his calm and measured delivery, his non-patronising explanation and him calling the film "our" film rather than "my" film is part of why i love Watkins and his work
20 years ago i reached to him while studying cinema and wanted to present his work. It was amazing to be able to exchange with him. Hats off Mister Watkins.
A trailer is supposed to make you excited about a film. But Watkins' lengthy discussion, read from a script that he glances down at to read from, makes me far more excited than any trailer could. This is, of course, because his films actually have ideas behind them. They actually express something of importance. After La Commune, The War Game, and Edvard Munch, I am looking forward to this one.
Thank you so very much for posting this. Just saw the film and was desperate to find out more, but never dreamed that there would be a full essay by the director! What a treasure, thank you.
I remember this movie, didn't I hear this movie was "Blacklisted" by Hollywood ? I think the reason Hollywood wanted to bury this film is because it told the real truth about America & its intentions for community of people who's not privileged, rich, & upper class. Not necessarily just about race but class-ism. You notice all the council of jury were all white, older, out of touch facilitators with no clue about what's going on during that time making all the decisions.....excellent film.....remaster this film.....💯✌❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
"The two greatest directors of actors in the history of cinema are John Cassavetes and Peter Watkins. That Watkins does not get acknowledged as such only further confirms that the people who write history are not nearly as smart as they think they are. Watkins' achievements are towering and on par with anyone else's. He is Welles, Chaplin, Bergman, Bresson, Kubrick, Lynch, etc. He is arguably the greatest filmmaker of the 20th century. And it is an argument I believe you can win."
This certainly added to my understanding and appreciation of "Punishment Park". But this also raised questions of content vs form of this video itself. Why would a master of a visual medium choose to express himself with little more than a dry reading of a prepared speech? Was he reluctantly fulfilling a contractual obligation to a DVD distributor for "extras"? Otherwise, posting a PDF of what he was reading, plus photos, would have served just as well (and cost a few hundred less megabytes for those us that must pay by the byte for our Internet). And was he being ironic in commenting "...allowing the actors a very large degree of spontaneity and freedom of expression...would..act as a practical demonstration of my critique against the mass audio-visual media, with their rigid scripts.." - by reading his own rigid script? Or is he capable of incisive critique, yet unable to walk the talk?
Watkins has been the subject of vitriolic attacks over the years by both film critics and media institutions. He uses scripted (structured) statements to clarify his position in as detailed a way as possible. This introduction was filmed in 2004 as an introduction to a screening of the film at a festival dedicated to his work.
Well asburger, in covid 2020 mid-riot and pre-dystopian usa I found Punishment Park streaming on F Amazon. As a kid this brutal title was something like “faces of death” in obscure legend and luckily it came through my movie feed cause I wouldn’t have remembered it at all, let alone have it blow my mind today with its prescience. Anyway I was looking for analysis, commentary or any discussion on the film but there is hardly anything else showing up on youtube. And if I was reading this in pdf from Peter Watkins blog I would have to check his Wikipedia to make sure he wasnt a skeleton cause that’s how his video would read after seeing his film, like Orwell in his death bed talking about the boot then accepting an award-disappointing. *and hearing his measure and pace reciting the unaware film reviews, its great
You didn't enjoy seeing dirty commie hippies getting a kicking? This is the film's failure: only silly old boomer think 68er radicals did anything other than erode our civilisation leaving the torrid mess we see today.
his calm and measured delivery, his non-patronising explanation and him calling the film "our" film rather than "my" film is part of why i love Watkins and his work
One of the very best movies I've ever seen, and the most succinct imaginable summation of late-60's America. Kudos.
It's a summation of america up to this day
@@C0LDM1LK Absolutely, perhaps even more so over the past two years.
Just rewatched after several years gathering dust, even more poignant than ever. Great work thankyou Peter Watkins and crew 🙏🕯️
20 years ago i reached to him while studying cinema and wanted to present his work. It was amazing to be able to exchange with him. Hats off Mister Watkins.
Stunning film. It's amazing that there is so little about it on TH-cam.
