Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins star in this political drama, adapted from a play, in which a Cardinal in an unnamed Eastern European Communist regime is imprisoned for treason, his interrogator trying to mentally break him.
It worked well as a gripping psychological thriller, as the Cardinal gradually begins to be worn down and manipulated, and also was an interesting look at a repressive regime. Guinness is excellent in the lead role, and Hawkins plays the Interrogator with a brilliant mix of sympathy and menace, both giving complex and developed performances.
It's stage origins are quite apparent as it's very talky and ambiguous, and some parts (like a romantic subplot) didn't really go anywhere, but overall it was a thoughtful drama elevated by superb performances.
Review of The Prisoner
