Vanishing Point 1971

Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, a car delivery driver for Argo’s Car Delivery Service based in Denver, Colorado, who embarks on a gripping journey to deliver a white 1970 Dodge Challenger to San Francisco. This seemingly routine assignment soon reveals itself to be intertwined with Kowalski’s haunting past: flashbacks throughout the film suggest that he might have lost everything he cherished, leading him to this job as a desperate measure. Alternatively, he may just be the embodiment of an adrenaline junkie, craving the thrill of the chase. A decorated Vietnam veteran who has earned the Medal of Honor, Kowalski also has a history as a law enforcement officer, race car driver, and motorcycle racer. Yet the scars of his past weigh heavily on him; he was unjustly discharged from the police force after being framed during a drug bust, an act of sabotage that stemmed from his thwarting an attempt by his partner to assault a young girl. The ghost of Kowalski’s former life lingers, especially after he endured two terrifying near-fatal accidents that forced him to abandon his racing dreams. In the midst of this existential journey, he recalls his great love, Vera, portrayed in fleeting memories, first against a snowy backdrop and then by the sun-kissed California coast. Her tragic death while surfing continues to haunt him, driving Kowalski further into isolation and a sense of resignation towards death.

As the film unfolds, we are thrust into an intense scenario where Kowalski finds himself at the apex of a high-speed pursuit from the California Highway Patrol, leading to an elaborate setup involving bulldozers and a CBS News truck. The tension escalates as he reckons with his fate, ultimately leading to a defining moment, “The Challenger vanishes on Sunday at 10:02 am.” Before this climax, we delve deeper into his journey, which ignites on a fateful Friday night in Denver when he defies his supervisor’s orders for rest and opts to take on another delivery that very night. After a quick exchange with a dealer named Jake, after placing a bet concerning the speed of his journey, Kowalski speeds out of the city on a determined mission.

As morning breaks on Saturday, a pair of motorcycle officers quickly becomes a troublesome presence in Kowalski’s rearview mirror, forcing him to assert his defiance in a reckless series of maneuvers. After shaking off the officers through a trench jump, he finds himself embroiled in a relentless chase across various states, ultimately leading him into California, armed with nothing but determination and a radio tuned into KOW—an oasis of connection provided by a blind African-American DJ known as Super Soul. Through the airwaves, Super Soul rallies support for Kowalski, dubbing him “the last American hero” and encouraging him to evade capture, fostering a chorus of counterculture supporters along the way.

While Kowalski navigates numerous pitfalls, he has a gripping encounter at a remote gas station that triggers memories of his police past. Here, he recalls a painful incident where he intervened to protect a young woman from a predatory officer. Thoughts of his former life resurface when he finds a woman at the gas station who bears a striking resemblance to the girl he once saved, intensifying Kowalski’s internal struggle. The story grows more complicated as the support for him swells, intricately tied to a surprising bond he forges with a mysterious hitchhiker played by Charlotte Rampling. Their encounter, marked by a shared moment of vulnerability as she offers him marijuana, symbolizes Kowalski’s confrontation with his own mortality. Strikingly, she whispers, “I have been, waiting for him, everywhere and since forever.”

As Kowalski continues his relentless pursuit toward San Francisco, he stumbles upon several surreal moments—including the support from fellow bikers and an encounter with a snake catcher in the desert—each contributing to the narrative of a man whose past and present incessantly collide. The film highlights the societal turbulence of the ‘70s, epitomizing an era of rebellion and upheaval, as Kowalski maneuvers through both physical and metaphorical roadblocks.

The climax builds as Kowalski reaches the closing events of his fateful journey early Sunday morning in Cisco, California. This desolate town serves as a stark reminder of his relentless chase and eventual demise, culminating in a fiery explosion as he crashes into the bulldozers set up by the police. The film leaves a haunting impression, showcasing Kowalski’s tragic transformation and deftly intertwining moments of bravery, loss, and the unyielding quest for freedom. Thus, his odyssey serves as a poignant reflection on the cost of life’s pursuits, ultimately solidifying his fate in a spectacular conclusion that resonates well beyond the screen.