Peter Watkins, "Punishment Park" (1971).
Who knew that a fictional documentary examining reactionary politics during the Vietnam War would hold so much relevance in our contemporary era? Well... not many people had a chance to see Punishment Park over the last serveral decades. There is a lot of speculation that the film was somehow banned from public broadcast, but it's difficult to verify that claim. It's more likely that the film was buried due to the fact that its director (Peter Watkins) was British. It would have been one thing for an American citizen to make a movie with such a bold political statement, but its altogether different when it is commentary from the outside.
Punishment Park takes place during a vaguely speculative crisis during the Nixon administration. The sitting president has expanded the war and declared a state of emergency, which allows the regime to imprison political dissidents without a jury trial or any of the other quaint Constitutional rights that US citizens are supposed to be entitled to. Those found to be guilty in the eyes of a civilian review panel are given lengthy sentences of imprisonment. They are also given an alternative- they can spend a few days in "Punishment Park". This option consists of a large hilly expanse in the desert region of Southern California. The task of the condemned is to traverse a grueling 50-mile expanse while attempting to evade representatives of several law enforcement agencies (the National Guard, federal marshals, and police). They are to do so without the aid of food and water. Their goal is to reach an American flag at the end of the course without being caught. If they are successful, they are supposed to be released from custody. Otherwise they will be returned to serve out their sentences. This ordeal is supposed to serve as a both a deterrent to others thinking about opposing government policy, and as a creative solution to overcrowded prisons. Additionally it provides authorities with an excellent training exercise in the apprehension of "radical elements" of the citizenry.
The proceedings are filmed by several European film crews who were invited to document all of this (presumably) because the administration wanted to demonstrate their humanity (or maybe efficiency) to the rest of the world. It's actually inconceivable that anyone outside of the official participants would be allowed to witness any of it. Other than this unlikely factor, the film is shot in a remarkably realistic manner. While the pursuit of the dissidents makes up a large portion of the picture, Watkins also chooses to supplement that footage with coverage of a sample disciplinary trial. The accused are brought in front of a "kangaroo court" consisting of "esteemed and respectable" members of the community. These include (among others) a Congressman, a home-maker/organizer of a "silent majority" morals group, a union leader, and a sociology professor. The trial scenes are characterized by polemical exchanges featuring the reactionary brand of conservative viewpoints of those who sit in judgment of their fellow Americans. Meanwhile the defendents try to explain their respective philosophies to the singleminded panel. There is a defense lawyer who genuinely attempts to add a measure of reason to the exchange, but he is largely discounted and/or ignored.
Meanwhile we slowly become aware that the Punishment Park challenge is rigged in the favor of the authorities. A promised oasis of water fails to materialize at the midpoint, and when the fugitives begin to resist participation, they are systematically captured and executed. It is difficult to determine what the original intention of the exercise was, because the cops and soldiers become emotionally incensed when they lose one of their number. Indeed even if no violence had been initiated on the prisoners' behalf, there is little chance that anyone could have actually reached the final objective in the scorching temperatures of the desert. But when a small group does actually approach the end, they discover an unanticipated fate.
The straightforward camerawork and amateur performances of the players serve the intended realism of the film. While there are some lingering questions- for example, why don't the foreign filmmakers help the fugitives?- the entire story plays out in a convincing manner. Maybe there was a time in America when such repression of civil rights was inconceivable... but in the wake of 9-11 and the "War on Terror", the message of this film becomes increasingly relevant. The political polarization depicted in the rigged "trials" can be found in the mediasphere today. I have no doubt that contemporaries can be found to enact the roles in a real-life scenario based upon Punishment Park. That makes watching this film truly frightening.
Punishment Park takes place during a vaguely speculative crisis during the Nixon administration. The sitting president has expanded the war and declared a state of emergency, which allows the regime to imprison political dissidents without a jury trial or any of the other quaint Constitutional rights that US citizens are supposed to be entitled to. Those found to be guilty in the eyes of a civilian review panel are given lengthy sentences of imprisonment. They are also given an alternative- they can spend a few days in "Punishment Park". This option consists of a large hilly expanse in the desert region of Southern California. The task of the condemned is to traverse a grueling 50-mile expanse while attempting to evade representatives of several law enforcement agencies (the National Guard, federal marshals, and police). They are to do so without the aid of food and water. Their goal is to reach an American flag at the end of the course without being caught. If they are successful, they are supposed to be released from custody. Otherwise they will be returned to serve out their sentences. This ordeal is supposed to serve as a both a deterrent to others thinking about opposing government policy, and as a creative solution to overcrowded prisons. Additionally it provides authorities with an excellent training exercise in the apprehension of "radical elements" of the citizenry.
The proceedings are filmed by several European film crews who were invited to document all of this (presumably) because the administration wanted to demonstrate their humanity (or maybe efficiency) to the rest of the world. It's actually inconceivable that anyone outside of the official participants would be allowed to witness any of it. Other than this unlikely factor, the film is shot in a remarkably realistic manner. While the pursuit of the dissidents makes up a large portion of the picture, Watkins also chooses to supplement that footage with coverage of a sample disciplinary trial. The accused are brought in front of a "kangaroo court" consisting of "esteemed and respectable" members of the community. These include (among others) a Congressman, a home-maker/organizer of a "silent majority" morals group, a union leader, and a sociology professor. The trial scenes are characterized by polemical exchanges featuring the reactionary brand of conservative viewpoints of those who sit in judgment of their fellow Americans. Meanwhile the defendents try to explain their respective philosophies to the singleminded panel. There is a defense lawyer who genuinely attempts to add a measure of reason to the exchange, but he is largely discounted and/or ignored.
Meanwhile we slowly become aware that the Punishment Park challenge is rigged in the favor of the authorities. A promised oasis of water fails to materialize at the midpoint, and when the fugitives begin to resist participation, they are systematically captured and executed. It is difficult to determine what the original intention of the exercise was, because the cops and soldiers become emotionally incensed when they lose one of their number. Indeed even if no violence had been initiated on the prisoners' behalf, there is little chance that anyone could have actually reached the final objective in the scorching temperatures of the desert. But when a small group does actually approach the end, they discover an unanticipated fate.
The straightforward camerawork and amateur performances of the players serve the intended realism of the film. While there are some lingering questions- for example, why don't the foreign filmmakers help the fugitives?- the entire story plays out in a convincing manner. Maybe there was a time in America when such repression of civil rights was inconceivable... but in the wake of 9-11 and the "War on Terror", the message of this film becomes increasingly relevant. The political polarization depicted in the rigged "trials" can be found in the mediasphere today. I have no doubt that contemporaries can be found to enact the roles in a real-life scenario based upon Punishment Park. That makes watching this film truly frightening.
posted by Merge Divide at 10:13 AM
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