If you are a fan only of movies with coherent storylines or great acting, better skip this one, because those things it ain't got. However, it does have a definite sense of the mood of 1969's American Youth (I was 17 at the time the film came out, and it seemed to me - both then and now - to be a pretty accurate reflection of what was going on way back then), a great score, some incredible cinematography, and two great-looking leads. True, Mark Frechette couldn't act worth beans, but after all, he wasn't really an actor - just an aimless guy they grabbed off the streets, who spent most of him time after this film until his death 6 years later in prison on a couple of armed robbery raps. As for Daria Halprin, she looked fantastic, was a somewhat better actor than Mark, and I can say with little fear of contradiction that this picture was probably her greatest achievement, unless you wanna count being married to Dennis Hopper for 4 years!! If you do see the film, just be prepared - it's a loooong wait in between highlights. But if you can stick with it, the justifiably famous finale is worth waiting for.
Review of Zabriskie Point
