When Chrysler was first approached for this film, the executive who eventually green-lighted their participation could not believe that anyone would ever watch it. "It's basically a 90 minute ad for a car," he is reputed to have said. Understatement! This 90 minute ad became such a cult hit that an attempt was made to redo it (kindly notice my selection of the word "attempt" and we will discuss the remake no more in this life). Barry Newman had proved a reliable TV actor to that point, but no one had guessed that he would infuse the character of Kowolski with such (pardon the pun) drive. Don't want to give too much away on the off chance you have not seen this film yet, but other reviewers who have opined that this film is a metaphor for the demise of America (from the freedom of the open road, to a police state, with rules and penalties for breaking those rules) may not be far off the mark. See the original, not the AHEM-NEVER-TO-DISCUSSED remake, prepare for a look at the US when freedom was more than a 7 letter world, and prepare for what may possibly be Newman's best work in his career.

VANISHING POINT is a mix of the classic car chase film and a more existential movie along the lines of EASY RIDER; the good news is that it's substantially better than EASY RIDER, and has a sheen of quality lacking in the more crowd-pleasing car flicks of the 1970s (like GONE IN 60 SECONDS and SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT).

Barry Newman, playing it understated, is the driver who's tasked with delivering a car cross country under a strict time limit. Before long, the cops are on his tail for speeding, and what follows is an intense pursuit flick with some great filming of high speed chases. VANISHING POINT is a film that's all about the visual, and it does look lovely, the director capturing the sleekness of the vehicles and by contrast the wildness of the desert locales very well.

And, of course, there's THAT ending, which is unforgettable once seen, and helps to add immeasurably to the experience. I think the story as a whole could have been a little more powerful - it's very slim, and there's barely any characterisation - but this is a classic production far above more recent Hollywood stabs at the genre (like DRIVE ANGRY).

Former stock car driver, heroic military vet, and ex-police officer Kowalski delivers cars across the country. He's driving a white Dodge Challenger to San Francisco on little rest and drugs to stay awake. He has a run-in with a couple of motorcycle cops which sets off a dragnet by Colorado State police. Blind radio DJ Super Soul (Cleavon Little) follows the chase listening to police radio.

This is only about the car chases. The characters aren't that engaging. Barry Newman needs something more. He doesn't have the darkness or the leading man charisma. The story needs tightening. Kowalski needs a consistent foil right from the start. As for the car stunts, they run off the road a lot and get plenty dusty. There is some interesting driving. They're not filmed quite at the excitement level of the iconic chase scene in its compatriot, The French Connection. One can see the evolution of the car chase but the filming style is a little static. There are a string of intriguing encounters from the snake man to the gay couple to the naked bike chick. They kept me interested despite not being that interested in the story. The chase never seems to be about anything deeper than a chase.