Rating: 
Summary: film noir classic with bogart and bacall
Review: this is the story of a man wrongfully imprisioned for the murder of his wife---and the woman who helps him escape from san quentin to san francisco--bogart and bacall are together again in this film noir classic thriller--the san francisco scenery and the fight scene at the golden gate bridge are definate highlights---agnes moorehead also appears and does a nice job with the character that she plays--the very irritating madge---this is probably the least known of the four films made together by bogart and bacall but a must see for their fans
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating technique, less interesting, but OK movie
Review: This is without question not Bogart and Bacall at their best, but it is a very interesting film in that a healthy portion of it is told from first person perspective. There has been so little genuine experimentation in American mainstream cinema (though you do get exceptions like Keaton's SHERLOCK JR. or CITIZEN KANE or SECONDS) that you have to celebrate it where you can. The first half of the film is told from the visual point of view of Vincent Parry, who is is voiced by Humphrey Bogart early on, and then portrayed by him from head to foot after he gets plastic surgery. This isn't terribly pure experimentation, since the first person is primarily a technique of dealing with the fact that there was no way that we would accept another actor with Humphrey Bogart's voice before the surgery. Interestingly, there was a second--and much better--film noir shot from the first person the same year as this one, although filmed at MGM instead of Warner's, LADY IN THE LAKE starring Robert Montgomery as Philip Marlowe (who Bogart had played a year before in THE BIG SLEEP). The first person is kept throughout LADY IN THE LAKE, and is used purely for technical and not practical reasons. We see Montgomery a couple of times in reflections, like in mirrors, but otherwise all the action is from his perspective.To be perfectly honest, once you get past the interesting perspective in the first half of the film, and the fascinating location shots in San Francisco (immediately after WW II, after a long travel ban resulting from gas rationing, a trend in movies was to film on location around the United States; it was as if they nation wanted to see itself on film), this isn't a top drawer film. Although I don't think Bogart was ever bad in a film (unless you count his rather bizarre Mexican bandit in THE OKLAHOMA KID), this isn't one of his best moments. The first time I saw this, all I could remember for years afterwards was the first person perspective and the location shots in San Francisco. Upon seeing it a second time, I realized why: the movie simply isn't that interesting. It is good, but merely good, and from Bogart in the forties, we usually expect and get more.
Rating:
Summary: "She was alright...just hated my guts."
Review: This is yet another great Bogart & Bacall classic and one of the best examples of film noir. The unique first-person camera view that's used for the first half of "Dark Passage" works very well for the film, unlike in the 1947 flop "Lady in the Lake", where the technique is used for the entire movie. The script is very sharp & witty, as is so typical in the classics of the film noir genre. The music by Franz Waxman is wonderful and fits into the movie perfectly. This great classic is gripping & suspenseful from beginning to end, and the plot is good enough that you learn something new each time you watch the movie! Don't worry, it's not nearly as confusing as "The Big Sleep", which I've seen at least a dozen times and still don't fully understand! And of course, the great chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall is always entertaining! The dvd version has a great picture quality and the special features include the trailer, a vintage cartoon(?!?), and a making-of documentary that's kind of dull. If you enjoy classic film noir then this dvd belongs in your collection!
Rating:
Summary: dark passage is hitchcockesque
Review: this movie is a brilliant idea with the great team of bogart and bacall. scary at that.
Rating:
Summary: Too Marvelous for Words!!
Review: This movie rocks for five reasons:
1) Lauren Bacall's apartment (which still exists in San Francisco)
2) Agnes Moorehead, who stole every movie she was in
3) The philosophizing cabbie
4) The creepy, surreal face-change operation sequence
5) It's Bogie-Bacall!!
Rating: 
Summary: Surreal Bogart
Review: This must be one of the most idiotic plots ever produced by a major American studio, and yet the acting is so good it's not only watchable but enjoyable. From the momemt escaping convict Humphrey Bogart rolls himself off the back of a truck in a garbage can at, say, 35 miles per hour and lives to tell about it, not one incident has a single shred of believability. But the Hollywood studio system could make a silk purse out of even this sow's ear. The acting, locations, production values and Delmer Daves' direction of his ludicrous script are all first rate. Which equals one of those intriguingly bad movies that sometimes are more interesting than good ones.
