THE PASSENGER
Italy, 1975, 119 minutes, Colour.
Jack Nicholson, Maria Schneider, Jenny Runacre, Ian Hendry, Steven Berkoff.
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.
The Passenger is an international film by Michelangelo Antonioni. Antonioni had a reputation in Italy in the 50s and 60s culminating in The Red Desert. He then moved to England and made Blow Up. In the late 60s he went to America and observed its society within the framework of his theme of man's alienation from his environment: Zabriskie Point. After this he spent some time in China making a long documentary. The Passenger is his film after his observations on China. In The Passenger he has made a film which is an impressive and valuable cinematic exploration of modern man, his identity going to pieces, his meaning lost, his search for himself and making new identity, the search for something to challenge him.
Jack Nicholson portrays excellently a T.V. journalist, the everyman observer and commentator, who moves to Africa, England, Germany, Spain, a citizen of the world kind of passenger. Antonioni asks questions about man, implying a vast hopelessness, yet suggesting that absolute pessimism is not his answer, Maria Schneider, from Last Tango in Paris, is attractive and intelligent as the co passenger. Antonioni's use of locations, colour, camera movement,(especially the already famous final seven minute take) put this film into the realm of the classic. It is almost as if the photographer from Blow-up, as well as the victim in the photographs, are incorporated. into the one character of David Locke who is photographer and chooses to become victim.
1. The significance of the title, a citizen-of-the-world passenger, the implications of a journey, destination or not, vehicle for the journey? The purposes of the journey? The Italian title of the film was 'Profession: Reporter'. Is this more suitable?
2. Comment on the film as the work of an Italian director with an Italian point of view. However, his principal star was a well-known American; he also chose a well known French actress for the lead. The international emphasis and attitudes of the film? The response drawn from an international audience? An attempt by the medium for the universality of the message?
3. Comment on the use of worldwide landscapes and countries: Africa and its desert atmosphere; England and its civilization and rather comfortable homes and studios; Germany with its busy airport and traditions as in the church; Spain as an old country where old and new meet, a place of birth and death? The interaction of all these atmospheres?
4. The impact of the structure of the film: the focus on one nun and his one life? The decision for a new life, a journey to death? Audience interest in and involvement in this structure?
5. The importance of the use of colour, atmosphere and environment, landscapes and their emptiness, full landscapes? The contrasting buildings, styles of architecture? The contrasts of old and modern, civilization and non civilization, home situations and foreign situations? An alien world?
6. The theme of man's communication with man? Man's inability to communicate? The significance of words and gestures, what they contain, what they cannot convey? Foreign languages, misunderstandings? The world of non-communication? The importance of encounter, the use of names, the fact that the girl did not have a name? Communication and the background of television, interviews and questions, tape recorders? The transience of so much communication, the strange permanence of film and recorder, even after a man's death?
7. The importance of the opening and its being set in Africa? The atmosphere of the African people, the mystery in Africa, the visualizing of the desert? Locke's curiosity and search for information? The sequences of the camels moving through the desert contrasting with the jeep; the military situation, world of revolution in the desert, revolutionaries hiding away? The contrast with David Locke and his noncommunicating with his guide, his impatience, his exasperation with his truck, the skid in the desert and his invocation of Christ? His screaming out of 'I don't care!'? Allah and the desert? His walk, the arrival at the hotel, flies, heat, his shower? The significance of the encounter with Robertson and finding him dead?
8. The background of the military coup in Africa? Its significance for the later interviews with the President, the Witch Doctor? The interweaving with Robertson's job as a gunrunner? The initial interest in the military coup, audience interest then in the various rendezvous, the information about the guns? The Embassy in London? The drawing together of the pieces for Locke's death? The interest in modern ethnic situations, the global warfare and the individual within this world?
9. The importance of his changing of identity? How did the film indicate that David Locke's identity was crumbling? what motivated his decision to change? The technique of the tape playing, the flashbacks while David Locke changed the passport, etc.? The audience's involvement in the detail of the change in personality? A transition of commitment from Locke to Robertson? Locke choosing to become Robertson in Robertson's world and the framework of his world? The significance of the conversation between Locke and Robertson: the two voices and their revelation, their comments on the desert and waiting, Locke preferring men to landscapes, Robertson the globetrotter? Their comments that men are the same and are men of conditions and habits? Locke as a run of words and images versus Robertson the man of concrete merchandise?
