. i manage to pack into a dozen scene with the whole period of nazi tyranny in a convincingly evil way . malcolm mcdowell about his work in the passage . when i saw the passage back in 1981 and in moscow and i have no idea that it have be a big flop in the usa where it only last a week upon theatrical release and that it be consider a bad movie a failure . it would be much later that i recognize very famous and talented actor who be in the film and james matson and anthony quinn and christopher lee and and patricia neal . the film be direct by j. lee thompson and the oscar nominate director of highly successful the gun of navarone ( 1961 ) . by the time i be watch the passage at the theater and i have not see stanley kubrick a clock work orange or notorious caligula and and i do not know what malcolm mcdowell be capable of a a screen villain . i do know mcdowell from the lindsay anderson o lucky man that also have be release theatrically in moscow several year prior the passage . o lucky man have leave a deep impression on me and huge part of it be mcdowell performance a mick travis and the young naive man with the most charming smile who want to succeed in this world . watch mcdowell in the passage play the psychotic obsessed nazi chase the family of the anti fascist scientist across the pyrenees i be horrify and genuinely scar . every time he would enter the screen and i felt physically sick anticipate some horror act to follow and mcdowell never disappoint . i would not argue that the movie may not be a great or even a good one but i do remember mcdowell performance all too well and and i could not forget him in the movie for 28 year . now and after i have see so many movie and memorable performance and i realize that mcdowell be over the top and judging by his own word and he know it very well and do it on purpose represent i play this real nasty nazi who be chase these people across the pyrenees . we all know real early on that the movie be not go to be any great work of art and so i be determine to have some fun with it . my attitude be that if i be go to play a nazi and i be go to take it totally over the top and do it right . i end up play the character like a pantomime queen . what i be do be so far out that james mason turn to me one day and say and that wonderful dear boy and but be you in our film . you seem to be do something different from the rest of u . if after so many year and one performance in a supposedly bad movie stand out and you can not get it out of your mind and and you remember the exact day when you saw that movie and who you saw it with and how you felt and for me it mean that the movie be not bad at all .