UK Cut Extended Scene for Vanishing Point (1971)

I saw Vanishing Point the first time I was just a small kid and it remained in my movie memories along such legends like THX-1138 and Dark Star.

Only little time ago I knew about the UK cut that includes a totally new scene for the movie where Kowalski picks up an hitchhiker. It was cut from the original release because they thought many people would not understand it.

While the scene is pretty ambiguous, the hitchhiker was meant to be an allegorical figure representing death, as stated by the director.

[Mtjakaramazov]

Charlotte Rampling makes such a perfect depiction of death. The way she looks at him at first, as in "you sure you want Me in your car?" ...Can't believe they cut this out of the US release because they thought the audience wouldn't get the allegory. With such a dramatic shift in aesthetics and style to the rest of the film, what else could she represent but death?

[pyrtwistPyrtwistWorldInMotion]

I watched the UK version on my DVD last night. RIP Barry Newman

[dutchloveRC]

Ive looked a LONG time for this Clip!!! thx for sharing!

[LordFlashheart.]

That Challenger sound absolutely gorgeous!

[stCenturySpaceOdyssey]

I wish they kept this scene in the U.S. version. There is something kinda eerie and 'twilight-zone' ish about that scene. The chick spoke rather robotically and strange. I first thought that she could be some kind of female humanoid-like space alien that went for a ride with Kowalski. And here I am thinking he banged a space alien 😂. But the consensus is that she represents death which is more congruent with the story.

[galatura]

A wonderful enigmatic scene. The pearl ring she wears on the first finger of her left hand is symbol of Purity and in Revelations 21:21, each of the 12 gates of heaven are a single pearl. I think she is an Angel, who has come to guide Kowalski home, and that isn't San Francisco