The most surrealist "real" movie I've ever seen. This film and its makers and contributiors are Geniuses. My god, shocking excellent Fakecumentary
A GREAT film. Can't believe it escaped my notice until a week ago!
It truly is a work of art. I genuinely think it's the most important film of the last forty years.
I watched it about an hour ago, ditto.
A trailer is supposed to make you excited about a film. But Watkins' lengthy discussion, read from a script that he glances down at to read from, makes me far more excited than any trailer could. This is, of course, because his films actually have ideas behind them. They actually express something of importance. After La Commune, The War Game, and Edvard Munch, I am looking forward to this one.
Thank you so very much for posting this. Just saw the film and was desperate to find out more, but never dreamed that there would be a full essay by the director! What a treasure, thank you.
I love that the criticisms of the film prove its point. Always the sign of innovative art.
"The punishment park system per se isn't a reality. It isn't really happening at all, is it. Is it?" - 2004
This film is enlightening, but devastating.
You are a Grand Master
Good film.
I remember this movie, didn't I hear this movie was "Blacklisted" by Hollywood ? I think the reason Hollywood wanted to bury this film is because it told the real truth about America & its intentions for community of people who's not privileged, rich, & upper class. Not necessarily just about race but class-ism. You notice all the council of jury were all white, older, out of touch facilitators with no clue about what's going on during that time making all the decisions.....excellent film.....remaster this film.....💯✌❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
"The two greatest directors of actors in the history of cinema are John Cassavetes and Peter Watkins. That Watkins does not get acknowledged as such only further confirms that the people who write history are not nearly as smart as they think they are. Watkins' achievements are towering and on par with anyone else's. He is Welles, Chaplin, Bergman, Bresson, Kubrick, Lynch, etc. He is arguably the greatest filmmaker of the 20th century. And it is an argument I believe you can win."
Do the war game with peter watkins
What was the source of this recording? Is it a DVD bonus feature?
Greatest film ever made was Punishment Park
Fascinating but slimy images!!
This certainly added to my understanding and appreciation of "Punishment Park". But this also raised questions of content vs form of this video itself. Why would a master of a visual medium choose to express himself with little more than a dry reading of a prepared speech? Was he reluctantly fulfilling a contractual obligation to a DVD distributor for "extras"? Otherwise, posting a PDF of what he was reading, plus photos, would have served just as well (and cost a few hundred less megabytes for those us that must pay by the byte for our Internet). And was he being ironic in commenting "...allowing the actors a very large degree of spontaneity and freedom of expression...would..act as a practical demonstration of my critique against the mass audio-visual media, with their rigid scripts.." - by reading his own rigid script? Or is he capable of incisive critique, yet unable to walk the talk?
Watkins has been the subject of vitriolic attacks over the years by both film critics and media institutions. He uses scripted (structured) statements to clarify his position in as detailed a way as possible. This introduction was filmed in 2004 as an introduction to a screening of the film at a festival dedicated to his work.
Well asburger, in covid 2020 mid-riot and pre-dystopian usa I found Punishment Park streaming on F Amazon. As a kid this brutal title was something like “faces of death” in obscure legend and luckily it came through my movie feed cause I wouldn’t have remembered it at all, let alone have it blow my mind today with its prescience. Anyway I was looking for analysis, commentary or any discussion on the film but there is hardly anything else showing up on youtube. And if I was reading this in pdf from Peter Watkins blog I would have to check his Wikipedia to make sure he wasnt a skeleton cause that’s how his video would read after seeing his film, like Orwell in his death bed talking about the boot then accepting an award-disappointing.
*and hearing his measure and pace reciting the unaware film reviews, its great
Sounds to me like he's afraid of being questioned and not being able to adequately defend himself.
January 6, 2021 brought me here.
One of the pretentious 70's offerings. Slow moving, absurd.
you're absurd
You didn't enjoy seeing dirty commie hippies getting a kicking? This is the film's failure: only silly old boomer think 68er radicals did anything other than erode our civilisation leaving the torrid mess we see today.
The movie is rather short and has zero filler.