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Friday 17 January 2014

A Favourite Scene In The Prisoner

   The Prisoner has returned to London after a most dangerous sea voyage in 'Many Happy Returns.' He’s encountered a belligerent housemaid, gained the help of Mrs. Butterworth, and finally convinced the Colonel and Thorpe enough to be intrigued by his story. The Colonel puts checks put into motion of their ex-colleagues story, and finally convinced enough, call in a Naval Commander and RAF Group Captain to help calculate a search area for the Village.
    Then having calculated a search area of some 1,750 square miles, the Village thought to be lying somewhere on the coast of Morocco, South West of Portugal and Spain, the Naval Commander looks at the map saying "Just about here," who then takes a pencil and scribbles all over the search area!
    Yes, "Just about here," it seems as though the Naval Commander obliterates the search area on the map, perhaps so that the viewers could not see where the Village might be! This scene never ceases to amuse every time I watch it.

BCNU

15 comments:

  1. A nice detail, well observed. I didn't take notice of it. But it coincides with a) the map scene in the Village shop and the only vague disclosure of "the Mountains", "the Sea", and then also the map scene in the P09 when the shop keeper tells 6 "You are HERE..." thereby pointing vaguely somewhere on the more than oversize map. The strategy of obfuscation. - BCNU!

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    1. hello Arno,
      A very good afternoon.
      I've just read your comment, then realised I forgot to add two pictures when I posted the piece this morning, which I have now rectified.
      It's a nice little map scene. The Village map, either black or white or colour, only gives the merest information. While the map of the Village in the 2009 series is fully detailed "Buy one, get one free, makes the perfect gift" says the Shopkeeper-37927. In fact originally the Village Shop in the 2009 series was to have sold nothing but maps of the Village. Mind you looking at the items sold in the shop, everything does seem to have a map of the Village on them!
      At least Michael in the 2009 series knows vaguely where he is, not that it does him much good. It wasn't until 'Many Happy Returns' that the Prisoner in the original series found out where he was!

      Very best regards
      David
      BCNU

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  2. Good evening David and Arno,
    I've found your post very interesting. I didn't notice such connexions between the original series and the 2009 one. To be perfectly honest, I didn't like very mutch The Prisoner 2009 even so I watched each episode twice. But, you managed to convince me to give The new series a real second chance. David has already posted various well documented articles about The Prisoner 2009. So I'm going to watch again the new series.
    So, The(s) Village(s) is(are) such a mysterious place(s) that we are never sure of its(their) "real" existence(s) in the both series.
    But, I have an amazing news I have proof that The(s) Village(s) is(are) REAL with these two videos :
    The first one is in French. It was filmed by a journalist who has absconded shortly after. I don't know who filmed the second one.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm7_6UFXwIA&feature=youtube_gdata
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KWWCkdKaBU&sns=em
    Be seeing you
    Christine

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    1. Good morning Christine,
      Thank you for your comment, and thank you for the video links. I add seen the French video before. I had not however seen the video filmed in Swakopumnd, very nice to see the Village again. Filmed in 2008 the Solar Cafe is plainly seen, this before it was blown to smithereens in a scene of 'Arrival'.

      There are many "homages" paid to the original series of 'the Prisoner' in THEPRIS6NER-09, and they are plain for the eye to see, and the mind to recognise. I can understand your not liking the series, it took me two screenings to understand what was taking place. And that is the thing about THEPRIS6NER-09, the viewer has to give it a chance, even a second chance, because it is then that one can fully appreicate the series, and see that it is not so very different from the original.
      You are not the first to give THEPRIS6NER-09 a second chance through having read my articles.I know there are many fans of the orignal series who detest THEPRIS6NER-09 series with a passion, who cannot see it's worth. Well that is fair enough, as no-one is forced to like the series, only to have given it a fair chance before rejecting it. I am friends with a gentleman who doesn't like THEPRIS6NER, but he appreciates the fact that I do, and so we differ on the subject, and yet at the same time we have enjoyed a number of discussions about the series.
      Enjoy watching THEPRIS6NER.

      Thank you for your two emails, which I have yet to reply to, and hope to do so over the weekend.
      Very best wishes
      David
      BCNU

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  3. Nice footage of Swakopmund, merci Christine! However, a bit strange the use of the first verse of the "Deutschlandlied" which is from the national anthem. That verse is officially not in use and sung, obviously because of its infamous content ("über alles" - "above all"). Although it originates from the early 19th century and has nothing to do with the Nazis. Regardless of this politically right-minded people like to sing the verse as a provocation. End of lecture. Your Professor. - BCNU!

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    1. Good evening Professor Arno,

      Thank you very mutch for the information. I ignored this sad fact about the German song.
      I was mainly interested by the prisoneresque connexion within the footage . It was the only video about Swakopmund I found. You are right, the footage of this very particular town is very nice. I already knew that this town was built by German people during the 19th century so I wasn't surprised by the song. Also, we can listen an African song .

      So, another unsavoury character wanted to be provocative... I apologize if this particular verse has offended you. It was certainly not my purpose, when I decided to post this link. I wanted to add illustration to your interesting exchange with David about the two Prisoner series.

      What you tell me makes me think of our national anthem (La Marseillaise). Our song contains some violent verses which appear full of hatred. "La Marseillaise" was in fact composed during the French Revolution and his meaning is mostly metaphoric. But French politically right-minded people want to appropriate it. And I'm upset by this fact because this song belongs to our history.

      So, we share the same problem with our both national anthem...

      I'm sorry again for that also I'm tired of all these psychopath.

      Perhaps, you'd prefer our friend David erase this video .I would understand even so it would be a pity because this video contains some nice peculiar footages and makes The Village 2009 existing in real life. Perhaps, I'll take the plane and visit Swakopmund one day. The name of this town is as strange as its architecture. "Portmeirion" sounds very strange too. the both names (and both places) seem belong to another world.

      Thank you again for the lesson dear Professor.

      Be seeing you

      Christine



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  4. For heaven's sake no! The video link should be deleted. Sorry, Christine, if what I wrote was understood the wrong way. It was meant as one further piece of INORMATION. That's all. Bonjour chez vous!

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  5. ARRGH. Repeat: the video link should - of course - NOT be deleted.

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    1. Hello Arno,
      Thank you for your kind reply and for the piece of information.
      Wir sehen uns
      Christine

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  6. What I found missing, however, were the triangle houses of the P09, in reality holiday homes. - BNCU!

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  7. That's right. Here is is the link :

    http://www.swakopmund-restcamp.com/spitzkoppe.htm
    BCNU

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  8. Oh yes, thanks. I've seen those or similar pictures once when the P09 aired first. I'd like to travel there but, well... - BCNU!

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  9. I enjoy this scene for the mechanics of how they determine a probable area in which the Village island is located: using nothing but Number Six's logs, a compass, a ruler, and mental arithmetic. Kind of amazing to watch through modern eyes.

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    1. Hello Anonymous,
      Its caculations using mind and instruments, no technology used at all. But is The Village on an Island?

      Best regards
      David
      BCNU

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  10. I enjoy this scene for the mechanics of how they determine a probable area in which the Village island is located: using nothing but Number Six's logs, a compass, a ruler, and mental arithmetic. Kind of amazing to watch through modern eyes.

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