Punishment Park (1971)Synopsis:
"Punishment Park" is a pseudo-documentary purporting to be a film crews's news coverage of the team of soldiers escorting a group of hippies, draft dodgers, and anti-establishment types across the desert in a type of capture the flag game. The soldiers vow not to interfere with the rebels' progress and merely shepherd them along to their destination. At that point, having obtained their goal, they will be released. The film crew's coverage is meant to insure that the military's intentions are honorable. As the representatives of the 60's counter-culture get nearer to passing this arbitrary test, the soldiers become increasingly hostile, attempting to force the hippies out of their pacifist behavior. A lot of this film appears improvised and in several scenes real tempers seem to flare as some of the "acting" got overaggressive. This is a interesting exercise in situational ethics. The cinéma vérité style, hand-held camera, and ambiguous demands of the director - would the actors be able to maintain their roles given the hazing they were taking - pushed some to the brink. The cast's emotions are clearly on the surface. Unfortunately this film has gone completely underground and is next to impossible to find. It would offer a captivating document of the distrust that existed between soldiers willfully serving in the military and those persons who opposed the war peacefully.
Resource Links:
|
Reviews & Analyses: Punishment ParkTell the world what you think about Punishment Park. Post a Review / Analysis!
Post a Review / Analysis
Earn QUA for FREE by contributing to MovieQUA! Login required. Reviews / Analyses cannot be changed once submitted - please post carefully! No URLs!
|
Latest QuestionsBe the first to share a Punishment Park question!
Post Question
Earn QUA for FREE by contributing to MovieQUA! Login required. Questions cannot be changed once submitted - please post carefully! No URLs!
|
J.D. Cahill is the toughest U.S. Marshal they've got, just the sound of his name makes bad guys stop in their tracks,...
|
Filmmaker Hugo Latulippe chronicles the daily routine of maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin, music director of the Orches...
|
A modern, punk adaptation of Shakespeare's classic. Told irreverently, this film attempts to impact the viewer in the...
|
A teenager, son of an army officer moves with his family to Ljubljana in the fall of 1979. In the new surroundings, h...
|