Zabriskie Point (1970)

An epic portrait of late Sixties America, as seen through the portrayal of two of its children: anthropology student Daria (who's helping a property developer build a village in the Los ... See full summary »

Director:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (story), Michelangelo Antonioni (screenplay),

Stars:

Mark Frechette, Daria Halprin, Paul Fix

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mark Frechette	...	Mark
Daria Halprin	...	Daria
Paul Fix	...	Cafe Owner
G.D. Spradlin	...	Lee's Associate
Bill Garaway	...	Morty
Kathleen Cleaver	...	Kathleen
Rod Taylor	...	Lee Allen

Storyline

An epic portrait of late Sixties America, as seen through the portrayal of two of its children: anthropology student Daria (who's helping a property developer build a village in the Los Angeles desert) and dropout Mark (who's wanted by the authorities for allegedly killing a policeman during a student riot)...

---

Plot Keywords:

student | america | desert | policeman | paint | 

---

Taglines:

Zabriskie Point- How you get there depends on where you're at

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deserto de Almas

Filming Locations:

Carefree, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Trianon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 95 min (alternate)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Harrison Ford fans know that his scenes were cut from this film. However, in the jail scene, if you look real quick, you can see him standing up against the back wall, near the door.

---

Goofs

When Mark is buzzing Daria with the airplane, she at one point scrawls out some writing in the sand by the side of the road. Judging by the light and long shadows, it appears to be in late afternoon. Then we see Mark drop Daria something from the plane, which she runs to pick up. But now the light - and much shorter shadows - indicate that it is much earlier than the late afternoon of the previous shot.

---

Quotes

Mark: Would you like to go with me?
Daria: Where?
Mark: Wherever I'm going.
Daria: Are you *really* asking?
Mark: Is that your *real* answer?

---

Connections

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

---

Soundtracks

"Sugar Babe"
Performed by The Youngbloods
Courtesy RCA Victor Records

User Reviews

Philosophical And Artistic

This film has a powerful philosophical ending. But that ending has meaning only if you watch the movie from the beginning.

Youth alienation in the late 1960's, from the viewpoint of a young man and a young woman, is the obvious theme of "Zabriskie Point". Neither Mark Frechette nor Daria Halprin had much acting experience, a fact that actually enhances the film's message. Having untrained actors conveys a sense of realism, as both players seem emotionally detached from the turmoil around them.

This is not a script-driven film. Except for the first ten minutes, it is mostly visual, with stunning cinematography. The beautiful naturalistic images seem other-worldly, and perfectly in sync with the emotional detachment of Mark and Daria.

I would have replaced the thematically weak Pink Floyd music with the more cogent music of The Doors. Many scenes cry out for "Riders On The Storm".

Even so, I like this film. It's different; it's unique; it is artistic and imaginative. And the desert badlands are beautiful.

As the years go by, "Zabriskie Point" seems more and more attractive. It conveys the mood of the late 1960's in America. It is amazingly artistic, in a bohemian sort of way. And the film's last eight minutes are philosophically mesmerizing.