Vanishing Point is a 1971 movie directed by Richard Sarafian. The movie’s high speed chase scenes, driving stunts and constant soundtrack are likely influences on Tarantino’s Death Proof.
Vanishing Point tells the story of Kowalski, a car delivery driver, who is attempting to drive a car from Colorado to San Francisco in less than 24 hours. Kowalski is pursued by police during a three-state chase. Along the way, we receive glimpses of Kowalski’s former life as both a policeman and car racer and also learn of his past relationships. Vanishing Point also features a radio DJ, Super Soul, who serves as both the narrator and a sort of spiritual advisor.
The driving, chase scenes and stunt work – along with the 1971 Dodge Challenger – were big Tarantino influences on Death Proof . Tarantino pays direct homage to Vanishing Point as Zoe Bell plays Ship’s Mast across an identical car’s hood and Stuntman Mike wears the same watch as Kowalski. Tarantino also replicates Vanishing Point’s high/low chase scenes and he captured the car’s powerful sounds.
After viewing Vanishing Point, I’m convinced Tarantino took all the cool parts he could find.
What’s left behind is a weird blend of ideas that don’t really fit.
Vanishing Point as a 1970’s car chase movie is pretty bad ass – until you pay attention to everything else that’s not the car. There’s a simple and cool plot that ultimately gets convoluted. Kowalski has to deliver a car from Colorado to San Francisco over a weekend. However, Kowalski likes speed – both in the mechanical sense and the drug – and bets his drug dealer that he can make the trip in what is essentially a half day. If we stop there and don’t ask questions, the movie is much more enjoyable.
However, Kowalski doesn’t say much. And he’s not big on emotion. He’s really not that interesting other than being a great driver. But watching him drive for 90 minutes would probably get boring – so we learn of his backstory in bursts of flashback. Kowalski was at various times a dirt bike racer, demolition derby driver and cop. We later learn that he was a Vietnam veteran and was involved with a hippie girl who died from drowning.
Yet, even after learning of his backstory, Kowalski is still painfully boring.
Normally, it wouldn’t matter if the main character of a car chase movie is uninteresting. However, the main subplot and ending to Vanishing Point insist that we both know and care about Kowalski. Otherwise, Kowalski barreling into a roadblock at 100 mph doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I suppose we’re meant to feel something for Kowalski since he becomes a sort of folk hero during the chase. However, Kowalski doesn’t stand for anything besides outrunning the highway patrol – which he does because he bet his drug dealer he could.
In making Kowalski a sympathetic hero, Vanishing Point makes an awkward attempt at being a political commentary. DJ Super Soul creates a narrative throughout the movie about Kowalski being the last “free” person, which seems to be a reflection of 1971 society. He’s being fed information on the chase via police scanners and then broadcasts it. If there is any true political statement found in the movie, I’m guessing Super Soul is the more appropriate character to deliver it. However, he’s an odd character for the story’s setting in that he’s a blind, black DJ in a dusty, desolate town filled with white people. Yet, he’s inexplicably the town’s most popular DJ.
The movie’s most intense scene comes when the radio station Super Soul works at is attacked by local police. Super Soul’s engineer is brutally beaten and the station is terrorized. It appears that Super Soul – the voice for the people – has been silenced by the authorities. However a few scenes later, Super Soul is back on the air doing his exact same thing. It’s a confusing commentary and takes away from the driving scenes.
At times, Vanishing Point wants to be of the period – it wants to be Billy Jack with a car, but has no idea how to do make that movie.
I get the sense Vanishing Point also wanted to make some statement about police and authoritarianism. Obviously, it’s a car chase movie with a guy outrunning the cops. But, we learn that Kowalski used to be a cop and that he essentially rescued a girl his partner was about to assault. Then, we see Kowalski interact with his hippie ex-girlfriend, who wonders about him busting her for smoking pot. But like the political commentary, it’s hinted at and then disappears.
But enough about what Vanishing Point isn’t. It’s a car chase movie and here’s its main star:
The BEST – The Music
In addition to being a car chase movie, political commentary and statement about the police, Vanishing Point also briefly tries to comment on religion. While Kowalski drives through the desert, he encounters an old prospector who is collecting snakes to sell to a creepy deacon who is holding a religious revival of sorts. I quickly learned I didn’t care about the prospector or deacon – but the music from Delaney Bonnie and Friends is spectacular in this scene. The movie’s closing with Kim Carnes is also excellent.
Again, none of the music fits what’s going on in the movie – but whatever.
The BEST Part 2 – The ex-Cop Fooling the Cops by Pretending to be a Cop
The movie gets weirdly fun when Kowalski enters California. Kowalski is helped by Angel, an ingenuitive hippie who rigs a tiny motorbike and siren to his car. The cops hear the siren and scramble to clear the blockade – which clearly makes no sense, but again – whatever.
The WORST – Super Soul’s Engineer Needs a New Job
We learn that Super Soul is a bit of a diva – he needs his space to think and he’s kind of a dick to his engineer. But when Super Soul goes too far in the eyes of the cops, it is his engineer (John Amos!) that gets pummeled and possibly beaten to death. Super Soul is back at work a day later and he’s already found a replacement for his engineer.
The WORST Part 2 – The Overly Defensive Hitchhiker Robbers
In a really strange movie that tries to do way too much, this scene is by far the oddest fit. During his three-state chase, Kowalski decides to pick up a pair of stranded drivers – who were evidently just married. The best line of the movie is uttered here, as the male couple are instantly offended by Kowalski’s lack of personality: “you’re so moody and silent.” A moment later, they’re defensive about their sexual orientation, before trying to “stick him up.” It’s a weird scene that doesn’t fit and makes no sense – but at least someone finally called out Kowalski on his shit.
The WORST Part 3 – I Guess We Have to Talk About The Meaning of the Title
There’s probably some deeper meaning to be found here. But again, Kowalski is so freaking boring, I don’t think it matters. The real “vanishing point” is when this movie pretends it’s not a car chase movie.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 2.5/5
There are some great car chase sequences and stunt work in Vanishing Point. Also, I loved the 70’s look, sounds and music. It’s fun if you ignore everything else.
