A swash plate compressor capable of realizing an excellent sliding characteristic when a drive shaft is rotated at high speed, and a high refrigerating capacity when the drive shaft is rotated at low speed, has a release passage for communication between a crank chamber and a suction chamber. The release passage includes a first passage communicated to an oil rich region, in the crank chamber, and a second passage communicated to an oil poor region, in which lubricating oil is small in quantity, in the crank chamber. A valve mechanism that increases an opening ratio of the first passage with respect to the release passage, as a rotational speed of a drive shaft increases, and increases an opening ratio of the second passage with respect to the release passage, as the rotational speed of the drive shaft decreases.