The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter

Post view task: The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter...

  As part of online thinking activity after the film screening of The Birthday Party (1968) directed by William Friedkin. Main subject of the movie is ‘Trivia’ ( opposite to great events) for the texture of the film, all trivial things or objects glorified here with such a deep meaning like talk between Petey and meg during reading of newspaper, cooking ,looking I the mirror etc. Cinematic language is very powerful here with Picturesque technique.

Respected Sir, Here is my views on post viewing task.

1) Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie? 

Ans. It’s not easy to give the reason that why Lulu’s scene omitted in movie but simply from the main concern of the play which revolve around the Stanley, so it doesn’t want to create any unnecessary scenes which divert the audience’s attention and what Lulu complaining about Nat Goldberg that is happen behind the scene. So we can’t believe what really happens. 

2)  Is movie successful in giving us the effect of menace? Where you able to feel it while reading the text?

 Ans. It has been said that movie always provides better understanding rather than reading .The same result with the play ‘’Birthday Party’’.In reading you may not feel the same kind of fear and menace,the fear of unknown danger ,but while watching movie remain there and as well as in the mind of audience.The menace evolves from actual violence in the play or from an underlying sense of violence throughout the play.This feeling of ‘’Menace’’establishes a strong connection between character’s predicament and audience’s personal anxieties.

3) Do you feel the effect of lurking danger while viewing the movie? Where you able to feel the same while reading the text

Ans..Yes, I found the lurking danger where camera focus on street light in beginning sequence that light is going and coming, knocking of the door that some dangerous thing will going to happen, blackout effect to the texture of 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.

Ans. According to me , Newspaper connects to power when anyone reads it like Petey , he is superior because it’s the source of information and knowledge, somehow it tells reality from which the Petey is connected but Meg is unaware about it. When you read it you hide yourself from others like wearing masks. McCann tearing newspaper which hidden by Petey at the end means he wants to hide the reality of Stanley from Meg that he torn internally by that two men.

 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?

Ans. Camera is positioned over the head of McCain is representation of the power politics. When he is playing the game Blind man’s bluff through which he tries to drives people in the way. He tries to teach people that if someone tries to break the rules and boundaries like Stanley, in this condition society treated them. He destroyed vision of 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?

 Ans.Yes, it happens during McCann and Net Goldberg asking question which is meaningless and unpredictable. The room of birth day party and kitchen cover with so many objects. Even character don’t get enough space to move.

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)?

 Ans. Movie helps us in better understanding because it gives more effect to menace, lurking danger and silence. Because we cannot imagine these things as we can feel by watching.

8)With which of the following observations you agree:

o   “It probably wasn't possible to make a satisfactory film of "The Birthday Party."
o    “It's impossible to imagine a better film of Pinter's play than this sensitive, disturbing version directed by William Friedkin”[1][3]. (Ebert)

  Ans. I agree with the second observation that this film is better and it includes all characteristics of Painteresque and also the use of sound and lighting with camera angles is effective.

 9)  If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make it the making of movie?
Ans. There is nothing to change in movie, because the use of chaotic sound to show the second type of Pinter’s silence is good. The camera angles and lighting and close up of things to  show trivial life.