Photos of Mark Frechette and Daria Halprin During the Filming of ‘Zabriskie Point’, 1970

Zabriskie Point is a 1970 American drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Mark Frechette, Daria Halprin, and Rod Taylor. It was widely noted at the time for its setting in the counterculture of the United States. Some of the film’s scenes were shot on location at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley.

h/t: vintag.es

The film was an overwhelming commercial failure, and was panned by most critics upon release. Its critical standing has increased, however, in the decades since. It has to some extent achieved cult status and is noted for its cinematography, use of music, and direction.

Following prolonged publicity and controversy in North America throughout its production, Zabriskie Point had its premiere at Walter Reade’s Coronet Theatre in New York City on February 5, 1970, almost four years after Antonioni began pre-production and over a year and a half after shooting began, before being generally released on February 9, 1970. Despite the explicit language and sexual content, the film received an R rating rather than an X, in a shift in the MPAA’s policy.