Thinking Activity on Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party"
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“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.
The
plot spins around the life of Stanley Webber who lives in boarding house and
showcases how his life is being disturbed by the unexpected arrival of two
mysterious and sinister stranger called Goldberg and McCann, who terrorise him
and eventually take him away. Besides being a play, “The Birthday Party” is a
1968 British drama film directed by William Friedkin based on the 1957 play “The Birthday Party”
by Harold Pinter. The screenplay of the film was also done by Harold Pinter
himself as well. At the same time it’s impossible to imagine a better film of
Pinter’s play than this sensitive, disturbing version directed by William
Friedkin.
The play, and the
film “The Birthday Party” both are considered greatest examples of “comedy of
menace”, a genre associated with Harold Pinter.
1)
Why are
two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?
In the play we
there are scene of Lulu in which a kind of sexual attack happen on her, it happen
twice with her. But these scenes are omitted from the movie. As a part of
audience we may interpret it in different ways but its become difficult to know
the intention of director behind omitting these scenes from movie. 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?
A comedy of menace
is a term used to describe the plays of David Campton and Harold Pinter by
drama critic Irving Wardle. A comedy of menace, what we mean by this term is
that, it is a tragedy with number of comic elements. While watching the movie I certainly felt the
effect of menace. 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.
“Newspaper” is used
as very significant symbol in the play and in the movie as well. After the
opening scene we can see that, Petey is reading a newspaper and Meg is asking
about the news to him. It can be interpreted as being a male figure Petey is
using his power over his wife Meg. Meg and pity both have their indifferent
world this is the reason why Pity replied in a serious tone when Meg is asking
about good news from newspaper. In such way it also becomes a tool for Meg to
taunt her husband who is not able to give her a child. In between newspaper is
also used as a tool for hiding a face. There is a scene in which MacCann keeps
on shredding a newspaper for a long time. Through this act may be he bursting
out his furiousness of frustration. The sound of tearing out newspaper creates
an uneasy effect on the mind of audience. By this act he may also tries to
destroy the reality of his life as well. This sheltered pieces are hidden by
Pity in the last scene, through this act we can say that Pity don’t want that
his weakness may come out in front of others or rather he wants to keep him in
happy world of illusion.
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 each and every
movie technique of camera plays a vital role. In this movie various angles and
close up from camera are captured very well rather there is no exaggeration in
saying that the movie is more material centric than human beings. While playing
Blind Man’s Buff, the camera is moving over the head of MacCann, in a way it is only focused on the
movement of MacCann. But as soon as Stanley starts to play Blind Man’s Buff,
camera changes her angle and is positioned at the top of the room. The entire view
seems as room is a cage and helpless Stanley is trapped into it. It can be
interpreted as Stanley was caught by
Goldberg and MacCann and almost he is not able to escape from this trapping. He
caught in cage and have has no chance to escape. He becomes a prey of savages
like Goldberg and Stanley.
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?
Yes, Harold Pinter
restored theatre to its basic elements. The most of the place of play or movie
remains the same, a drawing room of the house as well as dialogues are also
unpredictable. Because of it we can’t realize what is going on there. We did
not feel mercy for characters rather we may feel mercy at one another. For
instance, when MacCann and Stanley was talking with each other , we could not
get idea about what was going into their minds, because of this uncertainty we
could not able to assume what should be there in the next place. Each and every
conversation in the play is unpredictable. Only characters know the actual
situation while we are not able to understand the hidden meaning of it.
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”[3]. (Ebert)
I am agree
with the second observation that,
“It's impossible to imagine a better film of Pinter's
play than this sensitive, disturbing version directed by William Friedkin”[3]. (Ebert)
9)If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of
difference would you make in the making of movie?
If I am director or
screenplay writer I would like to do several changes in
the movie. First of all I would like to add some more comic elements in the
movie 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 : Sushant
Singh Rajput
Goldberg: Manoj
Bajpayee
MacCann:
Naseeruddin Shah
Lulu: Radhika Apte
Meg: Shabana Azmi
Petey: Rishi Kapoor
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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