Search - The Prisoner on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1955 DVD Release: 03/02/2004 Format: DVD - Black and White,Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 33 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 3 Genres: Drama, Psychological Drama, Political Drama

British theatrical director Peter Glenville made his film directorial debut with 1955's The Prisoner (Glenville had previous helmed the London stage production of this Bridget Boland play). The film is based on the real-life travails of Hungarian Cardinal Mindszenty, who after suffering under Nazi persecution was imprisoned by the new Communist regime for remaining loyal to his religious convictions. Alec Guinness, his head shaved, plays an unnamed Cardinal in an unspecified Eastern European country who is clapped into jail. Here he is ordered by the politicos to issue a phony statement to his flock, one that will effectively end Catholicism in his country. Jack Hawkins plays the diabolically clever "Interrogator", who is almost successful in convincing Guinness that his false statement will have a beneficial effect. The Prisoner fared better in its American release than it did in Europe, where it was branded both "pro-Communist" and "anti-Communist" by various single-issue pressure groups. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Alec Guinness - The Cardinal
Jack Hawkins - The Interrogator
Wilfred Lawson - The Jailer
Kenneth Griffith - The Secretary
Jeannette Sterke - The Girl
Ronald Lewis - The Warder

Powerful performances by Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins highlight this drama, which has been given a straightforward presentation on DVD. The Prisoner has been given a letterboxed transfer to disc in the full-frame aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which has also been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono. The dialogue is in English, with optional subtitles in English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. No bonus materials have been included for this edition. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide