"What good is a nationalist who loves his nation but not a fellow national"

'Punishment Park' is a pseudo-documentary by Peter watkins about a some Police officers escorting a group of free thinkers, activists, rebels, hippies, draft dodgers, and anti-establishment types across the desert in a type of "capture the national flag" game.

The film brilliantly intercuts with interrogation room scenes of the 'arrested rebels' - who ask in return the authorities to 'cross their heart and say if they are more patriotic than them selves in chains'.

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 cinema-veritie 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 released in a very very limited cinemas and killed by mainstream media.

This mockumentary is relatable to current day's happening across all nations.

Entry - Free.