Appreciative examination
Fallout - Demaskierung
Whereas "Once Upon A Time", the penultimate episode, was a decidedly staged intensive intimate play, an acting event using a minimum cast and virtually one set only, the Embryo room, the ingredients of "Fallout" are manifold, a saucerful of secrets, a colourful balloon full of ideas or, less favourably said, a bubble of rudimentary plot and, disregarding of some stock footage, merely two sets, one of them an underground cavern, the other one location footage without any dialogues shot in London.
KENNETH
GRIFFITH, THE PRESIDENT - A BLESSED SPEAKER IN FRONT
OF AN EXTRAORDINARY AUDITORIUM
"Fallout" - the German title "Demaskierung" deceptively hinting to definite unmasking and the expectation of some higher truth - was created out of the utter necessity to terminate THE PRISONER as a series. At first the episode reaches back recalling events from the previous "Once Upon A Time" which, in turn, is the only time this happens throughout the series. "Once Upon A Time" in fact had been produced months earlier as the finale of a proposed first season but nobody ever imagined the end would come so quickly.
After having overcome the psychological ordeal of Degree Absolute
Number Six is put to trial.
There he is welcomed as the guest of honour and addressed "Sir",
which is very much to his, and our, surprise. The location is a subterranean
cavern fitted with technical equipment the setting and design of which
reminding of Ken Adam's creations of a couple of famous James Bond filmsets.
The
moment Number Six, the Supervisor and the Butler enter the subterranean
cavern on the soundtrack we hear "All You Need Is Love"
by the Beatles, a flower-power song propagating peace, released also in
1967. Why McGoohan exactly chose this particular song is up to speculation.
It is clear that its use, at the same time, causes
irritation by means of alienation as well as a confirmation of what's
about to happen next: a tribunal, but a highly polyvalent one. It is interesting
that the initial chords of this song are those of the Marseillaise,
the French national anthem from the time of the French Revolution of 1792,
the era of courtmartialing and political (show) trials, when political
adversaries were being disposed of in short order. Contrasting to this
we have those emphatic verses of the song on the battle for the fatherland.
The
surrounding places are occupied by hooded guises donning black & white
face masks who represent certain roles: "nationalists", "reactionaries",
"dissidents" etc.
Kenneth
Griffith, as the President of the assembly, wrote his speech himself according
to McGoohan's wish because he was too busy getting the storyline of this
episode done. THE PRISONER here, McGoohan's brainchild, is less
child and much more brain in dealing with a discourse on
revolt and nonconformity. Quite likely that many TV viewers in the 60s
exasperatedly turned their TV-sets off. Indeed, they missed the chance
of experiencing some unique piece of TV history. Thereby the President
bringing forth his didactic presentations right to the very point that
any parliamentary session ought to be lucky to witness.
Griffith's speech before the assembly can be read here.
There
is the reappearance of two of the previous characters: Alexis Kanner,
The Kid of "Living In Harmony", who as a rebellious juvenile
hippie with ruchings upstages almost all the others jumping around, rapping,
jingling his bell, singing and reciting the spiritual "Dem Bones"
(more...).
This causes some considerable chaos among the participants of the assembly.
Leo McKern, as the ex Number Two, had been called into position again
by the authorities for the job in "Once Upon A Time" and then
died - or had he? - is reanimated. He finds himself being brought to trial,
too, as a member of the establishment who bit the hand that fed him.
And Number Six? He is allowed to be sitting on a throne observing the
proceeding, then he is to decide on whether to govern or to leave.
It is not without satisfaction that he is demonstrated his uselessness
for any kind of community or society. Because he is the true revolter
and individualist, the last remaining individual, and, who knows, maybe
he's the very first as well...? Let's not forget the many difficulties
the McGoohan character encountered in his fight for individuality and
integrity of his person. Indeed, he was pushed, filed, stamped, indexed,
briefed, debriefed or numbered! There is the key scene where Number Six
is allowed a speech to the assembly. As he starts his very first word
"I" is interrupted by the masked knocking on their tables
and shouting repeatedly: "I, I, I! Aye, aye, aye...!"
to leave his speech unheard in this (calculated) pandemonium. The crucial
point of this scene is the double character, the display of just
how much his efforts are Janus-faced. Next is chaos.
LONLEY AT THE TOP: NUMBER SIX ALL ON HIS OWN - AND THE BUTLER...
Time to think about Number One, too: Author B. Frank has pointed out (in a German-language article; more...) that McGoohan's options for a suitable top villain had been limited. The fact that Number Six is Number One, after all, was without alternative - what could have been more wicked than the worst nightmarish monster: one's own alter ego, the vicious twin personality, the evil side of man, Mr Hyde in the garb of Dr. Jeckyll. McGoohan was obliged to both the TV station and the audience to deliver a solution to the show. But he denied the audience what it wanted most: Mr. X, Dr. Mabuse, extraterrestrials - some conclusion according to the genre rules. He was far beyond this point.
Almost the entire "Fallout" episode, onscreen, eventually is less cinematic than stage-looking in its congruence of action, time and setting; and the appearance of its backdrop-like sets, the dialogues being elocutionary, the theatre-stage acting. Which, probably, contributes a lot to the disregard of this most extraordinary monster expulsion in the history of TV series. So much for the esteem that ought to be attributed to this episode.
A FEW SECONDS THAT WROTE TV HISTORY - BUT PASSED RATHER UNNOTICED
It is remarkable how many comments tend to neglect those few crucial images. Let's take a closer look, all happens very quickly. The "disclosure" of Number One, in the reel, is only marginally longer than it is in this little animation. And that's quite right. It would have been with too much ostentation otherwise, and never would it have been better.
In the oder of appearance:
1. From the trial into the catacombs, Number Six is in a control room
(which will we'll see later to be that of a rocket) where he encounters
a hooded and masked person like one of the trial before. He is offered
a crystal sphere.
2. Number Six approaches, takes the sphere, frontally the masked spreading
his arms presents himself - and to us; the sphere is dropped and breaks.
3. Clearly as anything the number "1" can be seen.
4. Number Six grabs at the facemask and snatches it off.
5. The face of an ape is under it, babbling, giggling, taunting.
6. Bemused Number Six realizes that the ape is a mask, too. Again, he
snatches the mask off; beneath it...
7. ... his own face! But a strange looking one, warped, aggressive, challenging.
8. For only a few instances both their faces, that of Number Six and that
of his doppelgänger/alter ego, blend in. There is shouting
by both of them.
9. Rapidly Number "One-Six" escapes the room by clambering up
a vertical ladder. Number "Six-Six", shocked for one moment,
hurries after him, but too late.
10. "Serves you right! - You won't get me!" It's the
last glimpse of Number "One-Six" before the hatch door shuts,
never ever to be seen again.
One of the assumedly biggest secrets in the history of TV series making is deflated by McGoohan within only a couple of shots, rather detached, utilizing a little Brechtian epic theatre style, a little "catch-me-if-you-can" child's play. As such it wouldn't work. Not as expected.
40
years on the chutzpah employed by McGoohan is still admirable for merging
elements contradicting, incommensurate and disparate. And yet, against
anticipation, all this does have some impact. No, this episode isn't really
a good one. Not in terms of TV serialized entertainment. It's too good
for many others.
What remains are images, sounds, the moods, "Collar bone's connected
to the neck bone... Hear the word of the Lord (more...)!"
The end is (like) the beginning - of THE PRISONER, of something different? In the final image we see the character we used to know as Number Six driving his Lotus on the same (?) lost highway as he does at the outset of each episode. Yet here, the end of the road is just the beginning.
