From: john@monet.uwaterloo.ca (John Robinson)
Subject: Re: Fall Out (Questions - and spoilers)
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 15:13:51 GMT

In article <1992Nov19.172039.19949@umbc3.umbc.edu> hannon@umbc4.umbc.edu (Mr. Scott Hannon; PHYS (GRAD)) writes:
>In article <BxxnG5.967@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> john@monet.uwaterloo.ca
>(John Robinson) writes:
>>
>>Why did McGoohan write in the shoot-'em-up scene? There was no need for
>>it so far as the plot was concerned (as if plot consistency were 
>>a feature of The Prisoner anyhow). How is the prisoner's forsaking of
>>his no guns principle to be interpreted? (And why do they have to pile
>>on the irony so heavily with All You Need is Love?)
>
>The "no guns principle" from _Living in Harmony_? There, he was refusing
>to take up a gun to defend the town from the bad guys...he doesn't want the
>job and refuses to be manipulated into accepting it [at least, not as
>expected]. A real twist on _Shane_ and _High Noon_.
>
I'd got the impression that the prisoner's non-use of guns went deeper than
the Living in Harmony episode.  Before Fall Out, it seemed that
although he would use force (in every episode he _has_ to punch someone),
he avoided the sort of wanton lethal violence that you sometimes see in other
Spy/Action movies. Yet that scene is Fall Out is exactly that; it's almost
as if the whole brains-not-guns mentality of The Prisoner (and presumably
Danger Man and Secret Agent) is being rejected. It's because it's so
uncharacteristic that it stood out for me.

In fact, there are other ways that the Prisoner behaves uncharacteristically
in Fall Out. The first trace of uncertainty he has shown is when he is
given the choice to lead the Village or leave. And though he's been close
to breaking before, his behaviour during his interrupted speech in the
cavern suggests that it now only takes a relatively small irritant to
make him lose his cool.  Does this mean anything?

>Now if he thought that using a gun would get him freedom without having
>to bend to the village, I don't think he'd hesitate to use it. 
Well here I disagree. In terms of cool headed thinking, he hasn't seemed
to take opportunities for violence before Fall Out. On the other hand,
when he's close to breaking, he has embraced violence: "Die, die, die" in
Once upon a time.

>Its been a
>couple years since I've seen the Prisoner, but I think by this time in the
>story, he has seen that he himself is #1...he is ultimately responsible 
>for the mess he finds himself in [his jailer is his own dark side, the beast
>within]. 
Here is one way that the Prisoner is beautifully ambiguous. #6 wears black,
#1 wears white. #6 epitomizes individualism and rebellion, the Village is
a paradisical society. Which is good?

>
>The "All You Need is Love" scene is indeed a filled with irony...not only is
>his good side dealing death to his bad side, 
Oh yes? Where has his bad side gone? Certainly not into the bodies of the
troops that the Prisoner et al mop up in the shooting scene.

>on another level the show is
>taking a pot-shot at the flower power-ish [make love not war] nonsense
>expressed by the song...that "all you need is love" as a concept is in fact
>ridiculous. In particular, that freedom is important too, and to gain/keep
>it may involve quite a bit of activity that is mighty hard to describe as
>an expression of "love"  :-)
Is this the Prisoner's philosophy? Are we "supposed" to condone the shooting
and laugh at the naivity of All You Need is Love. Or, as I think more likely,
are we seeing the Prisoner's virtue of seeking freedom finally becoming the
obsession that destroys whatever other virtues he might have. Either way,
I still think the shooting scene was a mistake. I'd have prefered some more
decisive encounter with #1 (but I think that might not have been enigmatic
enough for PMcG).
>
>Scott.
>-- 
>Scott Hannon, Thu Nov 19 1992 (hannon@umbc4.umbc.edu)


John