Classic Movie Monday: Vanishing Point

Welcome to Classic Movie Monday. Every Monday, I watch a film at least 25 years old that I have never seen before. I will then write my comments on the film, telling you what I thought of it. This is an attempt to beef up my classic film knowledge as well as highlight some forgotten gems of Hollywood's heyday. So without further ado...

Vanishing Point
Released: January 15, 1971
Directed by: Richard C. Sarafian
Starring: Barry Newman

Plot in a Nutshell:
Kowalski (Newman) makes a bet to deliver a 1970 Dodge California from Colorado to San Francisco in 15 hours. However his excessive speeding draws the attention of every police precinct on his way, and a film-length chase ensues across the desert landscape.

What I thought:
When I say this a film-length chase, I mean it. From virtually the opening frame to the final explosive conclusion, Kowalski is running from cops across four states. It makes for a hell of a car flick, but is it a good film otherwise? I have to say that while I enjoyed the chase, the surrounding elements never fully gelled into anything spectacular, or even coherent.

You already know the basics: a man has to deliver car under a deadline, cops pursue him. And that's about it. This simplicity, I found to be refreshing to see in a film. The thing I gripe about, is everything else that has nothing to do with that basic setup and plot.

Threaded throughout the story is a Blind DJ character named Super Soul. He begins as a simple blind black man doing his DJ day job, but when he picks up on the chase through police scanners, he begins to communicate with Kowalski through the radio. And not just talking to Kowalski, but actually have dialogue through the AM/M radio. Yes, I know, it is crazy. The film gives a bit of mystery to this character; he is somehow able to communicate through other means. Some of the things I have read about this flick say it is a mystical element to the character; he is a special blind DJ. I however felt it was a simple stylistic choice, and shouldn't be taken as mysticism (however odd it may be).

As Kowalski goes along on his journey, he runs into several people that help to enrich the story and his character. The snake-catching desert wanderer, an over enthusiastic chopper rider, two flamboyant robbers, and a nude female motorcyclist. Yes, it is an odd assortment of kooky characters. But they help to paint a better picture of Kowalski.

The chase stuff is fantastic. When the Challenger is zipping up and down the median, crossing lanes of oncoming traffic, with the hotly pursuing cops right behind, it does create some exhilarating moments. Apparently to achieve some of the speed in the film they under cranked the camera by 50%, basically enabling the cars to look as though they are going twice the speed they really are. It works very well as the car action is some of the best I have ever seen.

My only grip is that the story seemed to meander to the DJ character way too often. When the film began, I latched onto the simple premise. I didn't need any explanation of why this guy is delivering vehicles, I didn't need to know details, I was perfectly happy with it being a chase movie designed to make gear-heads giddy. But adding in the strange DJ character did nothing and slowed what I think could have been a fantastic piece of cult cinema. Unfortunately I think it gets weighed down by its unnecessary last reel artsyness.

Bottom Line:
A fantastic chase movie that tries to reach beyond its simple premise, and fails.

C+

And here's the film-ruining DJ:

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