commit doom and gloomer peter watkins go slummin across the pond to take on the american justice system circa 1971 with this priceless piece of zeitgeist paranoia that lean so far leave it fall over constantly . watkins be pure tourist a he assemble this our gang tragedy with cliché freak and hippy and black revolutionary pit against trigger happy cop and military and a kangaroo court tribunal make up of disapprove calcified adult make poor fashion statement . talk about a revolution . in punishment park we have radical youth versus corrupt system a dissenter convict of crime be give the choice of imprisonment or a three day trek across punishment park ( death valley ) and freedom . of course the law enforcement official monitor their journey aren not about to play fair and combine with the stifle heat the fate of our protagonist look seal . punishment park have element of kafka in set as well a theme . trial be hold under a large canvas tent where shackle prisoner shout defiance at a hardcore love it or leave it group of inquisitor ( such a member of silent majority for a peaceful america ) who snarl back . neither group spend much time listen to the other and the proceeding sometime take on a teen parent battle over the key to the car look . mostly it just one side say what wrong with america the other say what right with no one offering solution for change . meanwhile the punishment park martyr stumble endlessly about the dessert while cop with gun act like twelve year old . it kind of have the look and feel of some of my 70 college film make class when we be young and know more then than we do now . peter watkins have always be on the side of the underdog and the common man against what he perceive a a corrupt powerful few . culledon be a strong indictment of military atrocity in 18th century scotland that still resonate . war game be a raw sobering look at nuclear aftermath that should be require view for all . punishment park have it value as well but for other than intended reason . watkins vision today be a textbook example of the left in full tilt counter culture 70 paranoia and give the time ( vietnam and kent state and the chicago 7 ) such strident hysteria seem not that great a distance from the truth . but 35 year later the fever have subside and punishment park with it unrestrained narrow viewpoint be a pretty silly ride .