Passing Through (1977 film)
Passing Through is a 1977 American film directed by Larry Clark, co-written with Ted Lange. In 2023, it was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because it is culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
The story follows Eddie Warmack, an ex-con musician who is trying to restart his career. He hopes an elder musician, Poppa Harris, can help him, while he fights against a predatory music industry controlled by white society. Warmack killed a gang member who was white, a man who had blinded another musician named Skeeter. Maya is Warmack’s romantic partner. Warmack tries to lead a rebellion against the music establishment but can’t find allies. An assassin from the establishment kills Skeeter, and Maya photographs the murder. Warmack and his allies retaliate by attacking and killing the boss of the music industry and his associates.
Clark was part of the UCLA film program while making Passing Through, and he chose to stay with UCLA facilities to keep production affordable, so the film wasn’t his capstone project. During filming, Charles Burnett was the cameraman and Julie Dash worked as the sound technician; both would go on to direct landmark films themselves.
The score, arranged by Horace Tapscott, includes music by Eric Dolphy, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Sun Ra, plus a live performance by the Pan African Peoples Arkestra. Today the film is seen as a landmark of American independent cinema, but it is rarely shown and has not been released on home video. When Clark appeared at a 2022 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, he explained that he preferred keeping Passing Through to theatrical screenings to preserve the right format and a communal viewing experience, and he noted there was no commercial pressure to distribute it on home video since it was self-financed. Peter Lucas, who started the Jazz on Film program at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, echoed that release on physical media or streaming is unlikely. Screenings typically come from a 16mm print or a DCP from the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
Critics’ reactions at the time were mixed, but the film’s reputation has grown. The New Yorker’s Richard Brody called it one of the greatest movies about jazz and praised the opening sequence for its inventive fusion of documentary and impressionism. Jonathan Rosenbaum of The Chicago Reader called it original and thoughtful, a very special first feature with a strong sense for music. Jazz critic Gary Giddins praised the film for its innovative portrayal of Los Angeles musicians and for how the music—original pieces and classic jazz excerpts—expresses the characters’ emotions.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:53 (CET).