Zabriskie Point (1970)

Regista:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (story)
Michelangelo Antonioni (writer) ...

Data di uscita:

9 febbraio 1970 (USA)

Genere:

Drama

Plot:

An epic portrait of late Sixties America, as seen through the portrayal of two of its children: anthropology...

Plot Keywords:

Mini Skirt | Driving | Discussion | Counter Culture | Rebellion

Recensioni degli utenti:

Thirty two years has put in place a focus the film never had in 1970

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

Durata:

110 min | Spain:95 min (alternate version)

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Colore (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sonoro:

Mono

Divieti:

Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Norway:16 | Singapore:R21 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Argentina:16 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Italy:VM18 | Sweden:11 | USA:R | West Germany:16 (w) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:X (original rating) (cut)

Luoghi delle riprese:

Death Valley National Park, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Curiosità:

Michelangelo Antonioni's leftist politics made the film controversial from the start. The production was harassed by groups opposed to the movie's alleged "anti-Americanism." FBI agents tailed cast and crew members. Filming locations were besieged by right-wingers protesting an alleged scene of flag desecration, which never happened. Militant anti-establishment students worried they were being "sold out". The sheriff of Oakland, California, accused Michelangelo Antonioni of provoking the riots he had come to film. Death Valley park rangers initially refused to allow Michelangelo Antonioni to shoot at Zabriskie Point because they thought he planned to stage an orgy at the site; it was conceptualized, but never seriously considered. The U.S. Attorney's office in Sacramento opened grand jury investigations into both the film's alleged "anti-Americanism" and possible violations of the Mann Act, a 1910 law prohibiting the transportation of women across state lines "for immoral conduct, prostitution or debauchery," during the Death Valley filming. The investigation was dropped, reluctantly, when they learned that Zabriskie Point was at least 13 miles west of the California-Nevada border.

Citazioni:

[after Mark meets a girl on the street]
Fellow radical: Who was that?
Mark: A girl from my long-gone past.
Fellow radical: What's her name?
Mark: Alice - she's my sister.

Movie Connections:

Citato in Unrequited Love (2006)

Colonna sonora:

Dance of Death

Thirty two years has put in place a focus the film never had in 1970

At the time of its release, ZABRISKE POINT caused great division in film-going circles. A "wannabe classic but artless piece of empty canvas" was the view of the establishment, most critics included. To the alternative movement...a "revelation of everything that is wrong in the world today (1970)" Not too much has changed judging by the comments here, although an overall user-rating of an almost respectable 6.2 suggests an increase in the appreciation factor.

Poor old Mark Frechette and Daria Halpin as the star crossed lovers - definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time (weren't they EVERY wronged and downtrodden teenager of the period???) copped most of the flack, totally unreasonably. They were SUPPOSED to be Mr and Miss typical troubled youth, not Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara on a bender! This was an image-driven film and many flag waving americans were incensed that Italy's outre director Antonioni was given free rein to portray the angst of American youth.

Cinematically, the film was awesome. In London at the time, I saw it on its release and thought that from an objective viewpoint it was quite brilliant (admittedly, I was only 24 myself). Many have commented on its alleged self-indulgence. Yeah, well it WAS Antonioni's film - surely he was free to express his art-form in whatever way he saw fit at the time? The desert scenes have not been topped by any film since.

ZABRISKIE POINT may be shy of "masterpiece" status (mind you, who amongst is solely qualified to make THAT call?) but it is probably now, THE defining film of 70's culture. A time when acid trips, communal living, even just plain old fashioned "love" were not that easy a choice to live with!