Committee

I was totally shocked when walking into Virgin Megastore nonchalantly

one day, to discover that this film thought long forgotten, had been

actually released. It's something many people no doubt for decades have

wished to see.

This DVD comes with an excellent interview sequence (as long as the 54

minute film) which does explain things if you get a little bit

confused! While admitting, that yes, I knew of this film as a hardcore

Pink Floyd fan (whom indeed provide some great musical moments) the

film is nonetheless an excellent example of the type of "art" films of

the period and is well worth investigating.

If your into Kafka, Hesse, The Prisoner, Sixties "pop" Psychology,

New-Left Politics, Antonioni (spelt right?), Godard, Bergman etc etc

then I do recommend this film. It's perhaps more of a period piece now

of course, and the director himself admits flaws, but this is still a

thoughtful experience and its sad in a way that it seems so fresh

amidst all the more intelligent, commercial films of today. This is

especially a point worth noting; when thinking that the film is of its

time, and was designed for a receptive, cool, hip audience. Today while

claims are made that a film is made commercially but in a more

intelligent way for a mass audience it still just seems to say "Well

there you go, watch the flashing lights, a few nice things to think

about - happy now?" Actually it's interesting that the writer in the

interview section cites The Matrix as a comparable example, when

discussing the themes of the film.

The decapitation scene is quite shocking even by todays standards,

especially when the head is sewn back on! Also, while admittedly biased

there is an excellent, memorable scene with various individuals walking

around an office with a wonderful repetitive piece of music by the

Floyd.

Certainly not for everyone, but if you're in the know and looking for

an experience I would certainly give this film a try. I struggled

whether to vote it 7 or 8 out of ten, but then, I'm writing this so it

must have made an impression!

Enjoy.

This footnote in the Pink Floyd filmography has its memorable moments, Arthur Brown singing "Nightmare" (NOT "Fire", for what it's worth), Manfred Man's Paul Jones in a quirky little acting role, and rather limited Pink Floyd participation.

There are no Pink Floyd "songs" here, it seems that the band must have been shown rushes (sections of film scenes) in-studio that they played reactionary sounds & sound-effects to; an ominous keyboard sequence here, a drum fill there, a slide-guitar effect, that's really about it, and that's why you've never seen any cuts from this film on any bootleg records or CDs. If you're Pink Floyd hardcore you're going to see this anyway; if you're merely Pink Floyd curious you can skip this one and go straight to "La Vallee" and "Zabriskie Point."

The film itself is sort of Kafka-light; The Committee knows your secret actions and your hidden thoughts, but they want to persuade you through polite confrontation and psycho-analysis to come around to their way of seeing thing, Big Nanny instead of Big Brother. The film is sometimes a bit unclear and a bit of a mess, but the Writer/Producer & Directors interviews see you clear on what they were attempting, even if it does get a little lost in self-indulgence from time to time.

Its historic significance is going to keep this film perpetually on the shelves, but it's really not very noteworthy as a film.

I had been trying to get this movie for ages without success but it finally popped through my letterbox the other day courtesy of netflix. Whilst I have always had a tendency to an anti-authoritarian streak my desire to see this movie came about from my perception of being an outsider in Amerikan society. Since 9/11 I have felt increasingly isolated in a society which has become much more introverted and uniform, and paranoid about outsiders. Civil liberties are seemingly under attack from all directions but under the overarching fear of being attacked these liberties are seen to be of lesser importance if the propagandists are to be believed.

This movie is a short, somewhat schizophrenic, view of the world which can be viewd on several levels from the individual to the symbolic. The individual within a society and the conflict inherent within the playing of the role is a major aspect of the movie. One must alsoi recognise the milieu in which the movie was shot: 1968 the year of the bougeois revolutions, the aftermath of the summer of love, convulsions in western industrialised societies and the anti-war movement as well as the campaign for nuclear disarmament. As one views the movie it is like a flawed lens where one shifts from perception to perception.

Throughout the movie the art sounds of the Pink Floyd enhance the film. Although the Floyd contibuted to several soundtracks the same themes found later are to be found here. Arthur Brown contributes a somewhat bizarre song which provides a focus for the British underground movement although I would have thought the free press of International Times and OZ would have made a more substantial impact.

One is reminded at times of Brazil and many other media portrayals and the whole concept of bureaucracy is subsumed by the notion of a committee of the whole nation. In many ways this movie is a refutation of Margaret Thatcher's remark that there is no such thing as society yet in an apparent contradition when individuals are acting qua individuals then her remarks carry some validity.

I would recommend this movie to all free thinking individuals everywhere.