David Locke (Jack Nicholson) is a world-weary American journalist who has been sent to cover a conflict in northern Africa, but he makes little progress with the story. When he discovers the body of a stranger who looks similar to him, Locke assumes the dead man's identity. However, he soon finds out that the man was an arms dealer, leading Locke into dangerous situations. Aided by a beautiful woman (Maria Schneider), Locke attempts to avoid both the police and criminals out to get him.

"The preoccupation of Antonioni with identity and human observation seems very simple, yet through Nicholson and Maria Schneider he is able to create a film of great power. Despite its pedestrian pace and mundane scenes, this film excels at non-verbal communication. Only that which must be said is spoken and often left incomplete, much like life, which is ultimately the point. Both Nicholson and Schneider give nuanced performances against an aggressively invasive landscape, which encompasses Barcelona, London and Munich before finishing in Algiers". - Martin Carr

Cast:
Jack Nicholson, Maria Schneider, Jenny Runacre