DARK PASSAGE REVIEWED
“Dark Passage” is best remembered for hiding Bogart’s face for nearly the entire film. Bogart’s character has recently had major surgery to change his face, after he escaped from prison. It’s OK, as Bogart was framed for murder. Now on the lam, Bogart teams up with Bacall to clear his name. Delmar Daves is an insanely talented Noir director, but the film is structurally unsound. Bacall disappears for a chunk of the movie, Bogart is hidden and the final reveal feels like it belonged in a TV show. Comic fans will pick up on a few tidbits that Frank Miller would later reuse in his Sin City comics with Dwight. But, what about what doesn’t get used?
So much of what worked centered around the few times we got Bacall and Bogart together unfiltered. But, there’s a reason why this is considered the least of their team-ups. The film lacks any real direction and it feels like a prolonged gimmick to tell a lackluster story. Film nerds would do well to read up on Jack Warner’s angry attempts to try and “fix” the film. But, sometimes…a studio mogul moves to late. It’s a pretty average Film Noir, but the complicated history makes it that much more interesting.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Featurette
- Bugs Bunny short
- Trailer
A/V STATS
- 1.37:1 1080p transfer
- DTS-HD 2.0 mono
