Texas Finn
The Prisoner - The Second Anniversary "BEST OF PANO-VISION" Contest !!!
In the opening sequence of the Prisoner we see Patrick McGoohan as he angrily resigns his top secret government position and then drives through London under a stormy sky. He gets home, packs a bag, some holiday brochures fall out.
A white gas hisses through the keyhole and he falls unconscious. He awakes in an identical room but through the window sees a strange village surrounded by sea and mountains. Everything looks cheerful and bright, with gaily dressed people and quaint, turreted buildings. But the village has a sinister purpose; its population are prisoners, identified only by a number, from whom information is required.
There is no escape. The prisoners have had all desire to escape taken away, either by their purposeless existence, brainwashing or surgery. Number 6 is the only one with the will to escape, the one who refuses to be broken: "I am not a number; I am a free man".
The series asks more questions than it answers. Why is Number 6 being held? Why did he resign? Who is Number 6? Who are his jailers? Who is Number 1? The village is run by Number 2 whose identity changes from episode to episode.
The series is rich in imagery and visual impact. The surreal architecture of the village with its Mediterranean atmosphere coupled with the high-tech interiors, tannoys, surveillance cameras and piped music create a bizarre combination. There is great attention to detail throughout with no item too large or small to receive the Prisoner stamp, from steet signs to cans of food to village credit cards, Mini Moke taxis and staff uniforms. Large and menacing balloons (occasionally referred to as 'Rover') patrol the perimiter. A dwarf, mute butler opens the door to No 2's Green Dome.
Enigmatic to the end, the last episode caused ITV's telephone lines to be blocked by the many millions of viewers who called in desperate for an explanation. Even though the series is close to 50 years old, there are new viewers who may not have seen it before and we do not wish to spoil it by revealing the ending here. Many diverse and creative conclusions have been drawn from the series such as was Number 6 a victim of a nervous breakdown, or is he, like us, a prisoner of ourselves? Was this an allegorical conundrum or a statement about personal freedom, democracy and social engineering?
The Prisoner - The Second Anniversary "BEST OF PANO-VISION" Contest !!!
In the opening sequence of the Prisoner we see Patrick McGoohan as he angrily resigns his top secret government position and then drives through London under a stormy sky. He gets home, packs a bag, some holiday brochures fall out.
A white gas hisses through the keyhole and he falls unconscious. He awakes in an identical room but through the window sees a strange village surrounded by sea and mountains. Everything looks cheerful and bright, with gaily dressed people and quaint, turreted buildings. But the village has a sinister purpose; its population are prisoners, identified only by a number, from whom information is required.
There is no escape. The prisoners have had all desire to escape taken away, either by their purposeless existence, brainwashing or surgery. Number 6 is the only one with the will to escape, the one who refuses to be broken: "I am not a number; I am a free man".
The series asks more questions than it answers. Why is Number 6 being held? Why did he resign? Who is Number 6? Who are his jailers? Who is Number 1? The village is run by Number 2 whose identity changes from episode to episode.
The series is rich in imagery and visual impact. The surreal architecture of the village with its Mediterranean atmosphere coupled with the high-tech interiors, tannoys, surveillance cameras and piped music create a bizarre combination. There is great attention to detail throughout with no item too large or small to receive the Prisoner stamp, from steet signs to cans of food to village credit cards, Mini Moke taxis and staff uniforms. Large and menacing balloons (occasionally referred to as 'Rover') patrol the perimiter. A dwarf, mute butler opens the door to No 2's Green Dome.
Enigmatic to the end, the last episode caused ITV's telephone lines to be blocked by the many millions of viewers who called in desperate for an explanation. Even though the series is close to 50 years old, there are new viewers who may not have seen it before and we do not wish to spoil it by revealing the ending here. Many diverse and creative conclusions have been drawn from the series such as was Number 6 a victim of a nervous breakdown, or is he, like us, a prisoner of ourselves? Was this an allegorical conundrum or a statement about personal freedom, democracy and social engineering?