Rating:
Summary: Visually stunning, but too coincidental...
Review: Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart) is convicted and sentenced for murder and has now escaped the San Quentin prison. By coincidence Irene Jansen (Lauren Bacall) is in the near by hills painting landscape portraits when Vincent escapes and she decides to help him. Irene is one of the few who believed that Vincent was innocent of the murder of his wife, and this motivates her to help him. However, Vincent wants to discover who the murderer was on his own, but realizes that his face is nationally known as it has been on the front page of all the newspapers. Through the help of a taxi driver Vincent finds a plastic surgeon that gives him a new face that will help him on his quest for the truth. Dark Passage begins with interesting cinematography as it conceals Vincent's face until after the plastic surgery, which enhances the cinematic experience. But it does not save the awkward coincidental moments that drive the story forward and hurts the overall cinematic experience leaving the audience with a viewable, but gawky story.
Rating:
Summary: Visually stunning, but too coincidental...
Review: Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart) is convicted and sentenced for murder and has now escaped the San Quentin prison. By coincidence Irene Jansen (Lauren Bacall) is in the near by hills painting landscape portraits when Vincent escapes and she decides to help him. Irene is one of the few who believed that Vincent was innocent of the murder of his wife, and this motivates her to help him. However, Vincent wants to discover who the murderer was on his own, but realizes that his face is nationally known as it has been on the front page of all the newspapers. Through the help of a taxi driver Vincent finds a plastic surgeon that gives him a new face that will help him on his quest for the truth. Dark Passage begins with interesting cinematography as it conceals Vincent's face until after the plastic surgery, which enhances the cinematic experience. But it does not save the awkward coincidental moments that drive the story forward and hurts the overall cinematic experience leaving the audience with a viewable, but gawky story.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a dark Passage
Review: Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart) is imprisoned for killing his wife. Irene Jensen (Lauren Bacall) who had her father falsely imprisoned for the same thing assumes that Vincent is also falsely accused and waits for her chance to help with his escape. For quite some time we only see the world through his eyes, and never see his face. This perspective has been very effective in other movies and adds to the mystery in this movie.
Who is the guy with the circus tent upholstery in his car?
Will he prove to be innocent?
And will the man and woman strike up a relationship?
What perils lie ahead?
All right this is for all you analyzers these movies contain similar themes:
The escape scene is a classic and the barrel is used again in "Wrongfully Accused" (1998).
The first person prospective is used again in "It Came From Outer Space" (1953) where you see the world from an alien viewpoint.
(Agnes Moorhead) The orange car is close to the red hair in "Bachelor in Paradise" (1961).
The end relates to "On the Beach" (1959).
Second time through this movie, you will find your self, rooting for the good guy, want to warn him that you saw the movie before, and know what is going to happen. However, does he listen? Of course not. Nevertheless, maybe next time he will. Get out your popcorn and be aware of strangers barring chocolates.
Rating:
Summary: Mild but Enjoyable
Review: Wrongfully accused of his wife's murder, Vincent Parry escapes from prison and ventures into San Francisco in an effort to clear his name by unmasking the real killer--and in order to conceal his identity from the authorities undergoes plastic surgery. In order to carry off this plot device, the first half hour of the film is shot from the visual perspective of the character: we see what he sees. Once he undergoes surgery, however, the perspective shifts, and we discover that the surgeon has created (surprise!) Humphrey Bogart. DARK PASSAGE will never compete with the likes of THE BIG SLEEP: although interesting, the "through my eyes" cinematography of the first half hour is more successful in concept than execution and the improbable story relies largely upon the romantic chemistry of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. But even in this lightweight vehicle that chemistry remains very potent, and the film is further buttressed by the supporting cast, which includes Agnes Moorehead at her most enjoyably acid. Film noir fans will find it entertaining but mild, but Bogie and Bacall fans will have a good time.
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