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Barry Newman plays Kowalski, a man who legitimately delivers
cars. When he makes a bet that he can drive from Denver to
San Francisco in under fifteen hours, he begins by committing
a speeding violation and evading a police pursuit. When news
of his exploits reaches the public through a radio D.J. called
Super Soul, he soon becomes a local hero, representing the
last free spirit of America...
The irony evident in Vanishing Point is that Kowalski
(remember the 70's series Petrocelli?) does nothing
wrong except break the speed limit, evade capture and endanger
a few dessert rats. As he crosses state borders very little
information is passed on beween police forces, so that wild
assumptions of possible robbery or murder are made.
The
fact that the D.J. is championing his cause over the airwaves
makes matters worse rather than better. However, it does bring
help from unexpected quarters, those individuals with no love
for the state troopers. Through a series of brief flashbacks
we learn that Kowalski was a decorated war veteran, a disgraced
police detective and professional motorcycle and racing car
driver. The love of his life was also drowned in a surfing
accident; all this baggage of misfortune going some way to
rationalise his pleasant but care-free attitude.
You'll
need to search hard to find a better road movie than Vanishing
Point. There are some nice camera angles and impressive
small-scale stunts, but where this films succeeds most is
in its sheer simplicity of style.
The
music, particularly in the first half, is a superb mix of
rock and country. The director knows just when to remove the
music altogether and allow us to savour the raw power of the
white super-charged Dodge Challenger.
Vanishing
Point is very much a product of its time (released in
1971), but still looks impressive today. It's truly a shame
the sound hasn't been mixed in 5.1 Dolby Surround, which would
have made this otherwise standard dvd release a force to be
reckoned with.
Ty
Power
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