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MovieMail's Review
"Where am I?: asked The Prisoner upon his arrival in The Village. Faced with Patrick McGoohan's surreal, 1960s TV masterpiece, viewers of the day probably shared his sentiments.
After the triumphant success of Danger Man, and having turned down Bond, McGoohan used his considerable clout to create an offbeat series that would provoke viewers and critics alike. What other series would see its hero given a fake lobotomy? Or be persuaded that he is his own double? Or see him trapped inside another's body, with a different actor playing him for the duration of the episode?
Unlike Danger Man’s globetrotting John Drake, The Prisoner’s protagonist, known only by his hated number – 6 – is confined to the eery idyll of The Village, a prison where ex-spies go to have their remaining secrets extracted by hook or by crook.
Each episode follows the same pattern, with the credits sequence revealing a new Number 2, charged by his unseen master to extract the reasons behind Number 6's resignation. Each episode, Number 6 plans his escape. Both plans invariably fail, and this gives the show a disquieting tone.
It's unclear whether The Village is run by the Western powers, the Soviets, both or neither, and whilst the show is laced with cold war intrigue, it retains a rare timeless quality that keeps the action fresh.
Filmed amidst the merry Italianate architecture of Portmeirion, Wales, The Prisoner is memorable for its superlative production design, stylish editing, sharp colours and crisp cinematography. And with this new release, it has never looked so good. Restored and remastered from original film elements, the difference is palpable, with colours, clarity and sharpness all hugely improved over previous versions.
Only 17 episodes were made, but quality trumps quantity every time; this slice of insanity is carefully prepared and perfectly served. The episodes themselves range from swinging 60s kitsch (The Girl Who was Death) to political allegory (Free for All) to Danger Man style on-the-run adventure (The Chimes of Big Ben), each show (with one obvious exception) anchored by McGoohan's brooding presence as the man who will sacrifice everything but his individuality.
7 discs. Superbly restored from original materials. Audio Commentaries
Don't Knock Yourself Out - exclusive, feature-length documentary
Audio Commentaries
Restored version of the original edits of Arrival and The Chimes of Big Ben
A specially-commissioned book on the making of the series by TV historian Andrew Pixley
Trailers
Behind the scenes footage
Production Paperwork Archive
Image archive containing over 1200 stills
Dolby 5.1 Audio Mix
Commercial Break Bumpers
Film Description
All the episodes from THE cult 60s series. All you need is love, No 6.
More? Ok. Following the success of Patrick McGoohan's proto-Bond series Danger Man, he went on to create - as producer, co-writer and co-director - The Prisoner, as prime a series of enigmatic, surrealist, paranoiac televison as ever was created. McGoohan himself plays No 6, held in a mysterious seaside town (Portmeirion in actuality) for reasons unclear, though certainly to do with him resigning from the secret service. But who is holding him, his own side or another? Who is Number 2 and what do they want? Who is Number 1?
Number 6 just wants to get out. He sometimes does, ingeniously, but usually not for long. Be seeing you!
Patrick McGoohan's cult TV series (the successor to his remarkable espionage series, Danger Man, also available from Network) needs absolutely no introduction, remaini... more >
Patrick McGoohan's cult TV series (the successor to his remarkable espionage series, Danger Man, also available from Network) needs absolutely no introduction, remaining one of the most audacious and inventive pieces of genre television ever created for the medium. Admirers of McGoohan's visionary series may already have acquired the earlier complete set from this company, but true aficionados will have to stump up for this astonishing new Blu-ray version. To say that the series comes up as fresh as paint doesn't begin to do it justice: the transformative effect of the new medium is absolutely breathtaking, with skin tones in particular rendered in the kind of detail that suggests the films were made yesterday rather than so many years ago. With copious (and cherishable) extras, this is an essential purchase for admirers of McGoohan and the series - and in its new incarnation the perfect introduction for those who have not yet summoned up the courage to take the plunge. As Blu-ray makes ever more inroads into the home cinema market, this is the kind of set that will act as a Trojan horse for the medium. < less
"Be Seeing You..." -
PAUL RONAYNE on 29th September 2009
This grounbreaking TV series from the 1960s set a kind of benchmark in quality that 40 years on we can still recognise. The opening credits alone reach the status of c... more >
This grounbreaking TV series from the 1960s set a kind of benchmark in quality that 40 years on we can still recognise. The opening credits alone reach the status of classic, iconic art as Patrick McGoohan drives into an ethereally beautiful London before resigning as a spy. The rest has become a part of '60s folklore as he is gassed, kidnapped and removed to 'The Village'to be numbered and interrogated by a selection of sinister 'No.2s'
This was McGoohan's personal project, starring, writing and directing some episodes using various pseudonyms. At the time it was an enormous gamble which only partly paid off. Yet 'The Prisoner' has been incredibly influental over the years moving from cult status to international acclaim. The remakes and movie spin-offs beckon but will never replace one of the most original television programmes ever made. Be seeing you... < less
