WarActionThriller

The Passage

- An ice-swept escape route in front of them. A cold-blooded killer behind them. The only way out is up.

During WW 2, a Basque shepherd is approached by the underground, who wants him to lead a scientist and his family across the Pyrenees. While being pursued by a sadistic German.

Release Date : 1979-03-09

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : HemdalePassage FilmsMonday Films

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : The Basque

Original Name : Anthony Quinn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Professor Bergson

Original Name : James Mason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Von Berkow

Original Name : Malcolm McDowell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Bergson

Original Name : Patricia Neal

Gender : Female

Character Name : Leah Bergson

Original Name : Kay Lenz

Gender : Female

Character Name : Paul Bergson

Original Name : Paul Clemens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gypsy

Original Name : Christopher Lee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Renoudot

Original Name : Michael Lonsdale

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gypsy Son

Original Name : Robert Rhys

Gender : Male

Character Name : Perea

Original Name : Marcel Bozzuffi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Guide

Original Name : Peter Arne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lt. Reinke

Original Name : Neville Jason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Major

Original Name : Robert Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Madame Alba

Original Name : Rose Alba

Gender : Female

Character Name : German Soldier

Original Name : Jim Broadbent

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Major

Original Name : Frederick Jaeger

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-06-05

Malcom McDowall manages to portray the epitome of Nazi SS nastiness in this story with a worryingly natural aplomb! He is leading a party pursuing James Mason ("Prof. Bergson") who, alongside his family, is being smuggled from France into Spain by the wily shepherd Anthony Quinn. Their journey is fraught with danger as they must cross the inhospitable terrain of the Pyrenee mountains with snow up to their thighs - whilst McDowall ("Capt. Von Berkow") uses just about every brutal technique in the book to strike fear into everyone who has seen/helped them as he tries to apprehend the professor. The production standards are a bit on the low side (not that the cold and variable light quality could have been of much help); the dialogue is badly captured with a poor audio mix and although there are certainly some horrific scenes - the end of Christopher Lee's brief contribution comes to mind - it's is all just a bit on the procedural side. Quinn portrays the cantankerous, brave, Basque very much it style of many of his previous roles - he sort of grunts his way though the thing with little by way of engagement with us, the audience, and the ending goes from thrilling to silly in a matter of a few frames!. The photography is splendid, and the story has a taut pace to it - it just isn't very good.