Review of Vanishing Point (1971) by Jake A — 17 Sep 2016

I saw this movie (U.S. version without Charlotte Rampling) when it first came out in 1972. It was, and is, pulse-thumping road movie with, in my opinion, one of the best music tracks in history. I watched it again recently, and found it every bit as exciting as when I first saw it.

I think it is important to set the movie in its historical context; when the movie was made, the Vietnam War was causing violent schisms in U.S. society, and Kowalski's status as a disenchanted Vietnam veteran is central to the movie.

The movie does not mention Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but Kowalski shows the classic symptoms, and his suicide is part of a sadly-common phenomena. This is a classic movie; crack a beer, and crank the volume!