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CHECKMATE |
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"I AM NOT
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SCREENPLAY
Gerald Kelsey
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RANKED 8th: In spite of the mediocre plotline but in favour of the ample use of location scenes and the chess-metaphor, until the final frame.
"Checkmate" is one of McGoohan's seven episodes that he originally devised supposed to form a miniseries. It was the third episode that went into production and it was broadcast ninth in Great Britain. The shots of the chessboard in front of the Gothic Pavilion were among the very first made for THE PRISONER, even before those of the credit sequence. A closer look reveals imprints of the squares on the lawn. The episode is a particular favourite with many people because of its influential iconic exterior Portmeirion scenes. A good portion of the action was shot on location in Wales. Apart from images of the Central Piazza, the chessboard with its players and pieces further impressions of Watch House and the White Horses under roof footpath can be glimpsed. Don Chaffey was the director on location. The studio-bound scenes were directed, uncredited, by Patrick McGoohan himself.
At face value it's "only" about Number Six' latest attempt at escaping from the Village, in this case with the help of some fellow inmates. But basically it's all about playing with people. On the level of action, once again, it's manipulation and incapacitation of the Villagers by means of pseudo psychologic methods.
UPPER PIC: CHESS RE-ENACTMENT IN 1991
LOWER PIC: A PERMANENT CHESSFIELD LAID OUT IN 2016
Number Six himself is in danger, albeit superficially, of becoming subject to some special treatment when a psychological test is conducted after stealing a Village camera and its recordings. The psychologist suggests a leucotomy (= lobotomy) to be taken into consideration.
But it's chess that's essential in the episode. Chess is one of the central and recurring issues in the series. To script editor George Markstein, it is said, chess would have been a symbol for the work of secret services whereas people, interchangable like chess pieces, are being manipulated and sacrificed for "higher" aims. Right after his arrival Number Six sets foot unwittingly on the checquered floor of the Village café, the imaginary strategic chessboard in the place of his incarceration. And as early as in this episode we witness a game of chess being played. "We're all pawns", the Admiral teaches Number Nine after having been utilised by the Village in persuading Number Six to an escape attempt only to be foiled. When it comes to "The Chimes Of Big Ben" we also learn that Number Six himself is a good chess player. Now, the subject of "Checkmate" is the game of chess becoming reality.
MORE: PRISONER'S PORTMEIRION (GERMAN)
MORE: BAUTEN IN BILDERN (GERMAN)
In 1959 I was in Germany on holiday, staying with some friends. And I went to a castle and in the courtyard of the castle there was a checkerboard [chessboard] laid out. My German guest said the story is that the Baron used to use his retainers [servants] to play chess and another Baron would sent his retainers across and they'd play these matches in the castle. This was presumably some time in the middle ages. GERALD KELSEYSix years or so later, when I came to write THE PRISONER, some thinking of... as one was the craziest ideas, you could think of, I suddenly thought of using these characters on the chessboard and moving them around. I wasn’t sure if they thought me crazy. |
40 endless seconds: The opening scenes of "Checkmate" are probably the strongest of all PRISONER episodes. First we only hear the roarings made by Rover who then (quite appropriately) enters floatingly through the "Triumphal Arch" (one of Portmeirion's structures) and down the Village main street. The citizens' reaction to this alert signal is to immediately stand still and let the balloon monster pass.
We have the tangible game here that the episode starts with which is also one of the most surreal and most memorable moments of the series. The chess match is the re-enactment highlight of any annual PRISONER convention in Portmeirion. Script author Gerald Kelsey, so they say, was inspired to it when he attended such a game with living pieces on a Germany visit in 1959. It is insinuated that by knowing the rules of the game there could be a transfer to real life thus enabling one to tell black from white and be the winner with the help of a good strategy. But in the Village the chess piece players are not dressed in black and white, they all are in coloured costumes. Number Six becomes the Queen's pawn who interrupts the game because he is inattentive to the player's commands. And the white Queen's Rook takes on the initiative doing an illegal move that checkmates the black King. He is subsequently brought into hospital in order to be cured from his individualistic traits.
The most remarkable character is the man with the stick, one of the two chess players navigating the living pieces. At the beginning of the episode he seems to be completely unimpressed by Rover's frightening appearance thus drawing Number Six' attention to himself. After the chess game they both talk together and the man appears as if he was Number Six but older of age. The man tells Number Six that he was a chess player because playing the game satisfied his need for power. Also, that he was able to tell the (coloured) chess pieces on the board apart by watching their behaviour which was also a suitable method in real life where there is no way of telling friends from enemies by their colours. Playing chess, he says, was his way of keeping his spirit alive while in captivity.
