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best movie i've ever seen.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

After this, Antonioni's third English language film, he would make several more including Identification of a Woman (1982) and Beyond the Clouds (1995) but this was probably his last really great film. It is not as startlingly stunning throughout as some certainly are but the ending is so fantastic that it changes ones perception of the whole film. Jack Nicholson is on peak form and allows himself to be coaxed into a very laid back and effective performance which is vital in view of the crucial and central role he plays (or is that roles!?). It is a pity that Schneider came off Last Tango with such a chip on her shoulder but she does enough here to ensure that the improbable relationship is plausible enough even if we have some doubt as to who she might be. Intelligent and inspirational film making that encourages multiple viewings and although it is some time since I saw it previously I am already tempted to watch it again.

A film of such melancholy and quiet beauty, yet never boring or pretentious, and with a Jack Nicholson that shows that his range as an actor goes far beyond his more famous, over-the-top performances. Superb. 8 stars out of 10.In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:imdb.com/list/ls070242495

This is one excellent film. The modern day Jack Nicholson has become such a caricature that we forget some of his best work was done as a young man. I've never heard how he hooked up with Anonioni. The film is both lush and stark. The desert scenes are so cold and depressing. Nicholson's character comes back to the hotel after a battle with Saharan sand and finds another "reporter" dead. Coincidentally they are very close in appearance and Nicholson, who is full of angst and ennui, decides to trade places with the dead man, taking on his identity. Going rogue, he finds himself in league with some really bad people. With the help of Maria Schneider ("Last Tango in Paris"), he manages to stay ahead of both his wife (who thought he was dead) and those who would do him harm. At least for a while. The cinematography is quite astounding here. The movie makes one uncomfortable, because there is the tension that occurs when possible identification is around every corner. To me, this is quite an amazing product of one of Italy's most creative directors.

All of the trademarks of an Antonioni film are here: slow pacing, artful framing, interesting architectural backgrounds, painterly use of color, pretty women, non-linear time sequencing, and a minimal score. What is missing is the obscurity seen in previous Antonioni films such as "Eclipse" and "Red Desert." The clarity of presentation takes the film out of the category of "art film" to one that has potential appeal for more general audiences.The story is seemingly simple, but delves deeply into one man's psyche. That man is David Locke (Jack Nicholson), a war correspondent on assignment in Africa trying to report on an rebel insurgency. After being stymied in every attempt to contact the rebels, and with his Jeep stuck in the desert sands, Locke falls to the ground in despair saying "All right, I don't care." That incident, together with Locke's failing marriage, provide motivation for his seizing an opportunity to leave all behind and start over using the identity of another David (Robertson) who has died in an adjoining hotel room. This other David looks enough like Locke/Nicholson so that the identity exchange, even the substitution of passport photos, is believable. The theme of wanting to start over again is appealing--who hasn't had that desire at some point in life? Initially swapping identities infuses Locke with renewed interest in life, but ultimately he finds that he cannot shed his old self, at one point saying "The old David is hungry." Locke's relating the story of the blind man regaining his sight is wonderfully done, perfectly summarizing his own life. There are subtle observations, like Locke's wife saying that she had more interest in her husband after being informed of his death than she did when he was with her.Antonioni keeps a lid on Nicholson to great effect, he slows his speech and walk to where we respond to Nicholson as Locke rather than as Jack Nicholson. Along the way Locke takes up with a woman (Maria Schneider) whose name is never given. I found Schneider's performance here engaging, much different from her fine performance as Jeanne in "Last Tango in Paris." Outside of sharing Schneider, "The Passenger" has essential similarities to Last Tango. Both are stories of men trying to resolve an existential crisis--one man through anonymous sex, as in Last Tango, and the other through a new identity here. The emotional tone of the two movies is also remarkably similar.The DVD comes with two commentary tracks recorded in 2005. I found the commentary done by Nicholson to be the more interesting. This doesn't seem like something that Nicholson would do. I think I learned as much about Nicholson from his commentary as I did about the film--he is more serious about his acting and film in general than I have given him credit for.I found this film well worth two viewings. I think it would be hard for anyone not to watch the iconic final scenes more than once.