AMC’s The Prisoner
Despite the fact that there is a seemingly endless parade of remakes coming from Hollywood these days, it still must be a somewhat daunting task to remake or re-imagine a series; especially a beloved cult series with a rabidly devoted group of followers. And in the age of the internet where every couch jockey is an amateur critic, it’s got to be especially trying. I used to decry the lack of originality, the pillaging of things I hold dear, and the strip-mining of beloved classics for quick profit. But who’s got time for it anymore? It’s easier to come to terms with the fact that old stories are going to be retold from time to time. And that doesn’t make the first version you saw of that story any less special. When watching the new version of an old property, I’ve found it helpful to ask myself, “If the original did not exist, would I like this version?” And more often than not I’ve been satisfied with the result.
Fortunately, in the case of AMC’s The Prisoner, I’m able to answer that question in the affirmative. No, I don’t like it as much as the original. Yes, most of the quirky, 60s psychedelic madness that made the original such a unique landmark in television is missing. But those were different times and a lot of those elements wouldn’t work today. In fact, they’d probably come across as hokey and ridiculous; more so than they already do. In addition, why remake a show frame for frame, shot for shot? After all, the original already exists. So the creators of the new version of The Prisoner were wise to not follow too closely the pattern that Patrick McGoohan and company laid out for them. To do so would have been a losing proposition.
In fact, a lot has changed. Rather than a revolving door of 2s, there is only one Number 2, played ominously by Ian McKellen. McKellen’s 2 is a looming figure in the series; more of a dictator over The Village than simply the mayor. The other villagers seem to at once revere and fear him and they speak of him in hushed tones. 2 has a family; a bedridden wife and a mysterious son who doesn’t seem to be comfortable himself in The Village.
And what about The Village? Half of the appeal of the original series was the character and charm of The Village, which was set in the real life resort town of Portmeirion in Wales. The location was like a cast member and was just as important to the story as was number 6. Unfortunately, The Village in AMC’s take is not nearly as interesting, looking somewhat like a small Arizona town from the sixties. The Village is surrounded by desert (I believe it was filmed in Tunisia), making escape an apparent impossibility. There are some interesting buildings here and there, but nothing near the wonder of Portmeirion.
Which brings us to 6. Patrick McGoohan created a legendary character with his portrayal of the determined and pissed off number 6, and while Jim Caviezel does a nice job with his interpretation, it’s not nearly as iconic and memorable as the original. Looking a lot like Christian Bale, Caviezel plays the part straight, with no outlandish traits. Granted, McGoohan was almost cartoonish at times and playing it that way would have been absurd to today’s TV audience, there’s not a lot that stands out about the new 6. In addition, the mystery behind his backstory is all but eliminated as we get flashback scenes that show him living in New York City, and his job is also revealed in detail. Part of the appeal of the original is that we never really knew what 6′s occupation was. Was he a spy? A government official? They never really said. But here, it’s all laid out for us pretty clearly. That said, this isn’t necessarily a bad choice, but just a stark difference. In fact, it’s needed to get to the ending.
Ah yes, the ending. At the end of the original series, we still didn’t have much of a clue what the whole thing was about, why he was there, what had happened. This time around, like 6′s backstory, it’s all revealed.
Yes, this is a much more to-the-point take on the story of The Prisoner and The Village. Though that’s not to say that it’s your typical television fare, much less a bad show. There’s still plenty of mystery to go around and plenty of bizarre twists and turns. The other citizens of The Village play a much larger role this time around as they seem to be fellow prisoners, rather than simply characters placed there with the sole intent of fucking with 6; though those do exist. As a matter of fact, I would say that AMC’s take is about as good as I could hope for, which sounds like a short sell or faint praise, but I truly enjoyed the entire six-episode run.
Rarely does a remake surpass the original, and in the case of The Prisoner it is no different. But I highly recommend checking it out, in one sitting, if at all possible. The six episodes will take about 4 1/2 hours to run through, not counting commercial breaks. And if you haven’t seen the original series, allow me to direct you to Netflix and Amazon.
Be sure to check out the official website for AMC’s The Prisoner. They’ve got a lot of cool features, such as a graphic novel, behind-the-scenes videos, blogs by Ian McKellen, merchandise, and more.
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Tags: amc, ian mckellen, jim caviezel, prisoner
November 19th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
It was a decent attempt but I didn’t like the explanation of the Village, and I didn’t like the casting of Six.
November 20th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
@Lard I think the casting for 6 is great. I have a man crush on Caviezel.