The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter

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                                               This task given as for new way looking movie and play with certain things which may be normally never notify by audience and reader's inner side of mind. Last time I saw very short movie only 30 seconds with some questions and confusion but here I am going to discuss on one interesting play of Harold Pinter.

                                               One of the light day which we all exiting to celebrate...what is it ?...yes Birthday....So Here I don't celebrate any one's birthday but I try to clarify  some questions which may be remain in our minds. What is need of birthday celebration? what's object behind birthday party?  how We can say that only that date is our birth date? I have to say that here in the novel celebrated birthday of our protagonist Stanley Weber but that day his not birthday so why they celebrate ? anyway...leave it....Why this play's title given ' The Birthday Party'. For the more information about this task, you can click here. let's start journey of learning with together without waste of time...

                                              'The Birthday Party' play written by Harold Pinter in 1957. He was modern British dramatist during 1930 to 2008. He was good on radio anchor, drama, director, actor and film screening of the play. He got Nobel Prize. This play's behind setting of boarding house and working whole scene around living room and kitchen. This play also known comedy of menace through elements of Pinteresque. This play written in the summer of 1957. He later said that, " I remember writing the big interrogation scene in a dressing room in Leicester.
 

• Post-Viewing Tasks:-

Que.:-1) Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?

Ans.:-

                                                According to my point of view that here director leave out two scenes of Lulu because I think in the movie director didn't change the direction of viewers. If here director put those scene, so may be It's happen over charming of Lulu's character rather than protagonist of the play. Moreover one reason is that here focus on character of Stanley so There are necessary to his roll present powerful way and audience understand central concept through without unnecessary scene so I think no need to those Lulu's scene and that is unnecessary there.

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

Ans.:-

                                                In the film some scene reflected effect of menace which create something fear through silence, pause and terrible sound into the mind of audience. When 'The Birthday party' movie opening at that time angle of camera leads to sign of something terrible happen because there are scene open narrow point to broad picture with black car's front and half side and same we felt at the end of the movie.

                                               Moreover when knocking doors and it's open - close  scene create effect of menace with effective sound. There are scene of overpower and verbal violence by Goldberg and McCann on Stanley that is another example of menace. Here I want to mention that film create more effects of menace rather than text.

Que.:-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.:-

                                                   When I watched movie at that time I feel the effects of lurking through movie scene like as, When start knocking on the door with fearful sound and moreover when they played game of blind man's buff with light off and scene of verbal violence by Goldberg & McCann at that time I feel more lurking. That is touch still heart because of movie has tools of audio visual so It's more helpful to create and understand that.

Que.:-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.:-

                                                    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.

Que.:-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.:-

                                                  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.

Que.:-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.:-

                                                 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.

Que.:-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 has many techniques to present various scene rather than text book because through effects and audio- visual system it help a lot for better understanding of concept. This movie help me to understand some scene like verbal violence and torturing of Stanley, sound of broken newspaper..etc. Another thing is that I feel heartily through movie like pause, silence and lurking more clear rather than reading text. So without audio visual tools it's  all things not get may be properly.

Que.:-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".

Ans.:-

                                                I want to agree with the second observation because first of  I can't think about make  movie upon this type of play because It's difficult task to make this type of movie and here Pinter empathetic way used all movie making technique and powerful script. This film also used many things symbolic way. Here I can find that good combination of audio visual things. I have to say that Pinter is not only dramatist but admirable director.

Que.:-9) If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make in the making of movie?

Ans.:-

                                               It's difficult work for me when I am director or screenplay writer but If I get chance so I want to make very tight love story between Stanley and Lulu. Another things I want to change that Stanley has more strength, six paces body and intellectual power rather than Goldberg and McCann. I want to change also end of the play like happy ending film.

Que.:-10) Who would be your choice of actors to play the role of characters?

Ans.:-

If I have to choice of actor to play role of character so I prefer following type of actor like roll of...

1) Stanley- Nawazuddin Siddiqui

2) Goldberg- Pankaj Tripathi

3) McCann- Irfan khan

4)Lulu- Harshita Gaur

5) Petey- Anupam Kher

6) Meg- Jaya Bachchan

Que.:-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')?

Ans.:-

                                                Yes, In the play Stanley represent administrative condition, political conflict,thought crime, big brother, torturing by use of power..etc which also I found similarity among Kafka's Joseph K. and Orwell's Winston Smith and Pinter's victor.

Thank you...