Zabriskie Point (1970)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

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

Release Date:

9 February 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Student | America | Policeman | Desert | Outdoor Sex

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Button	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Michael L. Davis	...	Police Lieutenant on Loudspeaker (uncredited)
Lee Duncan	...	Highway Patrolman (uncredited)
Harrison Ford	...	Airport Worker (uncredited)
Jim Goldrup	...	College Student (uncredited)
Peter Lake	...	Documentary Cameraman (uncredited)

Directed by
Michelangelo Antonioni

Writing credits
Michelangelo Antonioni		(story)
Michelangelo Antonioni		(writer) and
Franco Rossetti		(writer) (as Fred Gardner) and
Sam Shepard		(writer) and
Tonino Guerra		(writer) and
Clare Peploe		(writer)

Produced by
Carlo Ponti	....	producer
Harrison Starr	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Pink Floyd
Jerry Garcia

Cinematography by
Alfio Contini

Film Editing by
Franco Arcalli
Michelangelo Antonioni		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Dean Tavoularis

Set Decoration by
George R. Nelson		(as George Nelson)

Costume Design by
Ray Summers

Makeup Department
Joe McKinney	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Don Guest	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Rubin	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Earl McCoy	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Franco Arcalli	....	editing collaborator
Jim Benson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Don Hall	....	musical advisor

Other crew
Sally Dennison	....	production assistant
Rina Macrelli	....	assistant to director
Bonnie Prendergast	....	script supervisor
Beverly Walker	....	unit publicist

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Trianon Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MFA Filmdistribution (2000) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• New Star (2007) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1976) (Spain)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cine Audio Effects  sound effects and foley design
• Music Electronic Viva  electronic effects
• Phoenix Film Office  special thanks

Also Known As:

Zabriskie Point (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Zabriskie Point (France) [fr]
Zabriskie Point (Finland) [fi]
Zabriskie Point (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

110 min | Spain:95 min (alternate version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Death Valley National Park, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Michelangelo Antonioni's original ending was a shot of an airplane sky-writing the phrase "Fuck You, America," which was cut by MGM president Louis F. Polk along with numerous other scenes. Louis F. Polk was eventually replaced by James T. Aubrey, who had most of the cut footage restored, but without this final shot.

Quotes:

Daria: There's a thousand sides to everything - not just heroes and villains. So anyway... so anyway... so anyway... so anyway ought to be one word. Like a place or a river. "So Anyway River."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Prime (2005)

Soundtrack:

You Got the Silver

This film could never succeed, critically or with a popular audience--a great shame.

The movie presents a view of the United States that only a foreigner could have. Sadly, foreigners can't relate to it and persons from the United States cannot believe it. The movie is, therefore, caught in limbo without an audience. Reviews of the film tend to reflect this.

I have lived away from the US for 30 years and can now pretend to be able to understand what Antonioni was wanting to achieve. My view is that he has excelled. The film is a stunning indictment of the United States and, tragically, I see no remediation in the 29 years since it was first released.