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The Prisoner (1955)

Not Rated | | Drama | 11 December 1955 (USA)
The Prisoner Poster
A cardinal is arrested for treason against the state. As a prince of his church, and a popular hero of this people, for his resistance against the Nazis during the war and afterward his ... See full summary »

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Nominated for 5 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview:
... The Cardinal
... The Interrogator
... The Jailer
Kenneth Griffith ... The Secretary
... The Girl
... The Guard
... The General
... The Governor
... The Doctor
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Storyline

A cardinal is arrested for treason against the state. As a prince of his church, and a popular hero of this people, for his resistance against the Nazis during the war and afterward his resistance when his country again fell to another totalitarian conqueror. In prison, his interrogator is determined to get a confession of guilt against the state from the strong willed man, and thus destroy his power over his people. The verbal and psychological battles are gripping and powerful - not even the increasing pressures put upon the Cardinal can force him to weaken; not even solitary confinement, continuous blazing light in his cell, sleeplessness, efforts to persuade him he is going mad. And yet, in the deepening conflict, the superb indomitable prisoner, creates a tremendous pity on his tormentor, the interrogator. Written by alfiehitchie

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Two of the Finest Performances of All Time! See more »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

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Details

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Release Date:

11 December 1955 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Der Gefangene  »

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Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Recording)

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Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Deemed suitably controversial enough to be banned from both the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals. See more »

Goofs

When the teenager is writing in white chalk on the wall, the position of the words changes from one cut to the next. See more »

Quotes

The Jailer: They look different after a few months in solitary, don't they, sir?
See more »

Connections

Version of The Prisoner (1963) See more »

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User Reviews

 
Over-looked masterpiece!
25 January 2004 | by – See all my reviews

A classic sadly almost ignored and forgotten probably because of it's small scale being a quite simple screen version of the popular stage play. Alec Guinness is the Cardinal arrested by the state during the Cold War, Jack Hawkins is the state inquisitor trying to break him. Ex comrades in arms, fighting in the Resistance against the Nazis; they now find themselves on opposing sides of Church and State. An intense battle of wills ensues, superb performances all round including Wilfred Lawson as the jailer. Highly recommended.
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