The Birthday Party Film!

There is a vast difference between '' watching movie'' and ''reading novel or drama''.Both have advantages and disadvantages. Novels are written minutely with all necessary details. Movies are made to create the real effect of work of art so that viewers can get that insight of discerning the things in form of catharsis or visibility. But when some things are omitted or distorted, it lacks subjective nature of reality on the part of director!

                    Here ' The Birthday Party' is, of course a comedy of menace which is used to describe  Herold Pinter's plays by drama critic Irving Wardle. But it also falls under the category of '' tragicomedy''. It includes the tragedy of the characters and their pathetic situation  in their absurd behaviors and meaninglessness. It shows laughter but not comic, a tragic one which has been shown with the dark side of reality and existence of human beings.

                     Movie helps us discern Stanley, Meg, Petey, Goldberg and McCann because visibility takes place  and objective ideas start taking place in our mind. The effect of menace makes us unable to explore subjectivity , ambiguity, complexity of relationships. Chaos, disorders are major elements which can be visualized by watching movie. 

                   Silences, and pauses convey hidden truth or working condition of minds because silence speaks more than words. Sometimes silence conveys all the answers but  sometimes it suggests grief , confusions, pathetic condition of the character. There is a conflict: Language v/s silence. For example Stanley insults Meg, he actually expresses self hated and guilt. Goldberg has tremendous power of manipulation who can prevail on rest of the characters. He redirects the questions, changes flow of communication. The language doesn't convey the truth but it conveys that there is something hidden. Goldberg recalls his past and sometimes turns so grief stricken but very few viewers would have been able to discern  that he uses indirect method with intention to peep into other characters' past and secrets. He goes on exploring if a person reveals the truth or not! He does the same with Stanley . He himself recalls his mother , girlfriend and good days but that has been linked with Stanley's past about whom Goldberg and McCann seem to claim that Stanley had girlfriend and he has killed his wife by giving her poison. There are many things which cannot be visualized by mind while reading drama.So my answer is yes movie helps in understanding due to visibility of the characteristics of the characters!

                 Comedy of menace , according to me includes a slight charm of tragicomedy. A person always laughs much when there is something troubling , hidden in his heart just to conceal it. Insecurity is one of the major elements of comedy of menace. It creates fearsome atmosphere and leaves the characters unable to judge from correct angle. Comedy of menace is a continuous process of comic elements and tragic elements in which tragic elements establish their dominance effectively under comic laughters which remain in form of grief and anxieties. It includes vague elements and obscurity which remain generally complex to interpret. It includes comic laughter with frightening and trembling force. When Stanley plays drum, at the same time it can be visualized that Meg enjoys and gets absorbed. The way Meg takes delight in beginning and Stanley's absurd way of playing drum makes us laugh. It creates laughter but at the same time there is a genuine reality lies within Stanley's behavior. Drum becomes an instrument for Stanley to express his desires who is not capable enough to verbalize his emotions. It becomes symbol of limitations of communication!

               Comedy of menace keeps audience wonder and explore through silences and pauses that there must be a hidden truth or reason. It makes audience occupied with too many interpretations. Theatre of Absurd shows absurdity and meaninglessness of characters at the first visible extent. Viewers

can visualize that Estragon and Vladimir have been waiting but it is futile not worth. Characters' repetition of activity remains absurd  . It shows lack of human existence which has no purpose but comedy of menace gives hint to interpret things and provide us with possibility that there must be something. Comedy of Menace intentionally uses pause, silences to threaten.

   

              Silences and pauses become indication of suggesting something. Silent is what has not been said but it becomes suggestive of that unsaid thing.

               There is a transformation in Stanley's character. A kind of freshness he found in room and suspects someone would have come when he was not there . This transformation creates menacing effect when he comes to know that two men are going to come. Meg cleans the room. This sudden change could be found in Meg who generally doesn't clean the room. Suspicion becomes suggestive of menacing and threatening effect. It is suspicious that somebody will come . For a while Stanley remains silent then there occurs sudden conversation. This cannot be visualized while reading . Music quality, acting, expressions are fine. The way the house has been shown is praiseworthy. The way the characters have been portrayed cannot disappear but remain before our eyes while interpret movie from our own perspective. I have no doubt about direction. It is excellent. The intimacy between Meg and Stanley remains obscure . It cannot be discerned while reading drama. The way Meg takes care of Stanley is very touchy it creates image of mother-son relationship. Meg doesn't forget Stanley's tea but she forgets Petey's. Stanley has the guts to provide Meg with truth and calls her bad wife.Many questions arise: does Stanley take delight with old woman in absence of her husband? Do they have physical relationship? It creates ambiguity and pinteresque technique which makes us remain unable to interpret. 

               Sounds or musical quality in any movie create its own identity. It gives sight of modernity where human beings' uncertainty , absurdity, lack of accuracy and awareness lead them to adversity. The sight of world which has been shown can be included into the category of ''excellence'' and Herold Pinter has succeeded in pouring world's reality into his sights. Pinteresque quality includes absence of basic information or introduction of characters. Why does Stanley live in boardinghouse? If he is an artist what kind of artist is he? Does not he have work? Is he not being given work or albums by any music company? It can only be aroused in form of question by watching movie. 

