"Profession: Reporter"

The fate of the journalist became the basis for the plot of one of the best and perhaps mysterious films of the 20th century - "Profession: Reporter" (or "Passenger") Antonioni ... The passenger, who is also a reporter, who is also an observer, played by Jack Nicholson, was stuck in the middle Saharan Africa, where local rebels fighting the terrible dictator ...






So, here is Jack (whose film name is David), who all watched, watched the war and was wound, was wound on Africa, fed up, especially his profession and wife is cheating on him in London, and indeed the whole lousy life, and he suddenly decides that it would be good to disappear, and the abyss, so to speak become fully observer and changing documents with some dude, that's so well Bucket in the middle of the Sahara ... And what do you think? This immediately leads him into the thick of things, as the dead man, as it turned out, was selling weapons to rebels thereby, so that Jack now has to dig what he had just watched ...


Now, on the trail of a runaway reporter run those to whom the deceased comrade promised weapons, agents of one power, agents of other powers, counterparties, a friend who has decided to make of it a movie, and at the same time his wife, who, having received from the Sahara things so to speak dead husband still understood He died someone wrong, and decided to warn the one who survived. In the course of fleeing from the past, Jack meets a certain student who is unclear at what, but it seems like all aware of the intrigues. Then he arrives to some goodies, again in the Sahara - and therein lies his corpse ...


And, of course, love ... starring Nicholson and Maria Schneider. Jack by then had long wanted to work with "the most influential filmmaker of Europe" and Antonioni interested in the dual nature of Jack, which naturally were combined good and evil.






The couple made the film: detached Maria Schneider (which in general is very good at the role of the imperturbable girls get up God knows that when completely innocent and unclouded facial expression) and beating inside with external calm Jack Nicholson - all unaware who he is and what he wants ... It turned out such removal During the busy life in a heartbeat feeling which only emphasizes the dull colors of the Sahara and incredibly green grass in London (Antonioni grass is always green in general).














Ironically, they found a common language. Jack was probably the only actor who has managed to find a common language with Antonioni :: "They say that I was the first actor who get along with him for 25 years. Probably because I played exactly the way he wanted it. " Much later, Jack told the reporter, who died in the Sahara - this is his best role, and the film itself - its biggest kinopriklyuchenie.





But for Maria Schneider working with Antonioni does not become, in principle, it is not surprising: the time Schneider has firmly sat on drugs, and the testimony of Nicholson, spent the whole time filming in a dream of the drug, so that at times Jack even had to support it, that it fell like a doll in the middle of the scene. It's a pity all the same, what a beautiful face ... However, we will not.












The film was a success - because it was the only thriller on the theme of depression. "Classic Antonioni - the story of the lonely, alienated characters traveling mysterious paths of self-determination - shimmering beauty and uncertainty" and stuff like that. But the real magic of the film - the ability to express Antonioni great philosophical thought one piece, frame or gesture. So, dig throwing sand stuck in the midst of the Sahara car journalist suddenly throws himself on his knees and yells: "Well, I do not care ..." - an encrypted token, which you can write a whole article ...








Antonioni and his cameraman Luciano Tovoli after this film was named best creative couple decades. Only one I can not understand why the film is called "Profession: Reporter", rather than "Occupation: Observer»?