Some thoughts on the creative process.

Another rare interview with the late great Patrick McGoohan. He memorably declared that freedom is a myth, and that we are both our own contorted devils and avenging angels in our nature. The struggle to actualise genuine freedom is what defines The Prisoner as probably the best artistic work of the 1960s in my view. The fact that its main location was the thoroughly bewitching Portmerion in North Wales just made it even cooler to me. The series was a creative landmark for McGoohan, and he is kinda like Schopenhauer in that he devised his master work early, and then just refined it with age and the passing of time. He's easily one of my favourite actors, but in these interviews he demonstrates his granite intelligence and insight about the human condition. Well worth a watch if you're a fan of the series.

 
One last vid for Prisoner fans, a rare interview with his daughter, some very insightful stuff actually. I plan on watching all 17 episodes soon, haven't sat down and watched it in 12 years. I suspect it will still hold up well. McGoohan was a genius who never compromised.

 
Joan said:
I remember, this series was created originally in UK television as Danger Man. It had a really good audience.
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Yeah, here in the UK on ITV 4 I used to watch the old re-runs of Danger Man. It was good, but a little formulaic as was the trend of the times. McGoohan really pushed himself to make something more demanding of the viewer, hence The Prisoner was born. The series covers so many important themes, and stresses the crucial nature of the individual in a conformist environment. Episode 16 of the series stays with me as a tour de force of taut writing and emotionally explosive acting. Superb television. :cool2:
 
Tomiro said:
Great show, that works on many levels imo. Coincidentally I just started rewatching it a few weeks ago.
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Yeah, I love it. It dares the viewer to test the boundaries of their own personal freedom, on all levels. So many different attempts are made in every episode to break No. 6 and get him to just "be a good chap, re-join the firm and play the game". That drive, that defiance and resolve, is what charged McGoohan to conceive of the idea for the series to begin with. There's never been anything like it since. Really cutting edge drama for 1967/8. Its 60s kitsch elements are part of the charm too. It's aged like fine wine.
 
SlipNet said:
Yeah, I love it. It dares the viewer to test the boundaries of their own personal freedom, on all levels. So many different attempts are made in every episode to break No. 6 and get him to just "be a good chap, re-join the firm and play the game". That drive, that defiance and resolve, is what charged McGoohan to conceive of the idea for the series to begin with. There's never been anything like it since. Really cutting edge drama for 1967/8. Its 60s kitsch elements are part of the charm too. It's aged like fine wine.
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I agree. One theme (out of many) that caught my attention, is that they want number 6 to "voluntarily" give up something. Sure they might be using all kinds of tricks and schemes, but in the end, it remains a choice. Like they are not throwing him into Guantanamo Bay, and torture him until he breaks.

This seems to be in line with some of the things mentioned by the C:s or from the Wave about how the 4D STS operate.

The Wave - Book 6 said:
In Stockholm-syndrome terms, it is more energy efficient if the prisoner is persuaded to cooperate, and even to help with his captivity, if he is doing so by choice and the captor does not have to spend endless amounts of energy keeping an eye on him, checking the locks on the doors, torturing him, or whatever. It is a simple matter of economics.

...

In hyperdimensional spheres, a consciousness that has acceded to domination has agreed to be absorbed. This means that it is effectively food for the negative hierarchy. It does not matter one whit if the agreement is a result of being lied to, if the agreement has come because a grand deception has been played out, such as a negative being appearing as the Virgin Mary and demanding that an altar be built, or penance be done, or it the chosen deception is the goddess Sekhmet. The instant compliance is given by the worshipper, they are “eaten” as consciousness. It’s that simple. And the same is true in our human relationships. When we allow another to manipulate us or deceive us into being dominated, no matter how subtly, we become part of the chain of domination to whomever, or whatever is dominating them, and on up the line.

The modes of persuasion are many and varied. Inducing choice is the objective, and it is immaterial whether or not this is done via deception, persuasive misrepresentation, or other conditioning. Confusion, physical and/or emotional/mental pain, exhaustion, blackmail, and even forms of torture are legitimate modes of persuasion. Exhausting or terrifying a person so that they will run screaming to the arms of that Old-Time Religion is a favored ploy. Of course, the more subtle the means used, the more free will value is retained. A tortured consciousness is the equivalent to being overcooked.
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Or as the C:s have said:

Session 30 january 2021 said:
A: It is very bad juju for the forces of darkness to take over against the free will of the majority.
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This theme is also very similar to the show Nowhere Man from the 90:s that was heavily inspired by The Prisoner. There the main character is facing omnipresent, almost supernatural (hyperdimensional?) forces with the aim of making him voluntarily give up something. In this case the negatives to a photograph. Again, with their capabilities, they could just take it by force, but they go to similar elaborate schemes in order for the protagonist to "voluntarily" give them up.
 
Tomiro said:
agree. One theme (out of many) that caught my attention, is that they want number 6 to "voluntarily" give up something. Sure they might be using all kinds of tricks and schemes, but in the end, it remains a choice. Like they are not throwing him into Guantanamo Bay, and torture him until he breaks.
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Always there has to be the manufacturing of consent, with the enforcement arms being most prominent and pivotal. On a few occasions in my life as a feisty young undergraduate and young man, I tested the boundaries of what was possible for me to do and faced the long arm of the law. On 3 occasions I was arrested, and I was released under caution all 3 times with a rap on the knuckles and the "you're ok, now just go out and be a good chap" finger wagging routine. By the 3rd time I'd learned my lesson. I wasn't being criminal per se, just in breach of the peace, a little rabble rousing in truth. My heroes were Jim Morrison, Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy rather than McGoohan when this happened. A few years on I finally sat down and watched the DVD box set of The Prisoner in binge form over 3 days. So many times I just nodded and smiled, it captured what it means to be a dissident in the UK perfectly. It works on so many levels; as narrative, allegory, psychological puzzle, kitsch mystery, religious mentation, philosophical quandry, it goes on.

I read an interview with McGoohan many years ago, where he was asked why he never followed it up with a new series to continue his fine work, and he just smiled and sighed. He gently but firmly explained that he'd said just about all he'd got to say in The Prisoner, and he's happy just as a jobbing actor, usually portraying authoritarian archetypes in eventful movies. That just made him even cooler to me. There's real steel and menace to his portrayal of No. 6. His sense of scrutiny, defiance, a sheer force of will. Many of the later episodes explore mind control directly as well, and these are fantastically well acted in as well. I can well see me having another binge session with this series again soon!:lol:
 
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