Fascination With The Man In Isolation
"I have always had this fascination with the man in isolation against the bureaucracy, against society, and also I've always had the constant fear that we're becoming a mineralised society more and more, and that for the individual, the rebel, shall we say, the 'arrogant individual', to survive and keep his self-respect, there has to be a certain amount of fighting against the system. So I've had this idea for years and years, probably since I was a child."
{ Patrick McGoohan.}
Well this explains a great deal about his creation, its content, and the direction in which he personally drove the Prisoner series, together with those who helped produce it.
One Final Point
Well not really, as there will be further numerous points raised I'm sure. But when Patrick McGoohan was asked which phrase he would like ‘the Prisoner’ series to be remembered by, Patrick McGoohan said he hoped it would be the greeting "Be seeing you." The meaning of this, like everything else in the series, up to the individual to interpret.... or is it?
Well if I explained to Patrick McGoohan the origin of the phrase "Be seeing you" used in conjunction with the village salute, he probably wouldn't believe me..... or would he?
Many Happy Returns
After No.6 has woken up in what appears a completely deserted Villge, not only does No.6 check out the Cafe, the old people's home, and inside the Green Dome. But he also gets into the hospital, which is also completely deserted, which is in the script, but which does not feature in the actual episode.
Be seeing you
MHR: One wonders if No. 6 wouldn't have chosen to take advantage of that situation of finding the Village deserted not only to collect some tools and something to eat, then build a raft for him to escape but to explore a bit deeper what there might be inside the Green Dome or the Hospital. Clearly, there would have been a risk for the Village of letting him roam too freely. But they would have taken measures to ensure certain areas weren't accessible to him. On the other hand it would have cost No. 6 much time that most likely he wasn't willing to spend on investigations except of taking some photos. It's believable, the urge to get away would have been very strong. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteNo.6 might have taken advantage of the situation of 'Many Happy Returns,' through curiosity. Regarding the risk of allowing No.6 to roam too free within the deserted Village, he didn't get into the sensitive building of the Town Hall!
The period when No.6 is all alone in the Village works well. But I'm pleased that the scene in which No.6 broke into the hospital was deleted, it would have began to make that part of 'Many Happy Returns' boring. And yet it would have shown that everyone was moved out of the Village until No.6 had escaped.
Very kind regards
David
BCNU
Absolutely, the Village devoid of people with the cries of the seagulls only that's a quality of its own. And luckily the weather or the pre-spring time conditions add a lot to this. The only thing is, would a character like No. 6 really allow the opportunity of digging deeper into the mechanisms of power slip away so easily? I think this doesn't quite fit in. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteAlthough not one single word is spoken for the best part of 'Many Happy Returns,' what we see on the screen is thoroughly absorbing.
After waking up to discover the Village deserted, as though everyone has escaped but Number 6, he makes a search of the Village. He rings the bell in the Bell Tower in the hope of attracting someones, anyones, attention. He builds himself a Kon Tiki style sea-going raft. He gathers provisions from the General store, and takes pictures of the Village. What puzzles me is, all the pictures are exterior shots, there are no interior shots, of the Green Dome for example.
I think for a man like No.6, to find the Village deserted, the urge to get away himself would have been too overpowering. After all up to this point, his one great passion was to escape. I'm not sure what No.6 would have gained by taking the opportunity to delve deeper into the mechanisms of the Village. He might have seen that in a waste of his time, especially when there's the opportunity for escape.
Very kind regards
David
BCNU