The Birthday Party

It is not about regular Birthday Parties. Its about Harold Pinter's play The Birthday Party. 

 

To see the original task click on the image.

 Here is my observation regarding this work....

* Lulu's Character: 

Lulu's character is a minor character in the play. In the movie it is difficult to focus on more than one or two character at a time. When Lulu was performing her character at the same time other important situation were going on parallel. So her scenes are omitted.

* The effect of Menace: 
 
The film successfully giving the effect of menace by using some techniques like.....
- Knocking door
- Water pouring
- Ringing of Bell
...The same feeling I was not able to feel when reading the play.

* The Lurking Danger: 

I feel the lurking danger when the scene of Stanley and the two strangers was shown. The entry of McCain and Goldberg itself suggests the lurking danger for the family and Stanley.
...The same feeling was not felt while reading.

* Use of Newspaper:

There are three different use of 'Newspaper' are shown;
1. Petey reading newspaper to Meg and she was doing kitchen work. It shows male domination.
2. McCain torn into pieces that shows his mental disability. Either he is thinking too much or making himself busy in meaningless activity.
3. Hiding the pieces by Petey when Meg returns shows Petey's effort to hide the blank space of Stanley for a while.

* Game of Blind-Buff:

When the Blind Buff's play was going on camera focuses on McCain's head when his turn came. He was sternly going to catch Stanley. Whereas Stanley's turn came it focuses from the angle of roof which shows Stanley trapped in a cage and trying to free himself.

* Pretense crumbled:

"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)
...It happens in the movie also. The scenes are not changing. Dialogues were going on in the drawing room mostly. Dialogues were also very small. People were giving support to each other but mostly it was like a saying of Gujarati
" હાથીના દાંત ખાવાના જૂદા દેખાડવાના જૂદા."
* Writing Techniques:

Pinter is well known for his use of writing techniques like Picturesque, lurking danger, pause, silence, menace etc.
This all techniques are better understood by the film than the reading. Because naturally visual effects more than reading.

* The Film:

I agree with the second point at some extent. It is a better film based on Pinter's play. But it can be more effecting and less disturbing than this one which is directed by William Friedkin.

* If I were a director...

If I were a director I would have made these changes...
- I would have chosen young and attractive characters
- I would have focus on clarity of dialogues
- I would have change the lightening during the actions

* My Coice of Actors:

If it depends on me to choose characters of the movie than I would like to give the characters to these actors:

Stanley: Ranbeer Kapoor

Meg: Shree Devi

Petey: Amitabh Bachhan

Lulu: Sonam Kapoor

McCain: Arjun Kapoor

Goldberg: Imraan Hashmi

Thank You...