'The Birthday party' film screening task

Post-viewing task

Hello, the task is based on the screening of the film 'The Birthday Party', on which we get the thinking activity. To open the worksheet click here,

• Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?

   Lulu's character omitting from the movie, we can say, Stanley is the protagonist and Lulu remains in centre in the scene of blackout, Stanley becomes criminal, Stanley attackes on Lulu. So from this we can say that women abused by the man.  and we have simpathy for Lulu. So that is one reason for omitting Lulu's character from the movie.

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

   

     Yes, there is effects of menace in movie and in the play also. Menace in the sense of danger or something mysterious. When we read the play, we can sense that Stanley has a mysterious past which we are not informed about that, 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. In movie and play the conversation of MacCann and Goldberg, it also the effect of menace.

   

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

   While I'm viewing the movie, I feel the effect of lurking danger, when Goldberg and MaCann constantly asking the question to Stanley, and force him to give the answer. Different voices, knockout the doors, sounds of drum, laugh of Goldberg, it creates the sense of danger.

   • 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.

   Newspaper reading as a symbol of hiding ourself, or it suggests the power of male dominance, Meg is shown as a weak woman as she is not able to read because why would she ask her husband to tell het what's going on then? Meccain tears newspaper into peaces. It shows his mentality. He wants Stanley rip up like the pieces of newspaper.

  • 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? 

   The camera positioned over the head of MacCann when he is playing, blind man's buff, it presents the reality, that we have not privacy and not free from the government, it suggests that they keep watching on us. For Stanley his home also a prison, it a trap for him.

   • "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." Does this happen in the movie?

   

    Yes, Meg have the real care for Stanley, she takes care of him. Meg and Petey both were have normal life. Their conversation is a symbol of taking care of each other. Meg takes care and make food happily for Stanley and Petey, Petey feels mercy for Stanley, Meg and Lulu wanted to celebrate Stanley's birthday. But MacCann and Goldberg has not that kind of purposes.

   • 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)?

   Movie helps me to understand the play.  Different symbols, newspaper, and characters are really good at their roles. camera angles and focuses all gives real feeling of the play. We are not able to imagine those noises while reading the play.

  • 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”

       

   We can clearly say that it wasn't possible to make a satisfactory film of 'The Birthday party', because this film is quite good and it not purely apt but we can consider as a good not best one, it is not like that, thank it is impossible to make better movie than this. Nothing can be considered as best. 

    

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

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

   

   There is nothing that I want to change, because the movie is quite apt to the play. Characters are also fit into their roles.

    My choice of actors...

    Stanley – Rajkumar Rao
Goldberg – Pankaj Tripathi
MacCann – Irfan Khan
Petey – Anupam Kher
Meg – Kiran Kher
Lulu – Jacqueline Fernandez

    Thank you...