It seems odd, however, that after the chess match this character is virtually gone from the story. He is somehow truly degraded to a mere follower of the action.
NUMBER SIX MEETS THE MAN WITH THE |
Strange, too, that the Village – including Rover - would not keep the man from doing what he does, and what he thinks. They let him pursue his need for power as effected by him with the pieces on the chess board. After all, it could be said, he keeps following the rules of his game. He likes playing his game of chess and he remains a quiet citizen as long as he can act it out. For the later episode action he is expendable. Because now Number Six adopts his idea and he turns it into a strategy: telling warders from prisoners. Number Six puts the man's knowledge to the reality test. The Rook is the first one to whom he confides his plan. With the Rook's help he gathers a number of prisoners. He was able to do so because he had learned to recognise by somebody's demeanour - arrogant, self-confident or the opposite - whether or not the person was a prisoner or a warder. Both of them proceed to steal some tools and a surveillance camera, not unnoticed by Number Two who, in turn, doesn't do anything about it. Unlike "Dance Of The Dead" or "The General" Number Six isn't made responsible for the thefts. Only a psychological test without any consequences is conducted (interesting: association test).
Number Two is confident about the Rook who, as assured by the psychologist, is considered safe and integrated because of the conditioning he underwent. He also relies on the female Number Eight, the Queen, who has been conditioned and hypnotised into "falling in love" with Number Six, which she keeps doing adamantly; something which is the least convincing here. Hardly more is needed.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THE MAN WITH THE STICK:IS GONE FROM THE STORY |
This is perhaps the most interesting aspect about the episode for, eventually, both Number Two and Number Six fail because of their respective moves. Number Two relies wholly on his scientific methods both in the conditioning of the Rook and that of Number Eight with her amulet. But neither has the Rook really been "curred" nor did he teach Number Six a lesson, as Number Two was hoping, in that rebelling is futile. On the contrary, Number Six has found his first real ally who is not intent on framing him. Number Two's attempt at Number Eight to have her fallen in love with Number Six and to constantly monitor him by means of her amulet results in nothing else than allowing the Rook and Number Six to get the one last electronic component necessary for the construction of a radio transmitter that, given different circumstances, would have granted them a successful escape.
Number Six' failure, however, is more obvious and a bitter one since he's put much trust in his strategy in distinguishing warders and prisoners. He relies very much on the Rook who, despite having been conditioned himself, has managed to retain an independent mind. And this is the reason why Number Six fails. Because the Rook, with his independent mind, applies what he has learned from Number Six exactly on him. According to these criteria Number Six had to be a warder. Number Six' self-assuredness made it possible for him to think about escape in the first place. But now he's betrayed by it. In the end he's all on his own and on a ship which is a Village ship. And that's a piece of luck, not planned by Number Two.
Peter Wyngarde (1927 - 2018) is well known from the British series DEPARTMENT S of 1969/70, which like THE PRISONER was an ITC production. The "department" was a special Interpol unit. Wyngarde played the role of Jason King who wrote crime novels as a side job and he was famous for his extravagant clothing style. DEPARTMENT S was discontinued after two seasons. Wyngarde went on to perform in the spin-off show JASON KING over 26 episodes. Although struck by illness, Wyngarde was the guest of honour at Network's 50th anniversary event of THE PRISONER on September 9th, 2017 in Portmeirion. Peter Wyngarde of "Checkmate", portrays a smooth, but cold and calculating Number Two who keeps himself under control. The only form of aggression we witness by this man is when he splits a piece of balsa wood with a deft Karate blow whilst sitting on the floor of his office wearing his judo outfit. The village chairman with the old school scarf draped round his neck and across his shoulders, gives the impression of a college Professor. He is well spoken, well mannered, and well bred. He is full of charm, but appears capable of applying whatever degree of force might be needed, on the advice of the doctor-Number 22 that is. Wyngarde capably brings off a performance of a man who will use his own disciplined methods to exert power over those who would conspire against him. Not so much an interrogator, more of a man who is happy to deal with his administrative details, as he gives orders for others to deal with No.6. Text excerpt by David Stimpson, blog entry, dated March 26th, 2012 |
In the original script the episode ending was different. Both Number Six and the Queen would have been on the MS Polotska where they would have met Number Two. It would also have turned out that there was another boat that Number Six would have contacted the other day. But the final dialogue between Number Two and Number Six remains the same as in the episode we know.
Checkmate. The Queen's pawn is back on his chess square, A new game is about to start.
[1] Gerald Kelsey in Steven Ricks' video documentary "THE PRISONER Investigated", 1991; Kelsey actually says: "Why, why do you play, why do you play?” "Why not, I like a game of chess." But the real episode dialogue is different. Presumaly he was mistaken by his memory.