Worksheet: Film Screening
Film Screening: ‘The Birthday Party’ - a British drama film (1968)- directed by William Friedkin - based on an unpublished screenplay by 2005 Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter, which had adapted from his own play The Birthday Party
Pre-Viewing Tasks:
Pinter’s notable works include:
- The Birthday Party (1957)
- The Caretaker (1959)
- The Homecoming (1964)
- Betrayal (1978)
He also adapted many of his plays for the screen, such as The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) and The Trial (1993). Pinter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005, recognizing his influence as one of the most significant modern British dramatists.
For a comprehensive list of his works, including his stage and television plays, radio plays, screenplays for films, dramatic sketches, prose fiction, collected poetry, and awards for poetry, you can refer to the detailed compilation available on Wikipedia. Pinter’s legacy continues to influence contemporary theatre and the study of drama.
2. Comedy of Menace: Whose plays are known so? Who termed it? What are its peculiar characteristics? How is it different from Absurd Theatre?
Answer: The term “Comedy of Menace” is associated with the plays of Harold Pinter, David Campton, Nigel Dennis, and N. F. Simpson. It was coined by drama critic Irving Wardle in 1958 when reviewing Pinter’s and Campton’s plays.
Characteristics of Comedy of Menace include:
- A sense of threat and danger beneath everyday dialogue.
- Characters often find themselves in precarious situations without understanding how they got there.
- The humor arises from the incongruity and absurdity of these situations.
Comedy of Menace differs from Absurd Theatre in that while both share elements of the absurd, Comedy of Menace often has a more defined narrative and clearer character motivations. Absurd Theatre, on the other hand, is characterized by a lack of traditional plot, characters that are lost in an incomprehensible world, and dialogue that can be nonsensical, reflecting the existential belief that life is inherently without meaning.
While Pinter’s plays are known for their “Comedy of Menace,” they also share characteristics with Absurd Theatre, such as minimalistic settings and characters threatened by an undefined force, leading to a blend of comedic and menacing elements. However, Pinter himself, as well as Wardle, later questioned the relevance of the term to his work.
3.Explain ‘Pinteresque’ – Pinter pause and use of ‘Silence’ in the play: a particular atmosphere and environment in drama.
Answer: “Pinteresque” refers to the distinctive style of Harold Pinter’s plays, marked by his unique use of dialogue and silence to create tension and convey the complexities of human relationships. The term encompasses several key features:
Pinter Pause: This is a significant element of Pinter’s writing style, where characters often pause mid-conversation. These pauses are not mere absences of speech but are loaded with meaning and are used to convey the unsaid or the characters’ internal thoughts. They can indicate a range of emotions, from uncertainty to fear, and contribute to the atmosphere of menace.
Use of Silence: Pinter’s plays frequently employ silence as a dramatic device. Silence can be as expressive as dialogue, revealing the characters’ discomfort, power struggles, or the presence of an unspoken threat. It can also serve to heighten the audience’s anticipation and engagement with the unfolding drama.
Atmosphere and Environment: The “Pinteresque” atmosphere is one of ambiguity and unpredictability. Settings are often minimalistic, and the environment can feel claustrophobic, reflecting the characters’ psychological states. The dialogue, while seemingly trivial, often hides deeper meanings, creating a sense of unease and prompting the audience to search for the truth beneath the surface.
Pinter’s approach to dialogue and silence has had a profound impact on modern drama, influencing the way playwrights and directors think about the rhythm and flow of theatrical performance. His work challenges audiences to listen not just to what is said, but also to what is left unsaid, making the experience of a Pinter play uniquely compelling and thought-provoking.
4. ‘The Birthday Party’ – an allegory of ‘artist in exile and other interpretations.
Answer: “The Birthday Party” is often interpreted as an allegory for various themes, including the artist in exile. This interpretation sees the main character, Stanley Webber, as a representation of an artist figure who is isolated and alienated from society. The sudden intrusion of the outside world into his life, through the characters Goldberg and McCann, can be seen as the pressures and influences that society places on an artist. The play’s setting in a nondescript seaside boarding house adds to the sense of isolation and disconnection from the world.
Other interpretations of the play focus on its exploration of identity, power, and the nature of reality. The characters’ ambiguous pasts and the unclear motives of Goldberg and McCann contribute to a sense of uncertainty and menace throughout the play. The play’s dialogue, characterized by miscommunication and non-sequiturs, further emphasizes the themes of ambiguity and meaninglessness.
The term “Pinteresque” has been used to describe the particular atmosphere and environment created in Pinter’s plays, including “The Birthday Party.” The use of the “Pinter pause” and strategic silences contribute to a sense of unease and tension, as the audience is left to interpret the underlying emotions and conflicts between characters.
