A naked girl on a motorcycle, car chases, a crazy DJ... How do we fit it all into one movie?

Vanishing Point is a classic ‘70s car chase movie. If you are an Automobile lover and a car chase freak, this flick is definitely for you, as it has plenty of both.

Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, a car delivery driver who's job is to deliver a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T from Denver to San Francisco. Added to that, he's made a bet that he can make the trip in 18 hours.

On the way he has a number of encounters with the police, who, (in typical bumbling movie police style), attempt to stop him. His simple cross country drive then snowballs into a massive police hunt that in turn attracts the attention of the local people and National Media.

Somewhere along the way Kowalski is transformed from loner and cop-nuisance to national celebrity and tragic hero that movie character DJ Super Soul calls, "the last beautiful free soul".

Based on true events?

According to the cult legends, this movie is supposedly based on two separate real-life events.

1. The storyline itself is said to be inspired by a young California driver who refused to stop and died after crashing into a police roadblock.

2. Throughout the movie, in a series of flashbacks, we see that Kowalski has had a number of failures in his life, but has managed to pull through them all. He was a Vietnam Vet with a medal of honor, his girlfriend drowned, and his past careers as a motorcyclist, a police officer and a stock car driver have all ended in failure. According to some, the Kowalski character was loosely based on the shattered career of a real-life San Diego police officer.

More than just a car chase movie

Vanishing Point is more than a simple car chase movie. It's a existentialist look into the psyche and ideals of the early seventies. At the time it was made, people were living in the fallout of the sixties with the lofty ideals of the individual against establishment, law and institutions. The loner, the individual, the anti-hero was very popular then, and it was a very moving thing when the hero killed himself for his cause.

Does he think he can make it?

Therein lies the allegory of this movie. Kowalski is a man who has failed before, and survived through it. In the end he has not given up on life. He honestly believes that he will make it through the road block, so he smiles as he hurtles down the final stretches of highway to his doom on the blades of two parked bulldozers. To him, that six-inch gap is enough for him to squeeze through.

As viewers, we know that when Kowalski takes off at the beginning of the movie with the Challenger that he is not going to make it. He is fated to Die.

This is clearly shown in the beginning scene when the white Challenger flies past the black Chrysler. Everything freezes, then the Challenger fades out... The scene continues with Kowalski delivering the black car to Denver.

This is Kowalski's "vanishing point". His point of no return. This will be his last ride, and we know it.

The Point?

There really isn't one, but compared to other "car chase" movies that I have seen, this one blows them away. Don't get me wrong, I'm with the next guy when I say that fast cars, guns blazing, bullets flying and lots of things blowing up are essential for an action movie, and I love them as much as the next, however, due to it's deeper message, it's easy to see how this flick obtained it's cult status.

Vanishing Point causes you to think at the same time that it is entertaining you with fantastic scenery, ground pounding speed, and interesting characters. And being a serious Mopar freak and '70 Challenger R/T owner myself, I must say the throaty sound of the Vanishing Point Challenger is simply wonderful... I seriously could listen to it all day.

Thumbs up

For me, I definitely had to see this movie after learning that a '70 Dodge Challenger R/T was one of the main characters. To me, it's the ultimate in musclecar. When I learned that the car they destroyed at the end of the movie was not a Challenger at all - but a '67 Camaro, I thought to myself, "Now I definitely have to see this movie". To top it all off, it has been recommended to me on quite a number of occasions, and I simply had to find out why it has such a cult following.

Now I know.

I would definitely recommend this movie to all of the other Mopar and speed freak/automotive wing-nuts out there. Watching this movie will definitely make you feel like hopping in your car and mashing the pedal to the floor.

Can you hear me Kowalski?


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older