You've got bird shit in your hair

Becoming a Tim Roth fan after first seeing Reservoir Dogs at 17 has led me to some great films (Made in Britain, The War Zone), some okay films (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Rob Roy) and utter shit films (almost everything after the Hollywood crossover?) Though his career post 1995 has been lackluster in terms of quality (to put it lightly) I was happy to hear that Stephen Frears' The Hit, one of his breakout roles and a film then little known in the US, was getting a DVD release through Criterion.



The Hit was a film of failed assumptions, in my case. Nobody is what they appear to be, stock characters are abandoned. Both Roth and John Hurt (another favorite) play unexpected roles. Roth initially seems to fall into his typical psychopathic baddy, but becomes something far more likeable. Hurt is out of character because he's ruthless. It actually felt odd at first to see him as Braddock, which works to his advantage. While it isn't surprising to see Roth screaming and waving his gun around as Myron, it's always a shock when Hurt commits to his threats.



Terence Stamp, as Willie, is an extremely calm victim, exhibiting complete control over his captors at all times. When confronted about his inexplicable acceptance of his death, he spouts bits of philosophy on its role in the human cycle. Myron and Braddock try to understand, but can't.



The handling of Willie's fate was easily my favorite moment in the film. Not only was it what surprised me most, but it felt far more realistic, more pathetic, and much more satisfying than what I was expecting. The Hit was a great, breezy crime film, and this scene was its crown. I won't easily forget it, nor do I hope that I ever do. Films ought to humanize their characters like this more often (when it fits, anyway).

Rounding out a great cast are Laura del Sol (who is stunning, strong and provided 2 solid "cringe!" moments for myself) and Bill Hunter (and his lovely toupee).






It also needs to be said that The Hit is a treat just to look at, and not simply because of its beautiful Spanish setting. The compositions of its scenes are played with constantly. Seeing as this is far from a standard thriller, it makes sense that it looks nothing like one either. (My caps do it no justice. It needs to be seen to be appreciated.) Aesthetically, it feels quite modern for a film made over 25 years ago.



Overall, an unexpected and total delight.

Do you know what a snatch is?

The fact that I find it mildly difficult discussing Peter Watkins' Punishment Park without bringing up my personal political opinions is a testament to how effective it is as a crash-course in radical leftist rhetoric.

Having said that, I must admit to having found the film fairly tedious. Good, but not mindblowing.

It's incredibly dated, something which acts both positively and negatively.

Positively because it serves as a perfect snapshot of America in 1970, when peaceful protesters had rapidly turned into militants, feeling that their initial approach had failed. The wearied reactions of Punishment Park's victims, dehydrated and relentlessly chased by the police, reflect the feelings of counterculture American youth at the time. Peace had failed them, and it quickly felt like violence was failing them as well. Wondering whether or not it's worth chasing the flag against the police pursuit mirrors the hangover of the summer of love.



Negatively because the film is permanently stuck in its era. The outdated speech, the clothing, the arguments, the political background. Regardless of whether or not the cores of the political issues raised by Punishment Park are still problematic today, so much of the film is so 1970, that it's impossible to say this is something that still feels "fresh" 40 years later. This is a film with essentially no humor, but there were more than a few times when I had to stifle a chuckle due to how outdated some of the dialogue is.

Everything about the film is geared towards its purpose of presenting a radical leftist view of American society in 1970. There's zero subtlety (or we can say it's "unapologetic about its politics"). This isn't hard to determine when the first shot is a zoom-in of the US flag flying backwards. While admirable, I do tend to get bored when films are as one-sided as this. The scenes following the actual prisoners in the desert quickly became more interesting than the tribunal interviews. Every question asked, whether by the fascist administration or the film crew are worded to provoke a leftist response. And not a single person in this pseudo-documentary is a poor orator. Every answer is flawless. This kind of perfection, however rough the language or passionate the speech, gets pretty dull and repetitive.

What struck me most about Punishment Park, in terms of things I liked, was its setting. It's a present day (back then, anyway) dystopia. Not a dark, decrepit undisclosed future with a vague fascist leader, but the sunny deserts of California where absolutely nothing is modernized and Nixon is clearly responsible. This is where I can understand Punishment Park being underrated in terms of its controversy and forward-thinking. The violence isn't graphic, but the explicit depiction of cops as merciless killers against civilians is also effectively jarring, even if the idea behind it ("pigs" is used nonstop by the characters) is nothing new.



It's getting a bit dull to write this, probably because I wasn't affected by Punishment Park as I'd liked to have been. The problems and arguments brought up are still relevant today, but besides the points I mentioned, I don't think the film is nearly as strong today as it was 40 years ago.

On a small note, are there other places in the US nearly as isolating and stunning as the California salt flats? Eeesh.