Vanishing Point is a 1971 American action-thriller film directed by Richard C. Sarafian and starring Barry Newman, Cleavon Little and Dean Jagger. The film follows Kowalski, a delivery driver who is tasked with delivering a 1970 Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco. On the way, he becomes the center of a police chase after he is given a bet to make it to San Francisco in less than 15 hours.
As Kowalski drives through the American Southwest, he is pursued by various police officers who try to stop him from reaching his destination. Along the way, he forms a bond with a blind DJ named Super Soul, who broadcasts his progress on the radio and helps him elude the police.
However, Kowalski's mission takes a turn for the worse when he receives a call that his wife has gone into a troubled labor while he is still 1200 miles away. Distraught and desperate to get home, Kowalski begins to ignore traffic laws and speed limits as he navigates through the desert.
The film's climax takes place on a Native American reservation, where Kowalski sees a group of hippies holding a protest. He joins them, creating a diversion to escape the police blockade. In the end, Kowalski drives his car at high speed towards a bulldozer, ending his life, but achieving his goal of reaching his wife in time.
Vanishing Point was highly praised for its cinematography, memorable car chases, and its commentary on the counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film has since become a cult classic and inspired several remakes and tributes over the years.