“The Birthday Party” is a play written in three acts by Harold Pinter and known as second full lengths play written in 1957 by him. Harold Pinter’s first full-length play established his trademark “Comedy of menace” in which character is suddenly threatened by the vague horrors at large in the outside world.
Post-Viewing Tasks:
(1) Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?
In movie and play sometime we find different scene or dialogue as per retirement of the film. So we have to know about the decision taken by director. The scene which happened with lulu is not movie and in play it happened twice. In Rather in the movie we can see that Lulu is willingly flirting with Goldberg. Here if we try to read it through feminist lens it can be interpreted as director did not want to portray female character-Lulu as being victim of this act. It also seems that director tries to justify the act by doing this as well.
(2) Is movie successful in giving us the effect of menace? Where you able to feel it while reading the text?
While watching the movie we can certainly feel the effect of menace according to me there are different interpretations as well. It can be felt in use of pauses and dialogues of characters as well. There is a scene in which Goldberg and MacCann asked a torrent of questions to Stanley, at that time use of pauses and expressions of Stanley give effects of menace. The use of unnecessary or rather seems stupid questions gives comic and threating effects at the same time. This effect is conveyed stronger in the movie which may not possible in reading of the play. A visualization always gives strong effects than only reading. In reference to this the use of pause and silence may not give that effect in reading which we can get while watching the movie.
(3) Do you feel the effect of lurking danger while viewing the movie? Where you able to feel the same while reading the text ?
Yes, while watching the movie I feel the effect of lurking at certain scenes. At the very first place when Stanley was beating a drum very harshly and we almost feel that its going to be broken because of heavy beaten. This sound of beating drum gives a sign that something dangerous may happen. Along with it a game of blind man’s buff gives a terror feeling and it is followed by the screaming of Lulu which pinpoints that something terror would have to be happen. The scene when Stanley hide in kitchen also gives a teroor feeling while watching the movie.
(4) What do you read in 'newspaper' in the movie? Petey is reading newspaper to Meg, it torn into pieces by McCain, pieces are hidden by Petey in last scene.
There are scene of newspaper reading is reflected power position between husband and wife. Another interpretation is that power-struggle, submissive woman under the man because Meg can't order to Petey but she follows his order and working into kitchen for him rather than reading newspaper. There are lack of cohesion. Moreover here newspaper used for excuse.
(5) Camera is positioned over the head of McCain when he is playing Blind Man's Buff and is positioned at the top with a view of room like a cage (trap) when Stanley is playing it. What interpretations can you give to these positioning of camera?
In movie Camera is very important. In this movie also film maker used camera angle very well. In the movie very well used of Camera language, vivid techniques, new camera angle, close up, long short, light,curious sound...etc which make movie more interesting. I have to say that here camera play roll as a hidden narrative way which try to search hidden of character's thoughts. So without camera and effects it's not possible to understand this play very well way.
In the movie Opening leads us narrow scene to broad scene. There are use some close up like light off which presented there were happen morning from to night. Moreover Camera walking behind the characters and give new way of looking theirs mind. The scene of play game of blind man buff there are camera's position the top of room which presented that Stanley trapped into prison like as animal. He didn't come out from that.
(6) "Pinter restored theater to its basic elements: an enclosed space and unpredictable dialogue, where people are at the mercy of one another and pretense crumbles." (Pinter, Art, Truth & Politics: Excerpts from the 2005 Nobel Lecture). Does this happen in the movie?
Harold Pinter restored to theater its basic elements when Petey and Meg neglected to help of Stanley who behaved violently. Harold Printer say in his article that, The real truth is that there never is any such thing as one truth to be found in dramatic art and these truth challenge each-other. Same happen with Stanley. At the end I want to say that everybody felt mercy with bad condition of person but when we become violence so people leave us.
(7) How does viewing movie help in better understanding of the play ‘The Birthday Party’ with its typical characteristics (like painteresque, pause, silence, menace, lurking danger)?
As the audio visual format gives a great impact rather than to only reading. In the same way the movie, “The Birthday Party” helps in better understanding of the play with its typical characteristics such as painteresque, pause, silence, menace, lurking danger and so on. These all are the characteristics not able to create such effects in reading which we can feel in watching the movie. As a general characteristic of Pinter’s play here we find a use of two pauses; one when no word is spoken and the other when perhaps a torrent of language is being employed. This could only be felt in viewing movie, its not possible to feel while reading the play. So we can say that complete satisfaction of all characteristics are possible while viewing the movie only not only by reading it.
(8) With which of the following observations you agree:
★“It probably wasn't possible to make a satisfactory film of "The Birthday Party."
★“It's impossible to imagine a better film of Pinter's play than this sensitive, disturbing version directed by William Friedkin”
I agree with first statement because Birthday party is an absurd play. It will not be easy task to make film on that. Friedkin make a good film on that but he also changed some scene and omitted also like scene of LuLu. It was a helpful movie to understand the play.
(9) If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make in the making of movie?
If I am director of the screenplay then I will change some scene. I will add some more comic elements. which are missing or rather we can find a less use of comic elements. Being a comedy of menace there is not that much comic elements, overall tone of movie remains as serious one. The other one is a scene of Lulu I would like to add this one which is omitted in movie version. If sexual assaulting scene of Lulu will be there in the movie, certainly it should be succeeded in creating a great effect of comedy of menace.
(10) Who would be your choice of actors to play the role of characters?
The following mentioned bollywood actors should be my choice if I have to choose actors for “The Birthday Party” play…
Stanley : Ranvir sinh
Goldberg: Akshay kumar
MacCann: Monoj bajpay
Lulu: Mrunal thakur
Meg: Tabbu
Petey: Amitabh bhachchan
(11) Do you see any similarities among Kafka's Joseph K. (in 'The Trial'), Orwell's Winston Smith (in 'Nineteen Eighty-Four') and Pinter's Victor (in 'One for the Road')?
Kafka’s Joseph k, Orwell’s Winston Smith and Pinter’s Victor, these all have one thing in common which is about their suffering. All of them are suffering from a crime or guilt which they might not been committed also. They all suffer in common from dominance of society. Because of this social hegemonic culture, they trapped into it and was living a life as they were in the cage.
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