael Lonsdale and Christopher Lee appear in small roles. Directed, very blandly, by J. Lee Thompson, who seems to have lost any ability to mount suspense. This from the director of THE GUNS OF NAVARONE and the original CAPE FEAR?