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 ...
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Title: The Prisoner (1955)
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Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| Alec Guinness | ... | The Cardinal | |
| Jack Hawkins | ... | The Interrogator | |
| Wilfrid Lawson | ... | The Jailer | |
| Kenneth Griffith | ... | The Secretary | |
| Jeanette Sterke | ... | The Girl | |
| Ronald Lewis | ... | The Guard | |
| Raymond Huntley | ... | The General | |
| Mark Dignam | ... | The Governor | |
| Gerard Heinz | ... | The Doctor | |
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Plot Summary
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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:
DramaParents Guide:
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The Cardinal: Your believe it?
The Interrogator: Yes, I do believe it.
The Cardinal: God give me cunning against your skill.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
It has been said that playing the Cardinal was a major step toward Alec Guinness converting to Catholicism. See more »Goofs
The cardinal somehow remains clean shaven throughout, even when held in solitary confinement for weeks. He has access to cutlery (a knife and fork), but it is only brought into his cell to eat his food with, and is removed with the plates and tray etc afterwards whilst the guard watches him eat. See more »Quotes
The Interrogator: You're an enemy of society, like the schizophrenic, of the paranoiac. You're dangerous, because you mislead the poor, the uneducated, the silly. Only because you're wrongheaded. In time, we'll get to the root of the trouble. And you can be cured.The Cardinal: Your believe it?
The Interrogator: Yes, I do believe it.
The Cardinal: God give me cunning against your skill.
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
11 December 1955 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Der Gefangene See more »Filming Locations:
Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UKCompany Credits
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Inspired by the plight of Catholic Cardinal Josef Mindszenty behind the Iron Curtain – already the subject of a worthwhile low-budget Hollywood film, GUILTY OF TREASON (1950; see above) – this prestigious British production (based on a Bridget Boland play, who adapts her own work for the screen) boasts two powerhouse performances by Alec Guinness (as the proud Prince of the Church) and Jack Hawkins (as the wily Interrogator). Their interaction is a beauty to behold and one cannot help but be reminded how these formidable actors had already worked together in, curiously enough, MALTA STORY (1953) and, of course, would go on to do so again under David Lean's Oscar-winning direction in THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957) and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962). Although much of the running time is devoted to their rigorous one-on-one sessions (enough for it to be deemed a two-hander), the film allows (at least) another fine actor to shine: Wilfred Lawson as Guinness' jailer who grows to respect his prisoner with time. The small cast also includes Kenneth Griffith as Hawkins' eager-to-learn subordinate – incidentally, the latter also appeared in two episodes of Patrick McGoohan's later cult TV series of the same name but which bore no relation to this movie! – and Raymond Huntley as Hawkins' impatient superior. Conversely, the romantic subplot between doubting Communist Ronald Lewis and his Catholic girlfriend Jeanette Sterke seems forced and intrusive – almost like an afterthought (whereas it had been far more effectively handled in the aforementioned Hollywood treatment). But, as I said before, the film's trump card is its gradual depiction of the evolving relationship between the two leads, which really has no equivalent in GUILTY OF TREASON (where Charles Bickford's tormentors were various and generally shrouded in darkness). Although the main characters and the setting remain unnamed throughout (lending it a pretentious air of political allegory also missing from the earlier film), the controversial subject of THE PRISONER got it banned from participating in both the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals – although it did get nominated for 5 BAFTAs and, eventually, won a couple of other international awards.