While “The Birthday Party” shares some characteristics with Absurd Theatre, such as the illogical actions of its characters and the sense of existential dread, it also has a more defined narrative structure and clearer character motivations, which sets it apart from the more abstract nature of Absurd Theatre.
5. ‘The Birthday Party’ as a Political Play with reference to Harold Pinter’s Noble Speech: ‘Art, Truth & Politics.
Answer: “The Birthday Party” can be interpreted as a political play, reflecting Harold Pinter’s views on the nature of power and the individual’s need for resistance. In his Nobel Speech titled “Art, Truth & Politics,” Pinter delves into the relationship between art and the stark realities of political truth. He emphasizes the artist’s role in uncovering and presenting truths, often obscured or distorted by political discourse.
Pinter’s speech suggests that art holds a mirror to reality, revealing the multifaceted nature of truth and the complexities of human experience. This perspective resonates in “The Birthday Party,” where the seemingly mundane setting of a birthday celebration in a boarding house becomes a microcosm for broader political and social dynamics. The characters’ interactions, marked by Pinter’s characteristic pauses and silences, hint at underlying authoritarian forces and the erosion of personal freedoms.
The play’s menacing atmosphere and the intrusion of external powers into the private space of the protagonist, Stanley, can be seen as an allegory for state surveillance and control. Pinter’s use of ambiguity and the “Comedy of Menace” genre allows him to explore these themes without didacticism, leaving room for interpretation and reflection on the part of the audience.
In his Nobel Speech, Pinter also criticizes the political establishment’s manipulation of truth and the media’s complicity in this process. This critique aligns with the themes in “The Birthday Party,” where the truth is elusive, and the characters’ grasp on their identities and pasts is tenuous. The play challenges viewers to question the nature of reality and the power structures that shape it.
Overall, “The Birthday Party,” when viewed through the lens of Pinter’s Nobel Speech, emerges as a work deeply engaged with political themes, using the tools of drama to interrogate the often-oppressive relationship between the individual and the collective, the personal and the political.
The article likely examines the effectiveness of these adaptations in maintaining the “Pinteresque” atmosphere, characterized by the use of silence, pauses, and the underlying threat that pervades the narrative. It may also delve into the symbolic significance of various objects and settings within the film, and how these contribute to the overall impact of the story.
2. 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. Mark the way Pinter treats the texture of the play.
Answer: The transition of Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” from stage to film offers a fascinating case study in how the medium can influence the texture and reception of a dramatic work. Pinter’s treatment of the play’s texture is meticulous, using the elements of theatre—such as dialogue, pauses, and silences—to create a palpable sense of menace and ambiguity. In the film adaptation, directed by William Friedkin, these elements are translated into visual and auditory cues that aim to preserve the play’s original atmosphere.
In the play, the texture is conveyed through the “Pinteresque” use of language and the strategic employment of pauses and silences, which create a sense of foreboding and unease. The dialogue is often circular and cryptic, leaving much to the audience’s interpretation. The setting—a rundown seaside boarding house—adds to the claustrophobic and unsettling mood of the play.
The film adaptation, while maintaining the narrative and thematic core of the play, utilizes the cinematic tools at its disposal to enhance the texture. Camera angles, lighting, and editing rhythms contribute to the overall experience of menace. For instance, the film can use close-ups to capture the characters’ nuanced expressions, or employ unsettling angles to heighten the sense of disorientation and threat.
Both the play and the film are considered examples of “comedy of menace,” a genre that Pinter is closely associated with. This genre is characterized by the way it subverts traditional comedic elements to create a sense of danger and oppression lurking beneath the surface of ordinary situations.
3. Observe how Pinter gives us the texture-the sounds and sights of a world without structure, which is the heart and soul of the play also.
Answer: Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” masterfully creates a texture that conveys the sounds and sights of a world lacking structure, which is central to the play’s impact. Pinter’s use of language, his strategic pauses, and the “Pinteresque” atmosphere all contribute to this texture, immersing the audience in an environment where the usual rules of society and logic do not seem to apply.
The play’s setting in a shabby seaside boarding house, the cryptic and often menacing dialogue, and the mysterious backgrounds of the characters all serve to disorient both the characters and the audience. The sounds in the play—such as the off-stage drumming during Stanley’s birthday party—create a disconcerting effect, while the sights, like the sudden blackout or the spotlight on a character, intensify the feeling of dislocation and menace.
Pinter’s dialogue is particularly effective in creating this texture. The characters often speak past each other, and their conversations are filled with non-sequiturs and abrupt changes in topic. This disjointed communication mirrors the play’s theme of a world without structure, where meaning is elusive and the characters’ grasp on reality is tenuous.
