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Hard to believe something as thought provoking as "The Prisoner" was on TV given all the choices, almost all of them moronic and bad, we have on TV today. The last two episodes in this set are kind of hard to follow--they have that disjointed late 60s style that seems dated now, but viewed as a complete series, "The Prisoner" is fascinating stuff. Can't say it was ahead of its time (again, look at the crap we contend with now, like "Dancing With The Stars"), but it WAS timeless. You can judge it just about any way you like; to this viewer it's a damnation of socialism in all its forms, and the inescapable fact people just want to have their destiny left up to no one but themselves. Be seeing you....
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I am very happy with this item and I do enjoy it. Good quality also.
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TP is a great work of art. Unfortunately, tv is no different from any other arts medium in that rarely is greatness recognized off the bat. People always whine about tv's Wasteland, yet have tuned in regularly for such dull crap as Friends or the Cosby Show. People say they want boldness- even poetry, especially in these contemporary postmodern times. Yet, when confronted with 1 of the boldest works of art ever put forth, people whine that they may actually have to think & not be passive. They reject it. 1 might call this the Stanley Kubrick Syndrome. It's no surprise that the other great piece of visual art that reigned in 1968 (along with TP & Planet Of The Apes) was Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. TP is also a great work of philosophy. Fundamentally it deals with the nature of reality, yet politically it also deals with the idea of rights (civil & human), which (if we are honest) we all know are a human law of invention, not a natural law of immanence. Now think: why is it that philosophy is 1 of the few endeavors more scorned than poetry? Because it's all ideas- it is inert. Art is ideas in motion, & the visual arts are the most accessible forms of art. & TP is a masterpiece of the visual arts in its philosophy. This DVD set (The Complete Prisoner) should ensconce itself on your shelves filled with Plato, Nietzsche, Holderlin, & the boys. Also, as to what it's all about, again- the point is open, & please put not too much stock in PM's explanation as artists are wont to missing the results they put out for they concentrate too much on the intent- plus, all artists of any worth are accomplished prevaricators- often willfully so. PM's art is served well by disinforming his public. So confused were critics & the viewing public that in all the years since I can think of only 2 tv shows that have some commonalities with TP- meaning its influence was limited.
The 1st was American PBS's 1979 telefilm The Lathe Of Heaven, wherein the main character suffers a horrific trauma & literally lives within a dream- or does he? The other was the UPN network's 1995 1 season show Nowhere Man- starring Bruce Greenwood. In it a photojournalist takes a photo of a supposed Latin American execution & finds out his whole life may have been a charade. While not `imprisoned' like 6, the character- Tom Veil- seeks to regain his life by hitting the road to prove he is sane. TP & The Fugitive are the 2 dominant influences on this show- & it often paid subtle & overt homages to both. Unlike TP, however, this show was to be a regular series, but was canceled before its 1st season was over. This prompted the producers to wrap up the show hastily at 25 episodes. The result was an ending which aped TP's, but with none of the emotional impact, nor surrealism. What a shame, because the show was far superior to the Star Trek: Voyager show it aired after. & though dreams are a province film has often plumbed, about the only successful film of recent vintage that I would say is comparable is Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1990 Martian sci fi opus Total Recall. In that film Schwarzenegger's character is truly his own worst enemy! Another noteworthy point re: TP is that it may very well have been the 1st real `miniseries' to air in the US. While the 1970s saw Rich Man, Poor Man, Roots, The Holocaust, etc. make miniseries a staple, TP should truly be seen in their genre- after all, it was planned to be only 17 episodes long- about 14 hours of tv- shorter than Roots. Seen in that light it has still more significance. PM had the smarts to lace ambiguities throughout the show. 1 almost feels he was conducting an experiment & must've loved the control he/the show had over his/its fans. As I've stated, I think the best interpretation is that the whole show takes place in a moment of 6's mind (whether JD or not) as he is either heading to resign, contemplating the `fall out' of such a deed, or merely off on another adventure as Danger Man. It's not that unusual a trope- it's even classic, & since the penultimate episode is the last to start with 6 `waking up' the series can be seen circularly with 6 forever dreaming (dead?)- thanks go out for that possibility, too.
