Zabriskie Point

For most of the directors who belong to the New Hollywood generation, European art house cinema was an important touchstone, therefore it seems almost inevitable that some of these auteurs from the other side of the Atlantic would eventually bring their talents to America and work with one of the big studios. Italian cinema paragon Michelangelo Antonioni, fresh from the success of his film Blow Up, ambitiously set out to capture the American counterculture in what would ultimately be a box office blunder. Zabriskie Point attempts to synthesize the student protest movement and free love ethos into a story of brooding masculinity and generational ennui. Despite the film’s missteps, Antonioni creates a visual feast that juxtaposes hyper-commercialized cityscapes with wide open dessert scenes that provide a dreamy backdrop to the antics of the lead actors. The film is also notable for its soundtrack featuring Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead. (Light Box Film Center)

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