Michelangelo Antonioni departed on July 30th, 2007, but left behind some of the greatest films of all time. It is better to watch his films than write about them because it is best to get into the images, such as the 1975 film “The Passenger”. The shots of the desert`s pink sand of Algiers, Jack with the turned down beach cap, blowing sand, the stranded jeep, pans the sand dunes, and an isolated village strip pass by naturally. You are lost somewhere, and then a cool blue hotel. Watched it last night and felt like I have left my body and the confines of my immediate problems. The journalist David Locke leaves his own identity and enters the personage of Robertson and a shady gunrunner for rebels in Chad. Everything is desolate, empty, isolated and the fan whirls continuously with bottles of liquor, and the tape recorder playing his conversations with Robertson. 
Jack says identity change is the central concept of the film. Body is dragged on hard tile floor…David Locke is dead…authorities alerted and wife…Maria Schneider appears, Robertson`s casual companion, Parisian movie star, long shots of Victorian mansion, mustache on Jack now. Airport with orange plastic chairs.The file of guns, old pink pane, the white carriage, garden with a cross, graveyard with flowers, church with a wedding. A fire burning old belongings…he looks around and sees the rebel organizers, the exchange and then a large bundle of money…”The second installment will be payed in Geneva.” Odd angle shots, gold ornaments, an on going documentary, the Chad government is in control, the United Liberation Front is still active. Almaria and Barcelona in Spain is where much of the picture is shot. Hotel de Gloria meet Daisy on September 5, 1972. Loses mustache Live execution real. David Robertson is being followed. He wants to get away but discovers Maria and tells her the truth. He is trailed by an old acquaintance.
Gowdy building. Winding stairs, chipped tile, totems from Jack…real events…buys a car to get away, but takes the girl. She gets luggage and car, television producer from England trails with taxi but loses her…shot of bar…shot through bar window…”What are you running away from?”…outdoor cantina, verando cigarette smoke guns and amoo…thought of Iggy Pop song…don`t know if connection…maybe not.. “Last Tango In Paris” pain killers love scene gun passport plates bathrobe woozy unsteady “Daisy seems to be a favorite… “ Nicholson owns film good commentary perfect film a work of art really a painting but using a camera cold shots lonely loses self flashbacks he disappears…London streets masterpiece takes you out a cup of coffee a walk a hotel a bum you leave and gain peace the masters leave The United Liberation Front radicals troublemakers birds eye oblique shot satchel taperecorder Forget everything that happens look into the soul but see nothing…
Plaza De La Iglesia. Sound of cars whistles oranges bridges tunnels grass orange trees wind she wants to try dust is blowing mad lonely groves dusty streets she leaves bye bye hedgerows and mountains dust pillars mosaics palms moonlight arabesque relections hotel green and rows of cypress police are following long streets and swimming pools Moors Caliphates of Arabia ruled onve harp music large cross lobby with palms chatter sounds of city double room in lobby wife in phone booth chase racing car and mountain tunnel cops stop Ammeria sneaks away lose the police out in desert car breaks down blowing weeds escape slowly clear blue skies white bungaloes bar Fatima crates roosters policia searching wife nowhere homeless Ameria to Tangiers boat lost caught story starts in North Africa…meet again? Maybe bus is coming bicycle broken down cars San Maguel all are traveling roaming nowhere? Tree blinds and white nowhere alone bugs die civilization smushed! Goat herders Hotel de la Gloria white with palms built by Italian crew for last shot…busy lone window into room Maria is there she meets david sink and lamp dusty window with bar coat rack final unction old phone colors landscapes poorer ugliness blind alone and cross the street sad…turquoise shirt trees nature what is is not she leaves again Antonioni seeks truth according to jack...
another cig bars on window old man & dog car pulls up girl in frame boy runs in frame a new car black man walks up thug girl sees thugs entering was that a gunshot? Longshot of walls bullfight music ambulance police horde of kids isolated characters wife trouble bars on bedroom sink and hotel clerk bends over jack sunset andalucia red sky magic…
Jack says identity change is the central concept of the film. Body is dragged on hard tile floor…David Locke is dead…authorities alerted and wife…Maria Schneider appears, Robertson`s casual companion, Parisian movie star, long shots of Victorian mansion, mustache on Jack now. Airport with orange plastic chairs.The file of guns, old pink pane, the white carriage, garden with a cross, graveyard with flowers, church with a wedding. A fire burning old belongings…he looks around and sees the rebel organizers, the exchange and then a large bundle of money…”The second installment will be payed in Geneva.” Odd angle shots, gold ornaments, an on going documentary, the Chad government is in control, the United Liberation Front is still active. Almaria and Barcelona in Spain is where much of the picture is shot. Hotel de Gloria meet Daisy on September 5, 1972. Loses mustache Live execution real. David Robertson is being followed. He wants to get away but discovers Maria and tells her the truth. He is trailed by an old acquaintance.
Gowdy building. Winding stairs, chipped tile, totems from Jack…real events…buys a car to get away, but takes the girl. She gets luggage and car, television producer from England trails with taxi but loses her…shot of bar…shot through bar window…”What are you running away from?”…outdoor cantina, verando cigarette smoke guns and amoo…thought of Iggy Pop song…don`t know if connection…maybe not.. “Last Tango In Paris” pain killers love scene gun passport plates bathrobe woozy unsteady “Daisy seems to be a favorite… “ Nicholson owns film good commentary perfect film a work of art really a painting but using a camera cold shots lonely loses self flashbacks he disappears…London streets masterpiece takes you out a cup of coffee a walk a hotel a bum you leave and gain peace the masters leave The United Liberation Front radicals troublemakers birds eye oblique shot satchel taperecorder Forget everything that happens look into the soul but see nothing…
Plaza De La Iglesia. Sound of cars whistles oranges bridges tunnels grass orange trees wind she wants to try dust is blowing mad lonely groves dusty streets she leaves bye bye hedgerows and mountains dust pillars mosaics palms moonlight arabesque relections hotel green and rows of cypress police are following long streets and swimming pools Moors Caliphates of Arabia ruled onve harp music large cross lobby with palms chatter sounds of city double room in lobby wife in phone booth chase racing car and mountain tunnel cops stop Ammeria sneaks away lose the police out in desert car breaks down blowing weeds escape slowly clear blue skies white bungaloes bar Fatima crates roosters policia searching wife nowhere homeless Ameria to Tangiers boat lost caught story starts in North Africa…meet again? Maybe bus is coming bicycle broken down cars San Maguel all are traveling roaming nowhere? Tree blinds and white nowhere alone bugs die civilization smushed! Goat herders Hotel de la Gloria white with palms built by Italian crew for last shot…busy lone window into room Maria is there she meets david sink and lamp dusty window with bar coat rack final unction old phone colors landscapes poorer ugliness blind alone and cross the street sad…turquoise shirt trees nature what is is not she leaves again Antonioni seeks truth according to jack...
another cig bars on window old man & dog car pulls up girl in frame boy runs in frame a new car black man walks up thug girl sees thugs entering was that a gunshot? Longshot of walls bullfight music ambulance police horde of kids isolated characters wife trouble bars on bedroom sink and hotel clerk bends over jack sunset andalucia red sky magic… 
1 comment:
Great stuff! (for a potatoe ;))
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