Director:
Michelangelo AntonioniCámara:
Alfio ContiniReparto:
Marc Frechette, Daria Halprin, Paul Fix, G. D. Spradlin, Rod Taylor, Harrison Ford, Kathleen Cleaver, Tom Steele, Norman GrabowskiSinopsis(1)
Tras un enfrentamiento en un campus universitario entre estudiantes y policías, un joven de familia acomodada, Mark, cree haber matado a un agente y huye, en compañía de otro joven y tras robar una avioneta, al desierto de Arizona. Allí se encuentra de un modo fortuito con Daria, una muchacha que trabaja para un abogado, director de un importante proyecto inmobiliario, y que está cruzando el desierto en automóvil para asistir a una reunión de negocios. (texto oficial de la distribuidora)
(más)Reseñas (4)
More than forty years ago, the legendary director Michelangelo Antonioni noticed that contemporary society is consumed by consumerism. What would it be like if an individual detached themselves from this consumer society? Not in the sense of becoming a rebel or going somewhere to demonstrate for a better future for the Earth. No, what if they chose a path where they simply do what they want, but without intending to harm anyone? Sure, they might steal a plane, but not to steal; rather, to fly. The film has three key moments—at least in my view. The first is the scene in prison, where Mark wants to bail out his friend, but because he is too eager, he is preemptively arrested. A young person at the turn of the 1970s seems to equate to something unnatural that can only harm society. The escape from such treatment appears completely understandable. The second moment is the group sex scene at Zabriskie Point, where young people make love simply because they can. It’s a display of their freedom, their wildness. Yet, it’s still just an escape. What they desire can only be done in a no-man’s land. The third moment is the finale—the explosion of a house that represents the hated consumerism. It’s as if Antonioni is saying that if a person wants to achieve their desires, it can only be done through destruction. Otherwise, change is not possible. An escape will remain an escape unless the old order changes. Until that happens, everything will stay the same. However, the price of such a decision is often as high as in this case. The film is excellently underscored by meticulously chosen music. ()
Defiance and rebellion of the youth against society and the system, constrained by outdated conventions and social order symbolizing the shackles of justice and freedom. The two main characters embody the bitterness and strength of the entire movement, which emerged in the West and particularly in the USA in the late 60s. The young man, Mark, idealistic yet energetic, is determined and capable of taking action for change (albeit naïve). The girl, Daria, instinctively feels the same resistance to the state of society but seeks relief in escape (through meditation, music, and fantasies) instead of action. Their paths briefly merge, and both fully enjoy the experience of being a young attractive man and a young beautiful girl in the era of hippies.... But then a turning point must come, just as a turning point had to come in the history of the movement. The one who decided to actively act against the system must inevitably be destroyed by the system, given the overall circumstances. The one who decided to "move forward" embodies all those who, either on their own or under external pressures, have grown out of their (simplistically speaking) "hippie intoxication" or had to give it up. The destruction of the old society and its system remained forever only in their imaginations. (P.S. - In the better case, they later paradoxically became yuppies, young consumer-oriented ambitious members of the upper class who fully identified with the main social characteristics they had fought against in their early youth.) ()
During the introduction, the director introduces us to a community of excited university students engaged in discussions. The university occupation strike demands active involvement and new ideas. "We will create an impassable barricade with cars," someone suggests. "And we could start with your sports car," is the response, accompanied by hearty laughter. No, university students are too intelligent despite their revolutionary fervor to destroy their own automobiles. After all, there are plenty of foreign cars on the street. It would be unfair to compare today's spoiled leftists from prominent families and an academic environment dominated by political correctness with those who fought against real racism and injustice in the 60s. Antonioni was not a politically oriented filmmaker and Zabriskie Point is an atypical deviation in his work. Engaged directors like Pasolini would certainly attempt a political commentary and most likely would have filmed this material much worse. But still, Antonioni demonstrates too much fascination with the revolutionary sentiments among students, and a small time gap from 1968, which shook the Western establishment, is clearly evident. The director allows his protagonist to pilot an airplane, which is still a hobby reserved for the upper middle-class today; in the 60s, it was exclusively a privilege of the rich. Making love in the desert on a geological foundation that Antonioni attributed to his protagonists would indeed amount to a cruel act. Certainly, it was intended as a symbol of freedom, but couldn't there be a more sensible idea? The final scene of settling scores with capitalism through a series of explosions in luxury mansions can now be seen as an ironic reminder of the reversal of social roles and political preferences. Today, different patterns and alliances apply. The poor vote for conservatives and you can find countless progressive billionaires. Antonioni (and not only he) would be amazed by today's uprising of the poor against left-wing meritocracy. Zabriskie Point is interesting today not for any message or capturing of the mood of the time, but for its excellent camera work, music, and overall cinematic language. Overall impression: 55%. ()
Zabriskie Point is a nicely filmed but boring flick about politics and feelings, whose “climax” is the protracted scene of group sex in one of the most beautiful parts of Death Valley. ()
Galería (45)
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