A Favourite Scene in The Prisoner

    The Prisoner-No.6 is a dab-hand with his fists, and favours good old fashioned brute force on many an occasion. But using brute force against the Village Guardian doesn't work, because the Guardian offers no resistance. Perhaps that's why in a much later scene in 'Arrival', when No.6 attempts to escape by helicopter, the downdraft of the rotor blades does not blow the Village Guardian away. This is either because the Village Guardian offers no resitance, either that or the weather balloon is pegged to the ground on a very short tether!

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What's That No.6 Up To?

    Village Technicians have developed an outboard life-buoy, which can be deployed at sea to help stricken mariners. No.6 was volunteered to test the outboard life-buoy. Pictured here setting out to sea, closely shadowed by the Village helicopter, this the first of several planned tests.

When out at sea, there the test really begins, with the simulation of the Jet boat in some difficulty, the steering jamming for example. And No.6 quickly jumps overboard.

                                     

  Once in the water, the outboard life-buoy is automatically activated, and now proceeds to pick up the crew in the water.

                                      

This outboard life-buoy, has been developed from the "air-bag" safety device which has been fitted to all taxis. You will recall some time ago, how No.6 tested that particular device, which operates to great effect, and with much the same result in both cases.

Both devices are the same, one on land, one on the sea. It is hoped that with further development, that this life saving device can be exported around the world.

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The Prisoner Under The Spotlight

   The Prisoner has often been described as "Kafka-esque", meaning it is often surreal, blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy. However the parallels between the Prisoner and the story of Joseph K. in Kafka's The Trial are much closer than just the emphasis of the programme.

   Der Prozess {The Trial} was written by Franz Kafka in 1914. The basic story is about Joseph K. who wakes up one morning to find himself arrested and pronounced guilty of a crime he has not committed, indeed the crime of which Joseph K. is charged to have committed is never mentioned. He attempts to procure justice only to come up against a bureaucratic nightmare, against which he cannot win. It is such a complex story that it is not possible to outline it in a nutshell, but to get to the point, how does ‘the Prisoner’ resemble The Trial/ Well the similarities are such, and not in any particular order, as Joseph K. wakes up to find himself under arrest without knowing what he has done, so too the Prisoner wakes up in the Village to find himself abducted without knowing why.

   During the episode ‘Dance of the Dead’ No.6 is put on trial as Joseph K. is put on trial without knowing his crime, both given a defence lawyer, in the case of No.6 his defender is his observer No.240. No.6 is faced with a bureaucratic nightmare, one that he cannot win. At his trial Joseph K. is found to be guilty and is sentenced to death, the sentence is carried out. No.6 is found to be guilty of the possession of a radio set, is sentenced to death, but in his case the sentence is not carried out.

  In Kafka's The trial we never find out what the K stands for in Joseph K. as we never really know the name of the Prisoner-No.6.

   Questions; throughout The Trial the question is why? What has Joseph K. done? What is his guilt? In ‘the Prisoner’ the question is why did he resign? Which side runs the village? What is the village guardian? Where is the village? Questions in both cases, and to some degree, remain unanswered.

   When Joseph K. meets the interrogator he has to wear black, When No.6 meets No.2 he is wearing charcoal grey............. In Joseph K's second interrogation everyone is wearing badges except Joseph K., No.6 never wears his badge either!

   And in ‘Fall Out’ No.6 is again put on trial, although No.6 is allowed to address the court he is not permitted to be heard, shouted down as he is at every attempt to make himself heard! At least Joseph K. was allowed to address the court!

   Two men come for Joseph K. to take him away for execution. The two men are wearing black frock coats and black top hats - a good description of the two undertakers who come to abduct the Prisoner in the first instance wouldn't you say?

   There are indeed parallels to be drawn between Kafka's The Trail and that of the Prisoner. But in  my researches, and sometimes quite by accident, I have also found a number of other literary works which share equal parallels with that of the Prisoner. The ghost story entitled ‘The Midnight Express’ for one, and Bram Stokers 1894 story ‘The Crooken Sands’ to name but two.

