set in a california detention camp in an indistinct future and an english film crew capture proceeding a young student and political dissident be put on trial under a fictional insurrection act that allow the united state government to suspend civil liberty for it own citizen in case of emergency without the right to bail or the necessity of evidence . in such case the government be authorise to apprehend and detain anyone they believe may engage in future activity of sabotage . the group on trial include a feminist and a black panther and a folk singer . those convict by the a conservative tribunal have the choice of a lengthy prison sentence or three day in punishment park and in which they can attain their freedom by reach an american flag in the desert . they must accomplish this without food or water . they be also to be pursue by armed national guard and police who can return them to the camp if capture to face the penal sentence attribute to each person convict . the reality be different while those that choose punishment park be hunt and kill or brutalise with no hope of gain their freedom after a policeman be find dead in the park . the park seem to be a training ground for the police and guard who need to master these act of suppression so they can be put to use in open american society . shot on 16mm and in the documentary style develop by watkins and in his celebrated culloden and the controversial the war game for the bbc while he interact with the prisoner and guard and observe the unconstitutional trial and inter cutting between them to create a totally convincing political movie that still remain vital and relevant . use his knowledge of the medium and watkins have produce a driving and relentless and ultimately frightening film portrayal of an entirely fictional american political detention camp that would not convince if it wasn not for his flawless construction . many of the actor be amateurs improvise with broad character . the spark fly in the trial scene in which each case be hear and in part to the fact that watkins keep those on trial away from the jury until the filming of those scene . watkins also claim that the actor be often express their own opinion which certainly explain the ferocity as well a the believability of their performance . the film have be heavily criticise for polarise the opinion of those that see it . it have be claim that the film be reactionary and unequivocally represent that conservatism and war be the root of america social problem . while these criticism may be valid it be important to consider that the film be work on a fictional and metaphorical level and it be perhaps the realism that the film so cleverly construct that encourage such a heated opinion on it content . in fact the film most important theme be the problem of polarisation itself . the conservative judge and brutal law officer be on one side and the liberal convict be clearly on the other with no concession make on either side . this seem to be what the movie be really about . the new law and the park itself be the outgrowth of a situation where mediation between the two political position have be lose . make during and in protest to the vietnam war and the treatment of those who oppose the war in america the film main theme of governmental persecution of it own citizen and conservatism impinge on civil liberty still strike the same chord in the era of the patriot act and the identity card . it also strike a disturbing chord with news footage of guantanamo bay and the treatment of iraqi prisoner at the hand of allied force . the threat of internal terrorism be such a volatile issue that the film can not fail to connect with current attitude to the subject . not surprisingly the film have have a checkered distribution history and be marginalise to an extreme due to it content but the disturbing fact that this movie be that can still remain so relevant today suggest that the wait have not be for nothing . punishment park be a film that have have to fight to be see anywhere and it demand your attention .