there aren not too many time when i see a film and go and huh and what . and but this be one of them . maybe after see zabriskie point i felt much the same way woody allen felt after see 2001 he only like the film after see it three time over a two year period and realize the filmmaker be ahead of him in what be go on . michelangelo antonioni and in one of his few try at make film inside of the u ( after red desert and he do blow up and this film and china and and the passenger and all film outside his native italy ) and i could sense he almost try to learn about the way of the country through his own mastery of the medium . the result show that he doesn not lack the mean to present image and feeling and tone and color and sound and and a visual representation of this era . a director job be to see and antonioni once state . whatever that mean and he doesn not disappoint for the admirer of his post fifty work ( i say post fifty since i have yet to see any of his film from before lavventura ) . what he do lack be a point and at least the kind of point that he could bring in blow up and the eclipse . you get the feeling of what be around these character and what the theme be bring forth to their consciousness and however in this case the character and the actor do not bring much conviction or purpose . antonioni and come from the school of hard knock and neo realistic film making and do do what he can with his mostly non professional cast ( those who look most like real actor be subjugate to the role of the corporate character ) and but the two star mark frechette and daria halprin seem a if antonioni under direct them . perhaps that be the point . the story split into three act and thankfully not too confusing and a mark escape his existence around the boiling and dangerous campus life go on in the circa late 60 la area and and daria be send out from la to drive to phoenix for some business meeting . they meet by chance a mark plane ( how do he know how to drive and maybe a little background info there . ) and daria car meet up and and they spend some time together in an existential kind of groove out in the desert . aside from a stylistically mesmerize if bizarre sex scene and much of this act isn not terribly interest . the two lead be fair enough to look at and but what exactly draw them to each other outside of curiosity . the idea that come forth ( in part from a screenplay co write by sam shepard ) aren not too reveal and except for one brief instant where drug vs. reality be bring up . then the film head towards the third act and a mark decides to do the right thing and under disastrous circumstance and and daria arrives at her bos place and only to be in full disillusionment ( not take into account the infamous last five minute or so of the film ) . although the film take it time tell it story and i do not have as much of a problem with that a i do that the story only engage a certain kind of viewer . i understand and empathize with the feeling and doubt and fear as well a the self confidence of the anti establishment and but maybe antonioni isn not entirely fully aware of it himself . in some scene he a director and editor ( and the often astounding cinematography by alfio contini ) find the scenery and background more enlightening and fixate than the people in the foreground . not to say the technical side of zabriskie point isn not involve to a degree ( this may make some feel drowsy and a antonioni be probably far great a a documentary filmmaker a he be a theatrical director like say francis ford coppola be ) . the desert and sky and city and and even the face in close ups be film with the eye of a filmmaker in love with the art of get thing in the frame and bring u in . the soundtrack be equally compelling and with a master stroke include a sweet rolling stone song at one point and and then a crushing and surreal pink floyd song ( re title from careful with that axe eugene and one of their best pre dark side ) in the explosion sequence . if only the performance weren not so one side i might find this to be on par with blow up or the eclipse . it an unconventional stroke of genius on one hand and and on the other a boring take on what be the hippie or radical movement of the late 60 . but hey and what may be bore for an american such a myself bear in the eighty may not be to others outside the u and such a say and italy . and it do ask to not be discard right away after one viewing .