Robert Downey Sr.'s filmography is a treasure trove of surrealism, experimental filmmaking, satire, and hilarity, and "Putney Swope" is often considered to be the man's masterpiece. While I personally prefer "No More Excuses", I can definitely say that "Putney Swope" is likely his most well made and scripted film. It's a laugh out loud satire of greed, race, politics, commercials, etc., and is one of the funniest films ever made. Some of the humor is so dark and strange that it reminded me of some of the more humorous moments in David Lynch's work (especially "Eraserhead").While it is a great and entertaining film, I refrain from giving it a perfect score simply because it did feel a little bit tedious towards the ending, and there were less laughs. However, it is still a genius and intelligent little film that begs to be seen by all lovers of satire and dark humor.

When the chairman of a major advertising corporation stutters himself to death over a conference table, the token black board director takes charge and vows to not only rock the boat, but sink it as well, transforming the company into a wildly-successful and massively influential anti-white, anti-establishment three-ring circus. Very much a product of its time, this non-conformist comedy may have once been daring and outrageous, but what was meant to be vulgar in 1969 looks merely dated today. The result is a rambling, scattershot collection of rude gags and raunchy humor, maintained at an enjoyable antic pace and bound together with only the thinnest facsimile of a narrative thread. Some of the jokes hit their targets squarely, but others miss by shamefully wide margins.

The outrageous humor that peppers this cheap dated B&W film enlivens the leaden cynical world view behind the plot. It is obscure to the nth degree, a serious flaw. For example: Putney is on the phone to "The President", who is a midget and a pawn. Why? Never explained.Mr. Swope fails to take the high road, which would have turned his surprise elevation to a position of power into a grand leap forward for his Brothers. Instead he improvises, day to day, in the end painting a picture of leadership that lacks any sense of responsibility to his racial group or to society as a whole. The word "opportunist" comes to mind.Meanwhile "The President" also lacks any sense of responsibility to the role he inhabits.The cynical, or should we say realist, view of those in power is as relevant today as it was forty years ago. The humor, erotic scenes, and gross vulgarity are enjoyable, if you're in the right mood.

This movie got better with time. I can't believe that it has been forty years since I saw this at the age of 15. Yes, that's right. Movie ratings were not yet a reality, so any teenager could walk into any movie. Imagine what it was like for a kid my age to see both Midnight Cowboy and Putney Swope in the same year. Imagine the times. Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King has just been killed but the following summer had a man walking on the moon and Woodstock. Putney Swope was the Woodstock nation's chance to stick it to the man. You'll see where Robert Downey, Jr. got his sardonic brilliance. His old man was an instant hero to kids like me. No punches are pulled in this classic, and aging hippies will rejoice when they relive this era. Hopefully, new flower children will be emboldened by it, and this current era of fascism will come under the same scrutiny my era was subjected to.