Tuesday, May 19, 2020

ZABRISKIE POINT (1970)


Title: ZABRISKIE POINT

Year of Release: 1970

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A young man at the scene of a crime escapes, flying to Zabriskie Point, where he meets a young woman, their experience there marking a turning point for both.

Within a film history context: Films about youth disenchantment and its consequences were common in the cinema of the late 1960s and early 1970s. One of the most famous examples was Mike Nichols' THE GRADUATE (1967). Trend-setting at the time, and heralding a New Hollywood in its wake, this humorous box office blockbuster featured Dustin Hoffman as a disillusioned college graduate unsure of which direction to take in life, with an equally complicated love life. WHERE IT'S AT (1969), directed by Garson Kanin, examined a father-son relationship, and their clash of values, as the son was a college student. Arriving at the end of the 1960s, David Miller's HAIL, HERO! (1969) with Michael Douglas as a confused young man debating whether to serve in Vietnam, or join hippiedom. Seguing into the 1970s, films further explored the theme of youth disconnection in various films.

THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT (1970), directed by Stuart Hagmann, concerned a young man who becomes involved in student protests at a university. Richard Rush's GETTING STRAIGHT (1970) was about a Vietnam veteran teaching at university, and becoming enmeshed in the tense atmosphere between students and the university establishment. THE REVOLUTIONARY (1970), directed by Paul Williams, starred Jon Voight as a student who goes against his college's association, with violent results. On the other hand DRIVE, HE SAID (1971), helmed by Jack Nicholson, centred around a basketball player attending university, his strung-out best friend, and showed the difference in their personal lives. ZABRISKIE POINT shared thematic traits with these films, but, diverted from them in other ways.

ZABRISKIE POINT, as with the other films, showcased a university backdrop or associated characters, and the struggle between the university and students, or the students and the police, the police called on to restore order to these establishments. It was most similar to GETTING STRAIGHT in the treatment of its main love story, and, on a lesser level, DRIVE, HE SAID's Hector and Olive duo. While not star-crossed in nature in either film, ZABRISKIE POINTS's Mark and Daria shared a more mystical, subtle connection than Jan and Harry from GETTING STRAIGHT, whose relationship was more comical in character, symptomatic of the film as a whole. In addition to these elements, ZABRISKIE POINT contained a pointed criticism of capitalism, something the other films did not explore, with the small exception of Jan's materialism, and seeking of a suburban lifestyle, in GETTING STRAIGHT.

ZABRISKIE POINT argued that capitalism, and the accompanying consumerism, has engulfed and changed the character of life in the United States. There is a mechanization of people that the film infers, with the housing estate development showing people living lives in a robotic manner. Shades of the classic film METROPOLIS come to mind with these themes and images. The use of the desert, in contrast, is a metaphor for naturalness, and simplicity of life that cannot be found in large cities. While desolation is prevalent in the desert, its beauty and hypnotic nature cannot be doubted. For these reasons, ZABRISKIE POINT is an important film for its challenge against the status quo of life, and a thought-provoking ride for those who can appreciate what Michelangelo Antonioni attempted to say in the film.

Overview: Michelangelo Antonioni was an Italian film director who had twenty films to his credit, helming fifteen of these outright, as a co-contributor on four, and, on one in a smaller capacity. He mainly made films in the Italian language, with a few English-language movies over his fifty-four year career. Mr Antonioni's first film was CRONACA DI UN AMORE (1950) a love story starring Lucia Bose. He again did romance in LE AMICHE (1955) about a woman who assembles a fashion store, and becomes involved in intrigue. With 1960 came the arrival of probably his most famous film, L'AVVENTURA. A dreamy, mysterious motion picture, it charted a woman's disappearance, and what happens in the search for her, affecting two people close to her. Also notable was BLOWUP (1966), a fashionable Swinging Sixties film about a photographer involved in murder and mayhem. It was a definite push to more liberal screen depictions of sex and glimpses of nudity, and attracted much notoriety at the time of its release. One of Mr Antonioni's last important movies was THE PASSENGER (1975) starring Jack Nicholson. It took the elusive turn that many of his other movies wove, with a war reporter assuming another man's identity, with dangerous results. ZABRISKIE POINT, released in 1970, was one of his most striking, original films, and, like many of his others, remains in the memory for several reasons.

The film is a combination of themes and genres, but Mr Antonioni ensures that it works in his distinctive way. ZABRISKIE POINT is not only an examination of youth alienation and dissatisfaction but also, a denunciation of capitalism, and, a love story. While all of these elements would, to the casual eye, render the film as incoherent and clumsy, the director has melded these together with style. Youth dissatisfaction and confusion with the world at large permeates the film, making it the strongest part of the movie. The film opens with a discussion of the world by college students in a lecture room, their unhappiness with what is taking place in the world evident. This thread is continued by Mr Antonioni through the character of Mark, one of ZABRISKIE POINT's two main protagonists.

The audience sees Mark variously being accosted by police, fleeing the college after being indirectly involved in a crime at the college, and, in many other instances. Mark is the confused, restless energy in the movie, and becomes enarmoured of Daria, who is the film's incarnation of beauty and understanding. Whereas Mark is posited as the 'old' energy which is a remnant of late 1960s sensibilities, Daria is the 'new' energy, doing away with falsities, but with low, or no tolerance for the grossest aspects of capitalism. In a now famous scene, she unleashes her fury on the cliff top residence of her boss, an exponent of capitalism, but the director leaves this up to the audience to interpret if this event actually occurred. The inclusion of the sun at sunset in the final scenes is a wish for the world to be a better place tomorrow, and hopefully, the dawn of a new age. ZABRISKIE POINT is filled with such mysterious and cryptic scenes, Mr Antonioni preferring to leave these to the audience to ponder, and reflect upon.

The exploration of the devils of capitalism is mainly portrayed in the film via the use of imagery but also, through the character of developer Lee Allen. Mr Antonioni fills many a screen with signs and symbols of capitalism, but contrasts these with the desert scenes, with their beautiful but unending landscapes. There is the implication made by the director that while capitalism, with its sheen and gaudiness, is nothing but a smokescreen for living life in an artificial manner. This is exemplified by the director in the scene at the end where Lee Allen's house explodes, and the sky is filled with artifacts of capitalism, being clothing, food, and appliances. Lee Allen is shown as being nothing but treacherous, and undaunted, in his quest to build the perfect real estate haven in all its showiness. The director employs the desert as a retreat from these evils, a place of ruggedness and beauty unequalled in its splendor, sensuality, and calm. This is one of many parallels Mr Antonioni makes in ZABRISKIE POINT.

The love story between Mark and Daria is something which is alternately beautiful, tense, dangerous, and tragic. The actors exhibit an easy chemistry with each other which Mr Antonioni capitalizes on, and this is most palpable during the scenes where they are just walking around Zabriskie Point, talking, and exploring their most intimate thoughts. I felt, though, that the notorious, dusty orgy scene in the desert did not really serve any great purpose, and, did not progress the story of Mark and Daria's connection. It would have been more preferable to have them caught in a difficult situation, such as if a great windstorm took place, comforting each other as the performers were compatible not only physically but also, in terms of their spiritual connection. Despite this minus, ZABRISKIE POINT is one of Michelangelo Antonioni's best, most intriguing, and memorable movies, that warrants discussion and analysis.

Acting: As Mark in ZABRISKIE POINT, Mark Frechette exhibits an ease in the movie for someone who had minimal acting experience. Mr Frechette is not reliant on his handsome looks, and does a very good job, his reactions and facial expressions natural. Likewise, the same can be said for the lovely Miss Halprin in the film. For an actress with no prior acting credits, she comes across as unpretentious, and her scenes in the film are great to watch. She has a thoughtful, charming presence that resonates on screen. The combination of these actors together, though, is a special one, their interactions filled with a quiet sense of understanding between them. In comparison, the casting of Rod Taylor as Lee Allen is a good idea, but, unlike Mark and Daria, there is no access to his intimate thoughts, which makes the character rather arch and cold. The film, unfortunately, did not utilize Mr Taylor's strong personality in the proper manner here, this being the only deficiency in the acting.

Soundtrack: The movie begins with a thumping, nervy tune played out during the opening credits, which sets the stage for the film, with its contemplative mood. There are various instances of incidental musical pieces played at different intervals, with some rock songs employed, but, the most important use of music arrives at the film's end. The explosion near ZABRISKIE POINT's conclusion, with the items flying in the sky in slow motion, has an effective, blaring use of rock music, which emphasizes the cruder aspects of consumerism when placed under the microscope.

Mise-en-scene: ZABRISKIE POINT is a movie where the backgrounds and locations say much in a beautiful, and entrancing way. The use of signs which depict the rampant consumer society the film wishes to express are shown in rapid montages, filled with colour, unique in their gaudy manner. In complete contrast, the scenes in the desert are aesthetically pleasing, capturing the wonder of the exquisite landscapes, which seem unending, but are breathtaking to witness. The viewer has the feeling that they are there with the characters, so vivid are the locations presented by the director that they stay with you long after the film has ended.

Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Daria Halprin, Mark Frechette.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, male nudity, female nudity, adult themes, medium-level violence.

Overall Grade: B

Link: IMDB Page

Trailer


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