10. The impact of the transition to London? The television discussion, the file on David Locke? The consideration of Locke as dead? The comments on his personality and upbringing, British and American, his detachment yet powers of observation? Locke arriving within the British house landscapes? A dead man returning to his own world? The coincidence of seeing the girl in London? The contrast of the civilized world of London with that of Africa?
11. The irony of the audience watching Locke as if he were a dead man revisiting the places of his life?
12. The importance of the character of Rachel and the way the film delineated her character? The character of Martin? The significance of their relationships with David Locke? The TX. world? Rachel's lack of love for her husband; her lover; yet the effect of Locke's death and her searching for his memory? martin and the modern decision to make a television portrait? The search for the authentic interviewer? The film's use of the television material, its being edited into the narrative of the film? The various places in which we were introduced to television material and asked to think about Locke and his past and contrast it with his present? Rachel's visit during the interviews and the impact on her?
13. The content of Locke's television material? The interview with the President and his double talk? The later discussion with the Witch Doctor? His turning back the questions on to David? The mutual interview?
14. The world of Germany as a contrast with England and Africa? The busyness of the airports, the chatter with the car hire girl, Yugoslavia as a possible destination for a passenger? The sinister atmosphere, the box in Munich, the guns? The look of Munich and its old-world beauty? The significance of Locke's being at the back of the wedding, the religious symbolism? Why so much attention to marriage? The irony with Locke's flashbacks to Rachel? The symbolism of the burning and the flashback? The widow, the empty grass? The irony of examining the alms in the church? The threats? And then Locke's comment and expletive, 'Jesus Christ?
15. The contrast with Barcelona and the comparison with Germany, England and Africa? The significance of the kidnap and the torture and the revelation that this is what the Africans and the gunrunners were like? The environment of Barcelona, the language difficulties flying over the water and the symbolism of this? Barcelona and the rest of Robertson Locke’s life? The significance of the old man, the same old tragedy and the old man telling his life story? The insertion of the documentation on Africa, the picturing of the execution and showing the man being shot three times? The point of this kind of violence at this moment of the film? A preparation for an anticipation of Locke's death?
16. Locke's growing commitment to the character of Robertson? His reaction to Martin's searching for him? The irony of Rachel's going to the Embassy, the impact of receiving his clothes, giving the Government information about Robertson's location? Her desire then to go to Spain to save him?
17. The character of the girl, her beauty, intelligence, the impact on the audience as well as on Locke? Her work in architecture, presence in London, presence in Spain? The nature of their encounters, no names, friendship? The significance of her helping him, becoming his companion, the sexual relationship? The accident of their meeting on the roof? Her asking 'who are you'? His comment on people disappearing everyday? The symbolism of their driving away and looking at the past receding? Her ingenuity in getting the clothes and eluding Martin? What was Locke running away from?
18. Locke finally devoting himself to some cause, even though it was unknown? The significance of the appointments? The girl's contribution to his meeting the appointment? The atmosphere and build-up to Locke going to the appointment and Rachel wanting to rescue him?
19. The significance of so much of the end of the film being given to Locke's last day? The scenes of driving, meals, the police investigation about the car, the chase by the police, eluding the police? A growing sense of peace? The significance of Locke sending the girl away? The significance of her return? The fact that she was urging him to the appointment, which meant she was urging him to death? Was this kind of commitment better than nothing?
20. The significance of the visualizing of the piazza, the people who were there, Locke's asking who were there? The atmosphere and the music? The old man, children with bubble gum? The contrast with the room and the insect and blood on the wall? The irony of the Hotel de la Gloria?
21. The significance and symbolism and application of the story. of the blind man and the recovery of his sight and his fear of the world and death?
22. How ready was Locke for death? The dramatic significance of the seven minute take? The way that it was done by slow tracking outside the building round the piazza and back to the room? The fact that Locke was not seen? The irony of his death as not being seen by the audience? The ~significance of the girl wandering in the piazza, the people there, the arrival of the cars and the sinister noises?
23. The significance of the two women's comment on Locke's death? Rachel saying that she never knew him, the girl saying she did recognise him? The two responses to the differences in the one personality?
24. What was the audience left with at the ending? People driving away, death, sunset, the piazza remaining the same and the electric lights coming to life? The theme music?
25. The film as an allegory about modern man and his life in this world, as a passenger, destination, motivations? Identity, loss of identity and the need to search for identity?
