There are several aspects of 'the Prisoner' which have defied explanation, and this is one of them. The pulsating Village Guardian, in a cave, with four men dressed in overalls, sitting in chairs, while wearing dark glasses, arms folded as they look upon the Village Guardian. So what the devil is going on? Is this some other form of therapy? Well they are in a cave, and the Therapy Zone we have already seen, in which the scientist/brewer brews his brew, and citizens are allowed to be an alcoholic, just as long as they rejoin the flock in good time. Are the men being indoctorinated by the Guardian? It's thoroughly inexplicable, and is never likely to be fully explained now. Perhaps it was a scene simply dreamt up for effect, and therefore this surreal scene has no real explanation.
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It has been maintained somewhere that this scene, adoration or contemplation, stood for the more or less hidden religious aspect of The Prisoner together with what would be described by some as a crucifixion scene (No 6 in the firm grip of Village guards) in the very same episode. Add the "orbit" poles of No. 48 and the former No. 2 in "Fall Out" as virtual crosses and here we go. But why then would these guys wear sun glasses, against the bright rays of enlightenment? Perhaps a different approach to Aversion Therapy? I think you're right. Was it all set up particularly for No. 6 on his final steps out of the election process? Unlikely. The Rover-in-cavern scene instead comes for effect in the first place. It is part of a hallucinatory sequence, a drugged No. 6 slowly recovering but still disoriented and exhausted. Mind you, not everything you see in the Village can be taken for its face value, for real. What is "real", by the way? One of a number of threads left open for debate. But also one major issue of this episode "Free For All". - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteYour reference to the four men holding Number 6 out to take a beating at the fists of the two motor mechanics, and as they hold Number 6 in the form of a cross. And after being manhandled into Number 2's office he is held secured in the form of the cross, which has been remarked upon in the past by aficianado's of 'the Prisoner. And other religious interpretations have been made, as when Number 6 is carrying his saddle in 'Living In Harmony.' I suppose it all down to personal interpretation, and if one is religious, then to bring religion into 'the Prisoner' is bound to happen. Although Patrick McGoohan did say that there is no religious content anywhere in the series. And in that regard the Village may have a cemetery, but no church, or any place or worship for any religious denomination!
And in 'Fall Out,' both Number 48 and the 'late' Number 2 are taken away to their poles of security in the cross position.
I am not of a religious nature, so I do not feel adequate enough to comment further on the religious aspect of these comments. I suppose it's up to the individual to interpret what he or she sees in 'the Prisoner.' Somethings are not to be taken at face value, and it's never easy to decern what is real, or why something is happening for no apparent reason. All we can do is speculate and debate, which is possibly the most important element of 'the Prisoner.'
Have you observed that by the time the two motor mechanics manhandle Number 6 back into Number 2's office, it is through the pair of steels doors. The single door leading into the cave has gone!
Kind regards
David
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Hello
ReplyDeleteThe 'Rover Worship' scene may have it's symbolism in an inverse interpretation of Revelatons. The four men would seen would be the '4 living creatures' that surround the throne of God and by extension the female No.2 would be the Woman 'clothed in the sun' who is to give birth to a son who will rule the earth with an 'iron rod'. In Revelations the symbols are positive but here they are negative.
Rover worship is the giving over of ones will to a corrupt authority and the Women is there to begin No.6 journey into becoming No.1 , the son who shall rule with an iron rod.
Mr. McGoohan had denied religious influence in Fall Out but the symbolism of Revelations by some is considered less religious and more a type of cultural symbolism. Mr. McGoohan also mentioned the church as a regimented authority at times that needed reform.
Sincerely
Mr. Anonymous
It was evidently a Studio sequence and I wonder at which point it was filmed. There's a similar use of Rover in Once Upon A Time, where it's used in a humorous way, and No2 tells them to "get this thing out of here". It mostly shows just how much McGoohan was "writing" this show as he filmed it, just as much as he was following a *script*.
ReplyDeleteThe evolution of Rover from a mysterious mechanised egg into this flexible fiend also shows how fluid and open to radical change McGoohan was, throughout the project. As he remarked to the Canadian boys in 1977, "these things just come... when you are looking for them."
Hello Moor,
DeleteYes obviously it is a studio sequence. Possibly it was simply contrived so that the two motor mechanics could extract their revenge on Number 6, who wore gloves so as not to damage the tissue!
Indeed "These things just come when you are looking for them," I also think McGoohan actually got lucky in some resepcts with 'the Prisoner.' Lucky that the original mechanical 'Rover' didn't actually work, because the use of the meteorological weather balloon is a far move iconic visualisation than that of a Go-Kart with a plastic dome and blue flashing light!
Regards
David
BCNU
What I find illuminating is how quickly and easily he let go of the original Rover and how the rest of the crew did too. Chaffey had to direct the shows with this crazy thing bouncing around, and the gaffers had to figure out how to make these things even do what was required. They were clearly inspired by something that was moor than just another secret agent show.
DeleteHello Moor,
DeleteThat's quite right. Controlled by fishing line, and filled with a mixture of air and helium, and sand to give it balast. And if memory serves, one original idea was to have the Village Guardian turn the colour of red, filling itself with the blood of one of it's victims. But that was thought to have been frightening for the television viewer at the time!
Regards
David
BCNU
The vicinity to the No. 2 control room could be an indication that this is the Village fortune-teller's cavern and the Rover instance here bound for visualisations! Perhaps the 4 guys are taking lessons in how to extract information from inmates, or on how to run the Village. Else No. 2 would want to ask the ball: "How long will I be in charge?" "Is No. 6 going to tell me everything I want to know?" But if so, I'd be wondering if the ball had the answer for the ultimate question, too: "Why? Why did he resign?" - BCNU! ;-)
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteOh that's a very amusing comment, you have been thinking outside the box, I like it, in fact I enjoyed reading your comment.
Yes, I wonder how long the term of office was for the new Number 2 of 'Free For All?" It's a pity she was not around long enough to appear in 'The Schizoid Man!"
Regards
David
BCNU
Hello David
ReplyDeletePerhaps Rover 9 and the whole Village by extension) is nothing more that a telepathic construct projected into the mind by a team of advanced telepaths. We see ESP used in The Schizoid Man and telepathy in Fall Out in the link with No.1 and The President. The Village was no stranger to various types of psychic constructs such as in is A.B.&C.and Living In Harmony.
The Rover scene shares some features seen the Avenger's episode Too Many Christmas Trees where a group of gifted telepaths are probing John Steeds mind for state secrets exactly in this manner:
http://60s.tv/video/The-Avengers-S04E13-Too-Many-Ch
If you watch for about the first 10 minutes you will see most of these features... watch the rest and just enjoy.
Sincerely
Mr. Anonymous
Hello Mister Anonymous,
DeleteAgain thank you for the video, one to watch later.
Yes, telepathy is another aspect of 'the Prisoner.' Yes Number 6 and Number 24 enjoy a mental link, being able to read ech others minds in 'The Schizoid Man.' But it is easy to forget that the President shares a telepathic link with Number 1, via the electronic eye and the green light it enimates.
Kind Regards
David
Be seeing you
Hello David
ReplyDeleteIndoctrination by Rover is a good choice as the Rover Worshippers were, in the original scripts, wearing boxing gloves and numbered six rather than four. Two of them dish out the beating to No.6.
If Rover is a 'corrupt authority' perhaps this comes from Mr. McGoohan's own abandonment of a boxing career that held some promise . No.6 seems to rebel during the boxing scenes in Once Upon A Time.
Sincerely
Mr. Anonymous
Hello Mister Anonymous,
DeleteBut isn't that what we see in the actual episode, four men holding Number 6, and two men, the motor mechanics giving Number 6 a beating, extracting their revenge upon him for their dunking in the water received while Number 6 was attempting to escape in the jet boat?
In the original script, are there six men sat around the Village Guardian, and is it those six wearing boxing mits?
What makes you think that the Village Gaurdian is a "corrupt authority?"
I don't think McGoohan was going for a boxing career, as he wanted to go into the priesthood.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David
ReplyDeleteMr. McGoohan was noted for his boxing skills during his school years and was considered good enough to have turned pro. All six of the original men sitting about Rover wore boxing gloves as originally scripted, two of them then rise and proceed to beat up No.6.
Mr. McGoohan had referenced Rover as a symbol of corrupt authority.
Sincerely
Mr. Anonymous
PS The bust bears a resemblence to Crown Prince Friedrich the 3rd of Germany.
Hello Mister Anonymous,
DeleteI wonder why they were wearing boxing gloves? They couldn't possibly have known Number 6 was going to stumble into that cave, or could they?
Rover, as a symbol of corrupt authority, I'd not read that. I wonder if he'd said that had the mechanical Rover survived the test!
Regards
David
BCNU
They'd wear gloves so as to avoid damaging the tissue moor than was necessary. Ever seen in a bare-knuckle fight?
ReplyDeleteMcGoohan was once quoted as asking George Markstein what George thought the rubber balloons were all about. I think this scene was just McGoohan asking the viewer the same question.
Hello Moor,
DeleteQuite right. Even though the two motor mechanics were giving Number 6 a thorough good beating, they were being kind by wearing boxing mits. Had it been a bear knuckle fight....then it would have been all the worse for him, and their fists!
McGoohan asking the viewer the same question as Markstein in that scene, I like it. So what is it? A weather balloon? An alien from another world? Symbolism of the fears we each face each and every day? Or something genetically engineered by scientists in a laboratory somewhere? Personally I'm in favour of the last two ideas, especially the genetically enginered idea of mine.
Regards
David
BCNU
It certainly appeared to be organic and though it was being controlled by those in charge most of the time, it was seen to have a slightly rebellious streak at times. Moor than just a mechanism anyhow.
ReplyDeleteHello Moor,
DeleteAt the very least the Village Guardian's membrain has to be organic, genetically engineered, born in a petra dish by biologist and bio-chemists in a laboratory somewhere in the Village.
Kind regards
David
BCNU