The Passage1979

A dull, trashy WWII escape thriller elevated by Malcom McDowell’s campy performance. It’s almost like he’s playing Alex from Clockwork Orange but directed by Ken Russell.  There’s a lot of Mahler in this performance … especially under the pants. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nic Cage said McDowell’s performance in this inspired his approach on Vampire’s Kiss. In contrast, Anthony Quinn’s escape or journey scenes (however you want to describe them) could’ve been from a different movie.  You’ve got a generic score, melodramatic dialogue, and wide shots into the distance showing how much further they have to go. But, here’s the crazy part - I think the jarring tonal shifts sort of work! McDowell is like this larger than life rabid dog chasing his prey.  It’s a game to him and his campy performance reflects that.  But to the Shepard and his human cargo, this is a harrowing experience.  It’s no joke to them!  So it’s like we jump from McDowell’s shoes to the Shepards shoes scene by scene.  It’s worth watch, but be prepared to be offended at times and roll your eyes at other times.  Here’s the best way I can describe the vibe: I thought of this  idea years ago in case I get mugged.  If I’m alone at night on a dark street and a some guy pulls a gun on me, I’m going to take off all my clothes and try to hug him.  He’ll get so confused that he’s going to decide it’s not worth mugging or shooting me because I’m too much of a wild card.  That’s kinda what this movie is like.