Review of Vanishing Point (1971) by Alex R — 14 Dec 2012
It's supposed to be a 70s classic...
...and that popular opinion is not wrong.
This road movie is essentially one long car chase that concerns a man named Kowalski who bets that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in just 15 hours. Well, going at that kind of pace, it's not long before the law is on his tail. He does get some support along the way though, mostly from a blind DJ with almost supernatural abilities. Kowalski also meets some other colorful characters, the most notable being a lady who rides her motorcycle in the nude.
The film does have substance and character development that get peppered in throughout, but it's largely a rather sparse and existential journey that really helps capture the essence of the the period it is a part of, kinda like Easy Rider.
It doesn't have quite the same power and impact of that movie, but it does certainly leave an impact. I mean, it's kind of difficult not to give it cool points based solely on the fact that Kowalski's car is a white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T.
The performances are fine, the music is great, the stunt work is top notch, and the cinematography is stunning. All in all, this is a nice little gem you should check out, whether it's the U.S. version or the slightly longer U.K. cut.
This review of Vanishing Point (1971) was written by Alex R on 14 Dec 2012.
Vanishing Point has generally received positive reviews.
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