Essay on the The Prisoner TV Show

The first TV show that I will discuss its opening and closing statements is The Prisoner. The opening and closing statement of the TV series The Prisoner is very iconic. The music used in the opening and closing credit as broadcast was composed by Ron Grainer. The opening sequence begins with a clouded sky fused with a thunderous sound, which slowly turns into a jet engine sound. The theme music begins to play as the view dissolves to reveal a stoned-faced man, the future number six, who drives fast in his Lotus Seven down an empty highway, past the Houses of Parliament in London, into an underground car park. This makes it extremely beautiful, interesting and powerful to watch. The man indulges into a fierce argument with another man, and he delivers an envelope marked Private-Personal-By Hand to him and slams his fist on the desk, breaking the saucer of a cup of tea. In the meantime, the man behind the desk is silent and keeps on looking down.

The closing credits are featured on the log of the village, over a drawing of the penny-farthing bicycle, which eventually assembles in stop-frame animation. After joining the bike, the shot changes to one of the Rover that rises through water and bounces into the distance. The credits provide a vivid summary of the points by using the sound track.

The film two "faces of oppression" has a unique opening statement that is characterized by rapid, intense musical play that welcomes Ana to her workplace. The lights in the room are dim, a typical feature of an early morning. Ana hits the broomstick on the ground in frustration, and as she sweeps, the sound produced by the broom is musical. The instructions that Ana receives from her sister indicates that she does want to be there. There is an easing sound that portrays how silent the room is, and everyone is quite apart from Ana and her sister. Ana engages in a monologue, making the environment so moody and sad.

Ana experiences powerlessness when working for her sister over the summer after she graduates high school. Her sister, Estela, is having difficulties with affording her rent as well as paying those who work for her in her seamstress factory. She goes to negotiate with her boss, Mrs. Glass, but she wont give them any of the payment for the dresses in advance. So, many of them must continue to work without pay, and Ana ends up speaking to her father to give Estela the money for rent. In this situation, both Ana and Estela are facing powerlessness due to their socioeconomic status; they are the working poor, and can't seem to rise the conditions they are living and working in. This instance of a face of oppression could also intersect with exploitation because the work these women are doing is for companies that sell the dresses at a much higher price than what they make for creating them. However, with the loan from their father, they can continue the work and meet the deadline for the finished dresses. Ana also faces powerlessness due to the control her mother has over her; the entire reason shes working at the factory in the first place is that her mother forced her into it and didn't want her toattend college. She experiences cultural imperialism through the movie because of her economic status as well as the fact that she is Hispanic. In the film, Jimmy, who she develops a romantic relationship with complains about the phone to her about how easy his life is; he's been handed everything. He owns a car and is much better off than Ana.

To fit in with the white, wealthy culture around her, she does things such as lying about her post-high school plans and calls her sister's factory a boutique. To get to class in the morning, she has to take numerous buses, yet Jimmy can merely drive. In the scene with Mrs. Glass, although she also speaks Spanish, she sees herself as above Ana and Estela because she is more financially successful. The Hispanic or Latino community in L.A. is overshadowed by those who have a higher economic status and are white. Ana must face oppression and difficulty because her culture and financial standing make it more difficult for her to have the same opportunities as many of the kids she went to high school with. She doesnt see college as a real option for her after high school, although all of them have college plans. Because of cultural imperialism, Ana has to work harder for everything from finding a job, getting to class, and enrolling in college than her white classmates do because they are seen as the norm, and arent part of the marginalized group of Hispanic people in the community.

The closing credits are characterized by the group singing happy birthday to Stella. The mood is lively, and everyone is jubilant. The girls go offstage the environment remain silent for a moment before Ann starts narrating what she learned in the job that she hated at first. Immediately after concluding her speech, music is played, and other girls join her they go offstage. The music marks the end of the film and sounds of applause rent the air. At this moment, the audience becomes life, and murmurs could be heard. Lights momentarily go off, and the cast emerges once more to bow to the audience. The air is rented with a fusion of applause, music, and ululations from the audience. Hence, the movie ends on a high crescendo.

Works Cited

"Prisoner: Cell Block H - Episode 1." YouTube, 6 May 2013, youtu.be/wm7CspGznnE? list=PL7E7E067DD72542CB.

"Real Women Have Curves." YouTube, 26 Nov. 2016, youtu.be/7oEqvI-63Ms.