The “Pinter pause” is another key element in establishing the play’s texture. These pauses are filled with tension and suggest a multitude of unspoken thoughts and emotions. They punctuate the dialogue and contribute to the overall sense of unease, as the silence speaks as loudly as the words.
In “The Birthday Party,” Pinter gives us a vivid portrayal of a world where the familiar is made strange, and the ordinary becomes ominous. The play’s texture is a tapestry of the absurd, the menacing, and the comically bizarre, which together form the heart and soul of Pinter’s dramatic vision.
4. How many times the ‘knocking at the door’ happens in the play? Is it creating menacing effect while viewing the movie?
Answer: In Harold Pinter’s play “The Birthday Party,” the ‘knocking at the door’ occurs a few times, each serving as a pivotal moment that contributes to the play’s atmosphere of menace. In the film adaptation, these moments are likely enhanced by the use of sound and visual effects to create a more pronounced sense of threat and unease.
5. How are ‘silences’ and ‘pauses’ used in the movie to give effect of lurking danger – how it helps in building the texture of comedy of menace.
Answer: In the film adaptation of Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party,” silences and pauses are used strategically to create an effect of lurking danger, which is essential in building the texture of the comedy of menace. These elements serve as a non-verbal language that communicates tension and impending threat, often more powerfully than words could. The pauses and silences in Pinter’s work are not empty; they are charged with meaning and are meticulously placed to contribute to the rhythm and flow of the dialogue.
The use of these techniques in the film allows for a heightened sense of unease and anticipation. The audience is left to wonder what might be happening in the unspoken moments, which adds to the suspense. This uncertainty, combined with the ordinary setting and seemingly trivial conversations, creates a disconcerting juxtaposition that is the hallmark of Pinter’s comedy of menace.
The film’s director can amplify these effects through cinematic choices, using the visual language of film to complement Pinter’s written word. Close-ups on actors’ faces during moments of silence, the lingering of the camera on empty spaces, or the abrupt cut to a new scene after a pause—all these techniques can intensify the feeling of menace and contribute to the overall texture of the film.
6. Comment upon the use of things like mirror, toy drum, newspapers, breakfast, chairs, window-hatch etc in the movie. What sort of symbolic reading can you give to these objects?
Answer: In the film adaptation of Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party,” objects such as mirrors, toy drums, newspapers, breakfast items, chairs, and window-hatches are not merely props but carry symbolic weight that adds depth to the narrative.
- Mirror: Often used to symbolize self-reflection or duality, a mirror in the film might represent the characters’ search for identity or the contrast between their public personas and private selves.
- Toy Drum: This could symbolize lost innocence or the characters’ childishness, as well as the underlying tension and the impending eruption of violence, much like the beating of a drum in a march to war.
- Newspapers: They might represent the characters’ connection to the outside world, or conversely, their disconnection from reality, as they are absorbed in the day-to-day trivia instead of their own troubling situation.
- Breakfast: A routine meal that can signify normalcy and the facade of domesticity that the characters maintain despite the chaos that surrounds them.
- Chairs: These could stand for stability or status, with their arrangement or the act of sitting down reflecting the power dynamics between the characters.
- Window-Hatch: It might be seen as a portal to the outside world or a barrier that keeps it at bay, symbolizing the characters’ isolation or their desire for escape.
These objects, through their symbolic meanings, contribute to the “Comedy of Menace” by juxtaposing the ordinary with the ominous, enhancing the play’s themes of uncertainty, power, and the struggle for self-preservation.
7. How effective are scenes like ‘Interrogation scene’ (Act 1), ‘Birthday Party scene’ (Act 2) and ‘Faltering Goldberg & Petey’s timid resistance scene’ (Act 3) captured in the movie?
Interrogation Scene: This scene is crucial as it sets the tone for the play’s “Comedy of Menace.” The effectiveness in the movie would depend on how the director captures the verbal struggle and the power dynamics between the characters.
Birthday Party Scene: The birthday party is the centerpiece of the play, where the tension reaches a climax. The film’s success in capturing this scene would hinge on its ability to portray the absurdity and underlying threat amidst the celebration.
Faltering Goldberg & Petey’s Timid Resistance Scene: The final act’s effectiveness lies in the portrayal of Goldberg’s faltering confidence and Petey’s resistance. The movie would need to convey the shift in power and the impact of Petey’s defiance on the audience.
The film’s ability to maintain the play’s texture and communicate the “Pinteresque” elements through cinematic techniques would ultimately determine the effectiveness of these scenes.
Post-Viewing Tasks:
1. Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?
Answer: The omission of two scenes involving Lulu from the movie adaptation of Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” could be due to a variety of reasons, such as pacing, narrative focus, or directorial interpretation. William Friedkin, the director, may have decided that these scenes did not contribute significantly to the film’s overall atmosphere or the development of its central themes. It’s also possible that the scenes were cut to maintain a certain runtime or to emphasize other elements of the story.
For specific details on the reasons behind these omissions, one would need to look into interviews or discussions with the filmmakers, as well as any available behind-the-scenes documentation. Unfortunately, without direct statements from the creators, we can only speculate on the exact reasons for these changes.
2. Is movie successful in giving us the effect of menace? Where you able to feel it while reading the text?
3. 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.
Overhead View of McCann: When the camera is positioned over McCann’s head, it could symbolize the power he holds in the situation. It gives the audience a sense of dominance, as if McCann is in control of the game and, by extension, the other characters. This angle can also create a feeling of surveillance, suggesting that McCann is being watched or judged.
Top View of Room Like a Cage: When Stanley is playing and the camera is positioned to show the room like a cage, it emphasizes Stanley’s entrapment and vulnerability. This perspective can make the audience feel like they are observing an animal in a trap, heightening the sense of danger and helplessness. It also reinforces the theme of confinement and the lack of escape for the characters within their own lives.
These camera angles are not just visual techniques but serve to deepen the thematic content of the film, aligning with Pinter’s exploration of power dynamics, control, and the underlying menace that pervades the play.
5. "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?
The film’s critical reception acknowledges its success in translating Pinter’s vision from the stage to the screen, preserving the “comedy of menace” genre that Pinter is known for. The director’s passion for the material and his understanding of Pinter’s work contribute to the film’s ability to convey the same sense of danger and psychological complexity as the original play.
6. 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)?
Answer: Viewing the movie adaptation of Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” can enhance understanding of the play by bringing its characteristic elements to life through visual and auditory means. The film medium allows for a more visceral experience of the “Pinteresque” qualities, such as the strategic use of pause and silence, which in the context of cinema can be emphasized through editing and sound design. The sense of menace and lurking danger is often more palpable on screen, where close-ups and camera angles can intensify the feeling of claustrophobia and the characters’ psychological distress.
Moreover, the film can provide a concrete visualization of the play’s setting and characters, which might help viewers to better grasp the subtleties of the narrative and the dynamics between the characters. The director’s interpretation of the play also offers a new perspective, potentially shedding light on themes and nuances that may not be as immediately apparent in the text alone.
However, it’s important to note that while the film can offer a different dimension to the play, it is ultimately an interpretation and may differ from Pinter’s original staging or the reader’s imagination. Each medium has its own strengths in storytelling, and experiencing both can lead to a richer understanding of the work as a whole.
7. 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.
Answer: The observation that “It probably wasn’t possible to make a satisfactory film of ‘The Birthday Party’” reflects the inherent challenges of adapting a Harold Pinter play for the screen. Pinter’s plays, including “The Birthday Party,” are known for their distinctive use of dialogue, pauses, and silences, which create a unique atmosphere and tension that can be difficult to translate into film.
In the case of “The Birthday Party,” the play’s effectiveness relies heavily on the claustrophobic setting and the characters’ interactions within it. The characters are trapped together on stage, caught in their own logic and dynamics, which may not have the same impact when translated to film. In a movie, the proximity to reality—such as the outside world being just beyond the door—can disperse the play’s “grim fantasy” and reduce the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that is so central to the experience of the play.
Additionally, the film medium’s visual and auditory realism can make the abstract and ambiguous elements of Pinter’s work more concrete, potentially diluting the play’s intended effect. The play’s power often lies in what is not said, in the underlying menace that is felt rather than seen or heard. Capturing this in a film requires careful consideration of how to use cinematic techniques to evoke similar feelings in the audience.
These factors contribute to the belief that creating a film adaptation of “The Birthday Party” that fully captures the essence of the original play is a challenging endeavor. However, it’s also noted that William Friedkin’s adaptation is as close to Pinter’s vision as one might imagine, despite the inherent difficulties of the task.
THANK YOU!!
If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make in the making of movie?
Visual Interpretation: visually interpret the themes and symbols of the play, using the camera to create a specific mood or atmosphere that complements the narrative.
Character Development: They could expand on the characters’ backstories and motivations, providing a deeper understanding of their actions and relationships.
Pacing and Structure: The pacing of a film often differs from that of a play. A director or screenwriter might restructure the narrative to better suit the medium of film, which could involve altering the sequence of events or the timing of key moments.
Dialogue Adaptation: Adapting the dialogue to maintain the play’s original tone and tension while ensuring it flows naturally in the film format.
Use of Music and Sound: The film version might employ music and sound design to heighten emotions and underscore the themes of menace and danger.
Cinematic Techniques: Utilizing cinematic techniques such as close-ups, camera angles, and lighting to emphasize certain aspects of the story or characters that are not as easily conveyed on stage.
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