PUNISHMENT PARK
Peter Watkins | 1970 | USA | 90 min | SP BETA

Peter Watkins made this controversial and ahead of it’s time political film at the height of the powder keg tensions of the late 60’s/early 70’s. The film details a world of rabid political control and boiling tensions between liberal minded individuals and the right wing all encompassing government. (Sound familiar?)

Punishment Park is kind of like a grand version of “The Most Dangerous Game”, where the prisoners are set free in a vast desert landscape and given instructions to “find the flag”. If they find the American flag at the end of the huge course, they are given their freedom. The catch is that they are pursued by armed military soldiers who have instructions to shoot to kill.

The film is shot in a pseudo-documentary style and it seems as if there are moments of reality bleeding through the narrative. A film that could scarcely be more timely.

George Cinemas - Saturday 12th July 9pm