A disaffected journalist (Jack Nicholson) covering an African insurrection trades identities with his deceased and recently befriended arms dealing roommate. As his coworkers and enemies of the deceased initiate a search and begin to uncover the truth, he takes up with a student (Maria Schneider) and begins his last excursion towards his final, accepted fate. When it comes to the torpor themed films of Michelangelo Antonioni, I think they work best when the director pulls the wool over his audience's eyes and makes them believe they are watching a purposeful, plot driven film as is the case here (and also with L'Avventura and Blow-Up), when actually we are only grasping at straws on a road to nowhere. The Passenger also boasts strong photography and a fine lead performance from Nicholson.
