Thinking Activity: The Birthday Party

 

Q. Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?

Ans. In my opinion, the director does not want to distract the audience. Otherwise, the main purpose can be conquered. Because it only makes it more difficult for the audience to understand his concept. Another interpretation we can give is that if your main content is powerful then there is no need for any other unnecessary things that can subdue the main purpose.

 

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

Ans. A terrible movie. It creates that kind of effect when we read a play on some level but it is not like a movie, because audio and visual effects are more effective than reading text. In the movie, in the interrogation scene, we clearly see the effect of fear where a number of questions were asked and the effect of the loud noise made Stanley sweat in fear and frustration and when Stanley heard about those two strangers he ran into fear. . Knocking on the door, in the same way, creates fear in a person’s mind. The harsh sound gives a terrifying feeling. There are many other scenes such as the interrogation scene, a scene where the lights go off, etc. But yes the comparison of text film gives a more terrifying effect than text.

 

Q. 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. The first scene shows the gender gap. As husband means for intellect, or we can say that he is close to the outside world. Where the wife is used to household chores and has nothing to do with the outside world.

 

 

Q. 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. Throughout the movie, we find the important role of the camera. Here the camera is described as McCain's third eye. And now Stanley will not be able to escape from his trap.

 

Q. "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. To some extent, it happens in the movie. Everyone loves and cares for each other for example Mag, Lulu and Pete show Stanley care but in the end when Stanley has a problem no one can help or even care. So, we can connect with this

Q. 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. Some have rightly cited an image of more than a thousand words, so obviously watching a movie helps for a better understanding of the play. We cannot understand the fears hidden by silence, pause, charm, intimidation, and text, but we can understand through visual images and pictures. So, my camera angle helps us a lot in understanding this type of game.

 

Q. 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)

 

Ans. I agree with the second point that "it is impossible to imagine a better film of Pinter's play than this sensitive, distracting version directed by William Friedkin" because he is so faithful to this text and in many years other directors have not been able to make this kind of film.

 

 

Q.  If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make in the making of movie?

 

Ans. If I was director or screenplay writer I don't think there is any needs of change. 

 

 

Q. Who would be your choice of actors to play the role of characters?

Ans.

 Stanley- Manoj bajpai

Goldberg- Irfan Khan

Mccain- Amirkhan

Lulu- Kiara Advani

Petey- Paresh Rawal

Meg-  Shabana Azmi