The Committee

"The mystery film of the 1960's"

May 31 1968 GP 0h 58m
Drama, Fantasy, Music

The Committee, starring Paul Jones of Manfred Mann fame, is a unique document of Britain in the 1960s. After a very successful run in London’s West End in 1968, viewings of this controversial movie have been few and far between. Stunning black and white camera work by Ian Wilson brings to life this “chilling fable” by Max Steuer, a lecturer (now Reader Emeritus) at the London School of Economics. Avoiding easy answers, The Committee uses a surreal murder to explore the tension and conflict between bureaucracy on one side, and individual freedom on the other. Many films, such as Total Recall, Fahrenheit 451 and Camus’ The Stranger, see the state as ignorant and repressive, and pass over the inevitable weaknesses lying deep in individuals. Drawing on the ideas of R.D. Laing, a psychologically hip state faces an all too human protagonist.

Plot

A hitch hiker decapitates the man having picked him up while stopped by the side of the road to fix the car's engine. A few day's later he gets summoned to a committee, where he engages in different conversations, yet fears that his summoning is linked to the previous incident.

Written by

Max Steuer, Peter Sykes

Directed by

Peter Sykes

Cast

Paul Jones, Tom Kempinski, Robert Langdon Lloyd

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United Kingdom

Production Companies

Craytic

Languages

English

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
235
Average Rating
6.1 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA