There is a clue to the identity of No.1 in the episode of ‘Once Upon A Time,’ for when No.2 is speaking to No.1 on the telephone he says "You don't want to damage him!" Then on the screen during the film of flashbacks, No.6 immediately says "My life is my own." No.2 speaks into the telephone "Very well," as though just on cue!
BcNu
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteto me it seems as if the whole phone-call might be interpreted as a talk between the face at the videoscreen, perhaps Number Six and One (or seven?) and Number 2, if you want it.
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteAn interesting and thought provoking comment, and yes it could be interpreted in the way you say. Not so sure about Seven though!
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure, too. Just a thought.
But I've always wondered what is about this piece of dialog: "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered!" "7 days!?" ..
What I find interesting is that there are seven things you won't do to Number Six/One, seven days for degree absolute and theoretically seven ages of men.
"Impropable." "But not impossible."
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteI have to say that you give plenty of food for thought, and quite original is your thought.
The seven ages of man, 7 days to gain the reason begind the Prisoner's resignation, and 7 things they will not do to the Prisoner.' The only trouble with this train of thought is that they did 'file' No.6, they 'indexed' him in the filing cabinet marked RESIGNED. No.2 in 'Arrival' de-briefed the Prisoner in his office, and 'briefed' the Prisoner on the Village during the aerial tour in the helicopter. And they did 'number' him No.6. They 'pushed' and 'Stamped' him ie they branded him No.6, and tried to crush his resistance to the Village.
As you say, it's improbable, but not impossible, as anything is possible in the Village.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
DeleteI agree, it shouldn't read "they won't do to him" but rather "he doesn't want to be ..". Although he seemingly overcame some of the consequencies.
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteYes, it should, and he did.
Regarding the "7" we were talking about, there is another 7 which I had forgotten about, until I witnessed it Saturday night while watching 'Free For All.' No.6 is in his conditioned state of mind, and to bring him out of it, No.2, the former No.58 slaps his face 7 times.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
Deletethat's intriguing! I've always thought it had been six slaps, but yes, there are seven. Nice, I like that. I wonder, if there are more examples, especially in The Chimes Of Big Ben, perhaps.
Kind regards
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteAs it happens, and again I've just remembered this, Nadia Rakovsky who's Number 8 in 'The Chimes of Big Ben' but originally her number was to have been 7! So how about that one?
Very kind regards and thank you for your email, which I read this morning. As interesting and thought provoking as ever.
David
BCNU
Hello David,
ReplyDeletemy pleasure :).
There may even be a second seven in The Chimes Of Big Ben. Number Six got suspicious when Big Ben stroke eight, because in London it would have been seven o'clock...
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteActually when Big Ben struck eight, and Number 6's watch said eight it was eight O'clock. There is one hours difference between English and Polish time, Poland being one hour ahead of English time the watch given to Number 6 should have said 9pm. The only way your comment would have been correct, is if the Village really had been in Poland, and Karel's watch had been set to Polish time, then the time in London would have been seven.
Kind reagrds
David
BCNU
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteyes, that's what I thought. I thought that Number Six had to assume that the watch he got from his helper was set right, and in Polish time, because by this time he still thought that the village was situated in Poland. But it's a matter of interpretation.
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteThe fact that the Colonel said "Perhaps he was slow" {meaning his watch} indicates that the watch No.6 was wearing should have said nine O'clock.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
Deleteyes, it should. Sorry, I cannot resist continuning that mind game. Whats bothering me is that he got it from Karel and there was no way for the village to manipulate it after he got it. But when he got it it should have shown nearly the same time as Number Six watch. They only had the chance to manipulate Big Ben on the tape. But in fact both watches were right when they said 8 o'clock. As you say, in fact it WAS eight o'clock. At least in the village. And since we do not know where the village is we also do not know how late it is in London..
Very kind regards,
Jana
Be seeing you.
Hello Jana,
DeleteThere is one big clue about the location of the Village during 'The Chimes of Big Ben,' and that it is the Village has the same time as English time, some western european contries are of the same time-zone as Great Britain, and that is shown in 'Many Happy Returns,' Portugal and Spain to be precise! So when we watch 'Many Happy Returns,' like Number 6, we know where the Village is, little good it does either of us!
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
Deletethat's a really good point and a nice and surprising case of continuity between the episodes, in my opinion!
And considering that even Portmeirion has the same time as London.. that's good, makes perfect sense.
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU