 |
Director: |
Patrick McGoohan, George Markstein
|
Starring: |
Patrick McGoohan, George Markstein, Angelo Muscat, Peter Swanwick
|
Genres: |
Television, Action-Adventure, Cult Classics-Exploitation, Drama Classics, Espionage, Thriller, UK Classics
|
Origin: |
United Kingdom
|
Certificate: |
PG
|
Languages: |
English
|
Running Time: |
200 min
|
|
|
Following his resignation, a high ranking Government Official is abducted from his home and taken to a picturesque seaside location known as "The Village". However, the idealic surroundings hide a sinister world where "guests" are simply labelled as numbers and escape is impossible. His captors want secret information and will use any means to obtain it - give in and you'll be left to live out your days as a brainwashed member of the community - rebel and your stay will be far from pleasant.
With escape the objective, THE PRISONER must also strive to maintain his identity throughout the clever methods of interrogation employed by his abductors, whilst pursuing his obsession to discover "Who is Number 1?"
Can they break him?
How far will they go?
Or can THE PRISONER escape and outsmart them all?
First screened in 1967, Patrick McGoohan's television masterpiece has refused to be resigned to the past with new generations discovering its unique plots, colourful production values and striking images.
Checkmate:
A spot of human chess gives The Prisoner an idea for escape. Following an illegal move made by The Rook, Number 6 discovers a method of distinguishing who are prisoners and who are warders. He soon gathers support from other detainees, but first he must fend off the attentions of The Queen, who has been brainwashed into falling in love with him.
Hammer Into Anvil:
When a new sadistic Number 2 drives a young woman to suicide, The Prisoner is determined to avenge her death. Playing on Number 2’s fear of authority, Number 6 puts a clever plan into motion, leading Number 2 to believe he himself is under surveillance & Number 6 is a spy for The Village.
It’s Your Funeral:
The Village watchmaker, with the aid of his daughter, tricks The Prisoner into believing there is a plan to assassinate the new Number 2. Fearing reprisals on the whole village, Number 6 warns Number 2 of the plot, only to be discredited with the aid of a doctored tape. Number 6 soon realises he is being used & perhaps this Number 2 is not the intended victim after all.
A Change Of Mind:
The Prisoner is declared “unmutual” by The Village in what they claim is anti-social behaviour. He is ordered to undergo “Instant Social Treatment” – an operation to cause the “dislocation of the aggressive frontal lobe of the brain”. Following the surgery, Number 6 realises he has been drugged & fooled into believing he has had the operation. Armed with this knowledge can he now turn The Villagers against Number 2?
|