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The Therapy Zone

Arrival

    In the conversation between the new No.2 and the Prisoner he says "We do here what has to be done. It's the law of survival. It's either them or us." Imprison people, steal their minds, destroy them! "Depends on whose side you're on, doesn't it?" To which the Prisoner replies "I'm on our side." What the side of the village? If his own people put him here, there cannot be any question of which side runs the village. And if the village is set up to gather information, as suggested in ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,’ it's not just the reason behind the Prisoner's resignation that they want - but all the information inside his head! The Prisoner has been put in the village for the protection of National security, and to be thoroughly debriefed at their leisure! And it might have worked, had they offered him something in return. Oh but of course they did, or at least No.2 did. It was during the aerial tour of the village when No.2 suggested to the Prisoner "You might even be given a position of authority." Well they did actually offer that position of authority, in ‘Fall Out,’ they offered No.6, or Sir as he became to be addressed as, the offer of ultimate power!

    The Prisoner is in a very dark place, of which there is no cure. What put him there, was whatever it was caused him to resign his job!

   I shouldn't want to be standing anywhere on that balcony during the ceremony of "Appreciation Day" of ‘It's Your Funeral.’ Because it shouldn't matter who is wearing the Great Seal of Office, which is packed with explosive, because when detonated, the end result would be the same. The death of more than one person, in a scene of carnage, blood and gore!

Players Or Pawns

    ‘Living In Harmony’ sees an unseal manoeuvre, as the players are at the same time, pawns in their own game! If the hallucinating No.6 might be seen as the King, not being allowed to move far before being hammered again, then Cathy, the Judge, and the Kid could be assigned to Queen, Bishop, and Knight respectively. The irony of this particular gambit is that the players allow themselves to be swallowed up by their own role-playing game, and in their own destruction, is the release of the Prisoner!

The Moon's A Balloon!

   On a purely allegorical level, it was once written that the Village Guardian could be seen as a condensed imitation of the Moon, that those men, seen sat around the Village Guardian in that cave during Free For All, were worshipping it, as people would worship the Moon.

    "I'd like to be the first man on the Moon!"  Well that is what No.6 told No.2 during ‘The Chimes Of Big Ben.’ Whether or not the rocket in ‘Fall Out’ eventually reaches the Moon, I cannot say, and it seems most unlikely. Yet after the events of ‘Fall Out,’ who is to say No.6 didn't eventually make it? After all that rocket No.1 had there was destined to go somewhere, and to take three passengers with him, sealed nicely in those "Orbit Tubes." It makes one wonder if the violent and bloody revolution had not taken place………had the rocket taken off with No.1, 48, the “late” No.2, and No.6 aboard…….what their ultimate fate might have been!

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Thought For The Day

    "They say six of one, half dozen of the other, not here.... Its six for two and two for nothing....."

   This statement is said that even in No.6's own words he sees his own downfall as No.2, that he's "heading for nothing." Yet is this right? Isn't No.6 saying that its six for two, seeing as he's running for office - No.2's office as Chairman of the Village. And "Two for nothing", meaning that if No.2 loses will be "nothing," having lost the election.

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At The Exhibition of Arts and Crafts with our own reporter

    Exhibitions like the Arts and Crafts is very important to the community, citizens can demonstrate their various skills in painting, drawing, pottery, sculpture, and various Arts and Crafts skills.

    But sadly many of the village citizens fail to show any imagination with their chosen subject, as many chose No.2 as their subject, as pictured here.

   In my opinion its a bit creepy-crawly for so many citizens to choose No.2 as their preferred subject, even the General with his hand carved chess set made No.2 one of the kings!

   Yet there are one or two individuals, one carved a monolith in granite, while No.6 carved something abstract in wood.

   The awards Committee wasn't too sure what it was, although it is seen to be "highly original," and it took "Our very own Epstein" to explain his work which No.6 entitled "Escape." "It means what it is. this piece. What does it represent to you?" A church door is the reply. "Right first time. Now this other piece here, the same general lines, somewhat more abstract as you'll notice, representing freedom, or a barrier depending on how you look at it... The barriers down the door is open, you're free, free to go, free to escape, to escape to this... symbol of human aspirations... Knowledge, freedom, escape." My god that No.6 is quick-witted individual, quick to think on his feet!

   That's all very well, but why the crosspiece? Yet No.6 won the "prize of prizes," a  "special merit award" of 2,000 free work units. Then came the surprise of the award ceremony as No.6 addressed the gathered citizens. Because No.6 used those 2,000 free work units to actually buy No.38's tapestry to hang in his own home! Not too sure that I'd want a huge tapestry of No.2 hanging in my home, having to look at it everyday. And worse, to have it looking at me everyday!

    Perhaps we’ll be seeing you at the “Display of Mime and Entertainment.”

Your own reporter

Photographer No.113b

Exhibition of Arts and Crafts

"The Tower"

BcNu