The Prisoner

It seems like every single year we hear about controversial films playing festivals and resulting in audiences leaving the theater in a furor. Not only was Peter Glenville's 1955 drama "The Prisoner" banned from Cannes Film Festival after being labeled 'anti-Communist', the film was dubbed 'pro-Communist' by critics in Ireland. As you can already see, the Alec Guinness-starrer knew exactly how to ruffle a few feathers upon its release. Even with the delicate subject matter at hand, Glenville's post-WWII story about a cardinal wrongly accused of treason gracefully shows that there is no end to wartime. The same tactics used during wartime can take many forms. There just needs to be a bit of righteousness behind the accuser and a mind able to be convinced that they're doing the right thing.

Based on a play written by Bridget Boland, "The Prisoner" takes place in an unknown European country now switching to communist tyranny after the Nazi invasion was suppressed. The Cardinal, played by Alec Guinness, is falsely accused of treason and turned over to the Interrogator (Jack Hawkins) for questioning. The Cardinal was previously tortured and questioned by the Nazis, which puts his counterpart at a disadvantage. How do you break the will of someone who has already gone through the absolute worst? Boland purposefully obfuscates any era or area-specific details to make the story more universal, and oh boy is it still.

Glenville has the unique opportunity to make a film based off of a play that only took place in a couple of locations. That also puts him at a bit of a disadvantage. Instead of trotting out every shot choice in the book, the onus is put Hawkins and Guinness to carry the film. Those two actors were both quickly approaching the height of their powers at the time and it shows in "The Prisoner." For variety between the couple of sets, Glennville cuts to an overhead view of the Cardinal and Interrogator as if they were moving pieces on chess. What's the endgame of this battle of wits? Well, nothing, because fascism can arise in many ways. The faces just change.

Out on Blu-ray and with a stellar-looking restoration, Arrow Films' new release of "The Prisoner" is a must-buy. In addition to an audio and video transfer that gives the film the presentation it deserves, the Blu-ray comes with a deeply insightful featurette titled "Interrogating Guinness," which has academic and critic Neil Sinyard dissecting Guinness' incredible performance in the film. It not only provides a good look into the craft of the actor but gives the viewer the chance to see how committed Guinness was to getting across the message that the film was sending. Other special features include: