Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Passage Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 13, 2016

With 1979’s “The Passage,” director J. Lee Thompson returns to the Men on a Mission formula that served him well during 1961’s “The Guns of Navarone,” out to mastermind a cinematic take on Bruce Nicolaysen’s novel. It’s a return to a World War II landscape, this time taking the action to the Pyrenees mountains, where a story of survival is allowed time to explore numerous physical and psychological challenges. While Thompson brings a meaty, action-centric mood to the feature, he’s less certain with its dramatic capabilities, rendering “The Passage” a strange mix of indulgence and inattentiveness, with the production as a whole struggling to define its tone as the effort swings from nobility to camp without warning.

Trying to secure safe passage for Professor Bergson (James Mason), with hopes to sneak him through Nazi territory and into Spain, officials for the Allies turn to The Basque (Anthony Quinn) for help. Tasked with guiding Bergson and his family, including wife Ariel (Patricia Neal), son Paul (Paul Clemens), and daughter Leah (Kay Lenz), over the Pyrenees, The Basque reluctantly takes the job, trying to keep the group in order to sneak around Nazi rule. Out to squash the mission is Captain Von Berkow (Malcolm McDowell), a deranged Nazi looking to prove his worth to the party, hunting sympathizers such as Alain (Michael Lonsdale) and The Gypsy (Christopher Lee) as he makes his way across Europe, keeping The Basque and his special cargo on the run.

“The Passage” has the appearance of a great war film, with marvelous locations that take the action into the mountains and around local villages, providing a specialized war zone to deliver big action and towering survival sequences. Thompson certainly tries to liven up the proceedings with numerous shoot-outs and an unexpectedly high number of explosions, destroying buildings and trains with excessive pyro to secure the feature’s presence as an event movie. As compelling as the visuals are, with the Pyrenees providing an unusual maze for last act chases, “The Passage” doesn’t carry much weight, holding to a routine of confrontation and escape that quickly grows tiresome, playing into war film cliché as tensions rise with the heroes, watching The Basque struggle to maintain control of the Bergson family, who have little experience in the ways of eluding Nazis. Suspense isn’t defined to satisfaction, with Thompson more interested in blowing things up than spending a few moments on an organically charged encounter between two rounded characters.

McDowell is truly the star of the show, stomping around like a madman as Von Berkow -- an ambitious, milk-sipping Nazi with a particular interest in retrieving the professor. While the rest of the cast generally remains on Earth, maintaining tepid performances that remain respectful to Thompson’s vision, McDowell launches himself into orbit, delivering broad work that provides the film with precise villainy, extending to an especially bizarre scene where Von Berkow uses kitchen cooking time to torture Alain, pouring hot goulash over his head and threatening his fingers while chopping greens. If that display isn’t fulfilling, there’s also an uncomfortable encounter between the Nazi and Leah that involves sexual assault and a Swastika-branded jock strap. McDowell is the spark “The Passage” needs, even during his most operatic moments. It’s also difficult to ignore the character’s remarkable similarities to Hans Landa, from Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” identifying yet another cinematic influence the helmer has repurposed to fit his ongoing video-store-shelf concept of homage.

The Passage Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I'm going to trust there were good intentions with the AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Passage," with disc producers working with less than ideal elements to bring the feature to Blu-ray. It's a problematic viewing experience that favors a darker appearance, which dims delineation needs, solidifying many scenes as black figures interact with other black figures. When the frame is fully illuminated, detail is more easily accessible, with adequate textures on facial particulars and location highlights, delivering passable distances. Colors aren't explosive, but they manage intent, working with a subdued palette that communicates hardship and wintry vistas. Source is in rough shape, with constant speckling and scratches, and cinematography is all over the place (gauzy one moment, sharp the next), with a scene at the 85:00 mark showcasing a squeezed look for a moment that seems inherent to the original shoot, but there's no explanation for it.

The Passage Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix also struggles with consistency, finding dialogue exchanges thin and artificial, with the picture's crummy ADR work disrupting the aural flow of the film. Crispy extremes are common, but intelligibility isn't entirely ruined, with basic dramatic efforts followed, while McDowell's work is unmistakable. Scoring also suffers from age and condition, with its sweep muted by shrillness and a clouded instrumentation. Sound effects are more insistent, with loud gunfire and explosions, and atmospherics are thick. Hiss and pops are detected, but never distract.

The Passage Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview (29:09, HD) with Malcolm McDowell is lively chat with the actor, who's filled with anecdotes about his time on "The Passage." McDowell understandably has mixed feelings about the finished film (referring to it as "obvious fare"), admitting he took the movie because it offered employment during a lean period in British productions. However, a creative challenge was born, urging the head Nazi to go big with his performance, delighting co-star Anthony Quinn, while James Mason shared his uncertainty about the acting. The discussion also includes tales about Christopher Lee's hairpiece, Michael Lonsdale's dismissal of the cast, and the wonders of the locations, with its stunning scenery and European culture. McDowell is engaged and amusing, making the interview the highlight of the disc.

• Interview (33:20, HD) with Paul Clemens is another animated talk with a member of the cast, finding Clemens happy to share his memories of life on "The Passage" set. Being young and relatively inexperienced at the time of production, Clemens's topics are tinged with awe, recalling how he impressed Quinn with a Steve Martin impression and feared for his life while being driven around by McDowell. He also shares his excitement with stunt work, his sibling-like relationship with Kay Lenz, and his adoration for "A Clockwork Orange," with his fandom indulged in full by McDowell.

• Alternate Ending (6:19, HD) is a more hallucinatory take on the showdown climax, wisely trimmed down in the final cut.

• Two Television Spots (1:00, SD) are offered.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:27, SD) is included.

The Passage Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Passage" is on the sluggish side, in need of editorial tightening, especially when the characters pause to regroup and rethink their mission. There's a solid dramatic foundation as doubt comes into play, and a powerful scene of sacrifice adds something to final act, supplying necessary inspiration for the participants to take survival seriously. I wish there was more depth to the picture, which often stalls as it allows great actors to wallow in nonessential scenes. "The Passage" eventually settles on violence to close out the viewing experience -- a wise choice to numb the viewer, helping to erase memories of dreary scenes that fail to ignite the hunt at the heart of the feature. Sadly, bullets and bombs do little to salvage the mediocre effort, which struggles far too often with surefire elements.