I've resisted writing a review for The Prisoner for years. Why -? because even though I have watched this series end to end at least a dozen times in the last 45 years; I still don't know where to start.
Indeed - I was one of the lucky ones who as a 10 year old was allowed to stay up late to watch The Prisoner during it's first screening back in the 1960's. It was then and remains today some of the most remarkable and groundbreaking television ever made. It must be seen.
Even though I have started this review - I still don't know where to start! There is no point in looking at the detail over a 17 episode series, so perhaps the best place to start is with a big picture; The Prisoner deals with issues of Man-kind as a social creature in a complex age. In this age the concept of "the individual" who exercises 'real' choices is lost - subsumed by Education; what is taught and who decides its relevance. Subsumed by Politics; what are the interests of those you are asked to vote for. Subsumed by Technology; is the technology my tool, or am I the tool of technology. Subsumed by Society; who sets the norms, who behaves acceptably and who does not, what, indeed is 'acceptable'? Subsumed by Consumerism; what do I need, why do I have to buy this, or this? The Prisoner encounters and has to confront these themes and find his own way to escape from them. The Village is the location and epicenter for every aspect of the individual that is subsumed. The Prisoners' quest is to escape. We join and share in his quest.
There are many other deep themes going on in this wonderful and thought provoking series, but the deepest and most powerful of all is "Trust"; what and who can I trust? For the Prisoner, the ONLY person he can trust is HIMSELF, and there are times, for all his strength, when the Prisoner cannot even trust himself. The Village uses every muscle, stretches every sinew to separate the Prisoner from his own self-identity; to reduce him, actually and literally to a 'number'. It's brilliant stuff, because it causes US to question "who am I"?, "Where am I"? "By what definition am I free"? Brilliant stuff.
Only by constantly challenging, constantly questioning, constantly feeling for the boundary, constantly and consistently reasserting his individualism, does the Prisoner manage to retain his self-image. The Prisoner is a primer for Everyman living in the modern age - a set of sign-posts that say; "TAKE CARE"! Keep control of your own identity, think what you are doing - don't blithely accept everything you are told and you won't become a number....
Phew! I've done it! Encapsulated 45 years of reflection into 6 short paragraphs. Why 6 do you wonder?
Indeed - I was one of the lucky ones who as a 10 year old was allowed to stay up late to watch The Prisoner during it's first screening back in the 1960's. It was then and remains today some of the most remarkable and groundbreaking television ever made. It must be seen.
Even though I have started this review - I still don't know where to start! There is no point in looking at the detail over a 17 episode series, so perhaps the best place to start is with a big picture; The Prisoner deals with issues of Man-kind as a social creature in a complex age. In this age the concept of "the individual" who exercises 'real' choices is lost - subsumed by Education; what is taught and who decides its relevance. Subsumed by Politics; what are the interests of those you are asked to vote for. Subsumed by Technology; is the technology my tool, or am I the tool of technology. Subsumed by Society; who sets the norms, who behaves acceptably and who does not, what, indeed is 'acceptable'? Subsumed by Consumerism; what do I need, why do I have to buy this, or this? The Prisoner encounters and has to confront these themes and find his own way to escape from them. The Village is the location and epicenter for every aspect of the individual that is subsumed. The Prisoners' quest is to escape. We join and share in his quest.
There are many other deep themes going on in this wonderful and thought provoking series, but the deepest and most powerful of all is "Trust"; what and who can I trust? For the Prisoner, the ONLY person he can trust is HIMSELF, and there are times, for all his strength, when the Prisoner cannot even trust himself. The Village uses every muscle, stretches every sinew to separate the Prisoner from his own self-identity; to reduce him, actually and literally to a 'number'. It's brilliant stuff, because it causes US to question "who am I"?, "Where am I"? "By what definition am I free"? Brilliant stuff.
Only by constantly challenging, constantly questioning, constantly feeling for the boundary, constantly and consistently reasserting his individualism, does the Prisoner manage to retain his self-image. The Prisoner is a primer for Everyman living in the modern age - a set of sign-posts that say; "TAKE CARE"! Keep control of your own identity, think what you are doing - don't blithely accept everything you are told and you won't become a number....
Phew! I've done it! Encapsulated 45 years of reflection into 6 short paragraphs. Why 6 do you wonder?