Another little mentioned aspect of TP, as art, is that it is a nearly perfect piece of metacriticism on conspiracy theories in general- whether they're plausible theories as in JFK's assassination, or wacky theories involving aliens, Jewish bankers, & that lot. In fact, part of the show's `cult status' feeds off of that frenzy. Refer back to all the queries I have addressed, & the many others I have not (see assorted books & websites for what I mean). But if that does not convince you that this brilliant work of art also doubles as a brilliant piece of metacriticism, maybe this will: re-read my exposition of 6 as John Drake, get the DVD for yourself, & confirm what I say, & you will see I am correct. Wanna bet that my exposé is ridiculed by the TP cultists? In fact, the show inspires factions of fans who refuse logic & definitive proofs in whatever defense of their beliefs- no matter how wrong they are. Ain't art wonderful?
Let me end this essay by possibly pulling a McGoohan (I shan't wrap things too tightly lest suffocate them- or am I feinting now?) & returning to the 4 points: apparent contradiction, particulars from the general, the general from particulars, & lastly TPD. As we've seen TP is chock with contradictions real & apparent. We've also seen these contradictions are often served by allowing the viewer to make deductive & inductive conclusions which not only are at odds given certain different information, but often from the same information. & before using TPD in a metaphoric way re: TP, consider this: the title, as we've seen is not necessarily specific to 6. Therefore let us consider 6 & 2 (or any other Villagers) to be eternally pondering the other's moves. 6 as the non-fink & the 2s as the finks who consistently win round after round- until the end. The 2s have all the perks, yet they all seem to have a not-so-secret envy of 6. What changes to allow the still seemingly non-finking 6 to win? (Or does he?) That may be the actual key question of the series, also never pondered before without the idea of TPD. Also, consider that TPD operates (theoretically) under unchanging rules- TP may or may not; & may or may not be self-consistent with its own consistency (or inconsistency).
In the end it may well be that the ambiguity which damned TP's initial critical & public reception is the very thing which has proven to be its salvation. After decades of intermittent appearances the whole show can be owned for the price of a decent VCR or boombox. Trust me in that it is a much more sound investment you will mine over & again through the years. On reflection, perhaps there is no dilemma after all. Then, again, I told you I was gonna pull a McGoohan- or was that a McGuffin?
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I concur with those that have stated that this is NOT the restored versions released last Oct in the UK from the original 35MM tapes. So it gets a strike against it for that. However I have purchased this set and it is acceptable to the average consumer. However the UK set is markedly superior. You would need a region-free player to play the UK set, and the set is more expensive than this version, but I believe it is worth it as I have seen the difference.
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Just a typical day...you slam your fists on your boss' desk in a rage.You feel like passing out, like you're just a number and there's no escape. You wake up in the morning and it's the same thing all over again. The piped-in music everyplace is driving you crazy, and where did all these people in striped outfits come from? Just when you make a run for it, this giant white ball stops you. I grew up watching this with my parents on Saturday morning. Not cartoons? Yeah, we're still a weird family. Our local PBS station showed it a decade and a half after its original airing in the sixties. This series made a big impression on my eight-year old brain. I bought the set a few years ago and watched it again, this time in color! It still makes an impression. Fantastic production values, great acting, paranoia-inducing with fabulous scripts. Patrick McGoohan plays a secret agent who is shipped off to a deprogramming facility by helicopter when he questions his superiors. (It's actually a real village in Wales called Portmeiron created by an eccentric in the 19th century ). Thought-provoking is the way agent number 6's (McGoohan) dilemma is reflected back into the society we live in. Society vs. individual identity, groupthink, power of suggestion...it's heady stuff and a pschoanalyst could spend hours trying to uncover the layers. I suggest you enjoy it and expect all your expectations to be turned upside down. Bravo! An instant classic. People in Hollywood should be strapped to their chairs and try to learn something from this.
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