“The
Birthday Party’ is a play by Harold Pinter which falls under the category of
Absurd Theater and Comedy of Menace. The main subject of the play and the film
is trivia. Before proceeding further let us look at some key aspects of the
play as well as the film.
Comedy of
Menace -This phrase is part of the title of a British play called The Lunatic View:
a Comedy of Menace, by David Campton. Irving Wardle, a critic in the 1950s,
emphasized the phrase when writing a review of the plays of Harold Pinter. It
makes you laugh but you feel a threat or danger at the same time.
Pinteresque
–is related to British play wright, Harold Pinter, “Pinter’s plays are
typically characterized by implications of threat and strong feeling produced
through colloquial language, apparent triviality, and long pauses”. There are
two types of silences as Pinter puts one when no word is spoken and the other
when perhaps a torrent of language is being employed.
Trivia – An
unnecessary event. It is opposite to a great event. Postmodern writers’ uses
trivia as a subject, rather than a great event used by the traditional writers.
Harriet Deer
and Irving Deer’s writes in their article on Pinter's "The Birthday
Party": The Film and the Play.
“A
comparison of the film and play versions of ‘The Birthday Party’ affords us a
rare opportunity to gain insight into how a reconception of a play into film
may affect the dramatic experience it communicates. “
*The sound
plays a vital role in the film. It gives us the surreal effect. The sound
always helps in giving the menacing effect to the audience. Even the sights
captured by Camera plays a vital role. It is interesting to see that Closeup is
used as tool which magnifies trivia. For example:- Meg pouring corn flakes in a
bowl. While in the important conversation characters are shown in one frame and
camera doesn’t move. For example:- When Stanley is asking Meg about two
strangers.
* Several
times we hear “knocking the door”. It is creating menacing effect while viewing
the movie. The scene where Stanley is scaring Meg and suddenly there is a knock
at the door. After the interrogation scene, also we hear knock at the door.
Every time when there is knocking at the door we find that some danger enters
the house.
*Silence and
Pauses are very important and Pinter successfully does it in movie, during the
conversation between Meg and Stanley, Petey and Meg and many more.
*Symbolic
reading of the objects:-
a.)Mirror –
shows what we want to see about our own self. An illusionary image.
b.)Toy drum
–Stanley as an artist but someone is destroying it at last.
c.)Newspaper-
Obstacle in Communication
d.) Door –
It is used very well to give pinteresque texture. It symbolizes coming danger.
e.) Window:
- It symbolizes hope of escape but it is meaningless.
Some of the
scenes from the movie are excellent. The interrogation scene from Act 1 is
superb. We feel a kind of disturbance and irritation when we see Stanley
breaking down. It reminds me of several scene from Bollywood movies, where
lawyer does the questioning to catch the culprit. The torrent of language used
makes us feel uneasy.
Birthday
Party scene can be interpreted in a Political way. The Birthday party is merely
used as a tool to divert other smaller nations by the powerful nation. Goldberg
and McCain use Party as a tool so that they can divert the mind of Meg and Lulu
and in meanwhile they can capture Stanley .Normally politician use speeches,
here it is a celebration. Pinter in his article “Art,Truth and Politics” says,”
Political Language, as used by politicians, does not venture into any of this
territory since the majority of politicians, on the evidence available to us,
are interested not in truth but in power and in the maintenance of that power.
To maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance, that
they live in ignorance of truth, even the truth of their own lives. What
surrounds is therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.”
Stanley
Webber is the protagonist of the play around whom the story revolves. Omission
of lulu’s scenes doesn’t make any difference to the film. Also, during the time
when play was written and film was made, the feminist movement was not fully
fledged. That is why they might have thought unnecessary.
Pinteresque
– Menacing is the texture of the play. Yes, the movie is successful in giving
the effect of menacing. For example:- the sound effect – shouting, knocking of
the door, toy drum, tearing the newspaper, laughing, screaming etc.
While
reading the text it is felt, but not so much effectively. Though there are many
dialogues in the play which creates a menacing effect. For example: The
beginning of the play
MEG. Is that
you Petey?
Pause.
Petey, is
that you?
Pause .
Petey?
PETEY. What?
MEG. Is that
you?
PETEY. Yes,
it's me.
As the film
uses various technical aspects, the effect of menacing is far more.
While
viewing the film we can feel the effect of lurking danger. For example:- the
knocking of the door, the close up of characters, the pauses and silences.
While reading again you cannot feel much due to lack of technical devices.
The
newspaper is a tool of communication, a medium to get connected with the world.
Here we see it as an obstacle in communication. It is used here in an ironical
way. Petey’s reading newspaper to Meg is a kind of irony on the relation
between husband and wife. Both husband and wife hide many things from each
other. For example:-Petey don’t reveal to Meg that Stanley is taken away by
Goldberg .Newspaper is used a tool of hiding the reality rather than showing
the reality. That is why Petey at last also hides it.
McCain’s
tearing of newspaper can be read as revealing the reality of Stanley.
In Blind
Man’s bluff, the camera is positioned on the head of McCain which can be seen
as a predator is catching his prey. And when Stanley is shown from the top of
the room, it can be seen as the prey is finally caught in the trap.
"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."
Yes, it
happens in movie. Apart from outdoors scenes, most of them are in the drawing
room. We find people give mercy to one another but it is just pretense. We as
audience also don’t feel like genuine.
Movie helps
us in better understanding of the play, the pauses and silence, the effect of
menacing and lurking danger cannot be felt well while reading. The film creates
that awful experience and makes us feel uneasy throughout the film.
I agree with
the following observation:-
““It's
impossible to imagine a better film of Pinter's play than this sensitive,
disturbing version directed by William Friedkin”.
The movie is
quite disturbing and excellent in a way. I don’t think I would like to make
such film. I would love to do casting of actors if anyone is interested in
making this film again.
Stanley
Webber – Irfan khan
Nat Golberg
– Manoj Bajpai
McCain –
Nawazuddin Siddiki
Meg – Kiran
Kher
Lulu – Kalki
Koechlin
Petey –
Anupam Kher
Reference:-
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