Review of The Committee (1968) by Eric B — 29 Jun 2008

You're probably expecting some silly, psychedelic curiosity (ooh, Pink Floyd and Arthur Brown!), but this film's goals are surprisingly highbrow. The script's dark, surreal satire is more likely to recall Camus, Orwell and Kafka than Timothy Leary. The heart of the tale involves a world where, similar to jury duty, people are called away to serve on philosophical commitees for varying lengths of time. (One experienced participant remembers that his past group simply had to decide which of five oranges was the roundest.) Along the way, some vaguely drawn ideas about non-conformity and the individual's place in society dart in and out of the frame. The film's short duration doesn't allow such themes to be fleshed out, but perhaps it's just as well. Note that the lead character (credited only as "Central Figure") is portrayed by Paul Jones, the ex-Manfred Mann singer who starred in the equally bleak, rock-star satire "Privilege" around the same time. The Pink Floyd aspect is minimal (some organ-led noodlings such as heard on Ummagumma and More), but you do get an outrageous, onscreen performance from Brown, complete with flaming helmet.

I regret that the other user review spoils the climax of the opening hitchhiking sequence, because I think this would be better left as an unexpected shock.