Have you
observed how the criminal when pictured in films or in a television drama
series, whenever he or she is being chased, has a sudden and compelling urge to
climb upwards, and more often than not trapping themselves in the end? Well
Number 1 is no different. Having been unmasked he is pursued within the
confines of the Control Room of the rocket, and being desperate that Number 6
should not lay hands upon him, Number 1 sees the steel ladder and climbs up
into the nose cone of the rocket so as to evade capture. But he has sealed his
own fate, and has trapped himself. One would have felt Number 1 to have had
more intelligence than that, seeing the origins of his genetic make-up.
Nevertheless he allowed himself to be out witted by his other half. But let’s
face it, Number 1 isn’t the first to have underestimated Number 6!
Be seeing you
Very well observed, David! As you say, this is a rather standard procedure for villains trying to get away from a critical situation. Who knows, perhaps No. 1 was a movie buff who, once driven into a corner, would climb upstairs as far as he could get. Then, like James Cagney in "White Heat", shouting from the tip of the rocket "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" The result: the rocket was launched (exploded?). - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteOh that's very good, I liked the James Cagney quote, and the thought of Number 1 shouting it from the top of the rocket made me laugh.
As for the fate of Number 1...well either the rocket went as far as it could into outer space, or it re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up, or.......impacted with the ground or splashed down in the sea...I should think. But in any such situation I've always felt 1's fate was sealed, at least in the nose cone of the rocket!
Best regards
David
BCNU
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteSo was this scene telling us that Number 1 lost out to Number 6, who in the end is seen going back to his flat and then starting out in KAR 120C to go resign...AGAIN.
So perhaps the imagery was to tell us that we only THINK that we are in control...defeating what we think is our biggest obstacle, only to find that we are right back where we started from???
Patrick McGoohan said that we all live in our own unique "Village"...which if one thinks about it, is very true. Other people come and go in our lives...some changing us for the good, and some making us wish we'd never met them.
We've all had someone that we've had to go nose to nose with...we've met those people who like to play "mind games", and those who live in a fantasy world.
We all struggle with trying to balance our own wants and needs with those of our families and others. So symbolically we all sometimes have to "kill" our Number 1 and put someone else before ourselves.
It's interesting that Number 6 is shown talking to the old Number 2 ( Leo McKern ) at the end of FallOut , before he goes back to his flat to start over. Perhaps the photo was just one taken while in down time between takes, as I don't recall seeing the two characters talking in front of the Parliament buildings.
BCNU
Karen
Hello Karen,
DeleteHow you describe the final scene in ‘Fall Out’ is correct. But there is another way, perhaps having escaped The Village, and upon returning to London, like the way it was in ‘Many Happy Returns,’ he had two calls to make, one in town, the other in the country to see the Colonel at his country residence! Not to hand in his letter of resignation again, but to get those answers he so desperately needs!
That’s quite right we all do live in our unique Village, each and every day in which people come and go for various reasons, that is life. We might resign from our job and get another job. One makes some very good friends, and people who we think are friends. And we make enemies along the way. Eventually if we are lucky, we find someone we love, someone we want to spend the rest of our lives with. But nothing and no-one is permanent, life keeps changing, life and experiences change us. But I would not want to kill my Number 1, he’s the guy who has to make all the tough decisions!
I know the photograph you are thinking of, it’s not from the actual episode of ‘Fall Out’, but a production photograph, hence Patrick McGoohan and Leo McKern are speaking to each other.
Best regards
Be seeing you
David