               The lack of communication that Meg and Petey have arises many questions. Why do they not communicate more? Why does Meg worry when Stanley goes on telling that he will leave the house? Goldberg and McCann are social agents. Why have they been sent by Monty? Where are they from? The whole picture only suggests that Stanley has done something really bad in his past and it can be known through conversation of McCann and Goldberg who go on asking series of question that why he killed his wife or left organization. It makes us feel that Stanley must be at the fault.

               Sounds of oppressors indicate the power position. When someone is in power position then that person can change everything. It's a kind of allegorical drama. Nothing is revealed. Another conflict lies within McCann who continuously fears and hesitates and goes on asking Goldberg about his work's necessity. His hesitation indicates that they are doing something wrong. Another interpretation comes up about society . Goldberg and McCann are agent of society then Stanley is being repressed by society's power and it shows plight of an artist in society who is never given freedom. He has to work as he has been told by his company or organization. Say for example Rockstar movie by Imtiaz Ali in which situation is different but the way society looks at artist and his plight due to society or norms of society are very well shown. Stanley's characteristic of his insanity shows his deep agony, anguish and lack of remembrances or determination. An artist always goes mad . This is the truth ,If  he has not been able to digest the world around him. An artist has to adjust his way of living and his talent in accordance with society but generally artists fail and they have to suffer bitter criticism of society. So from that perspective the plight of Stanley as an artist makes itself visible before our eyes. 

              Window becomes symbol of openness , freedom and free inspiration. Knocking at the door threatens something. It's a kind of disturbance creates effect of menace. Newspaper show characters' limits of conversation and they hide themselves behind newspaper as Petey does! McCann's tearing of newspaper shows Stanley's upcoming condition and they will do the same with him. Drum sound and tearing of the paper are irritating sound. All the pieces of paper which have been torn are put up into newspaper. It shows now plan has properly been made. They will try to establish their mastery of questioning over Stanley and manipulate him by series of questions. 

                 Goldberg is full of confidence and obsessed with his job that he has been given. Nostalgia of Goldberg tires to arouse history of Stanley's life in indirect method. At some extent it feels that all is dependent on the attitude of our own subject. McCann continuously fears whether their work will be done or not, are they doing properly or not. He thinks that someone will also come for them . They fear of Monty a person to whom Stanley is taken . So it shows ''lurking danger'' .Arrival of stranger in form of Goldberg or McCann shows something is going to be happened. 

              Meg's character has been portrayed so dump but innocent too. She never tries to find identity of  two oppressors. When they were not there she goes on visiting Stanley but when there something wrong is happening with Stanley she doesn't even bother to find. How awkward and odd relation Stanley is having with two cruel oppressors. How can it be possible that they are living in same house and she doesn't get any single chance to get real insight of Goldberg and McCann ? It creates absurdity!  

               Meg's memory is not so good but she forgets easily so here forgetting becomes motif. Meg asks after Stanley at the end of the novel  but Petey answers Stanley is sleeping but why she doesn't find truth of Stanley . She doesn't remember that last night was a great day and celebration of birthday party so forgetfulness of Meg allegorically represents public memory. It shows common characteristics of human beings especially modern human beings who forget sometimes basic and necessary things. 

            Stanley is asked: Where was your wife?

            He tries to answer: In....What wife?

It creates conflict and ambiguity as well. Lulu's character shows common characteristic of womanhood but in awkward or different way. Women want love in form of understanding or intimacy not in form of physical satisfaction but the way Lulu builds up relations with Goldberg creates conflict! Lulu's openness leads her to sexuality. At the beginning of the movie she seems interested in Stanley but then  she becomes attracted to Goldberg.

                     

            You're a bit of washout, aren't you?

     

            Above statement is spoken by Lulu to Stanley . She is charming and beautiful . She teases Stanley for not leaving the house and always remaining at home. While watching movie we feel her insight of flirtation. This character of Lulu shows relationship of man and woman who need each other. Her flirtation makes her character fall under the second kind of category of woman not idol one! 

            In Birthday party scene it can be properly visualized that both oppressors doing harm to Stanley but Meg seems to close her eyes or wear blindness. Darkness symbolizes on the part of  Stanley's realization  that Goldberg and McCann want him to bring and want Stanley to be convinced . One thing I noticed ,gives proof of intimacy between Meg and Stanley. When Meg's turn comes in blind man's buff game and she was finding , she touches McCann but thinks it was Stanley. When Stanley is finding , it suggests that now he is trapped in cage. Perhaps Stanley's pretense at the beginning of the movie when he was having conversation with Meg , he speaks of concert ,People were there. They were there but who they? It remains ambiguous. Concert of Piano remains center of his life. He wanted to give invitation to his father but forgets his address. So somehow at the end when he was finding and playing hide and seek and that darkness gives genuine illumination that he is not lying but revealing the truth . Goldberg and McCann are of course aware of Stanley and his life. So their decision to play hide and seek and makes Stanley blind by giving him turn also suggests that forgetfulness of Stanley is true. But at the same time it also reveals that Stanley has done something wrong and he has forgotten everything. It shows artistic characteristic of an artist. Generally artists forget everything and sometimes also go mad!

               Goldberg: " Still the same old Stan. Come with us. come on, boy..."

''the same old Stan''. These words show that they had  known Stanley before they arrived at boardinghouse. Stanley also claimed in earlier scene to McCann and wondered if they have met before anywhere but McCann denies. So it also suggests that Stanley's forgetfulness is one of the major right things in movie as well as drama . McCann and Goldberg were already knowing that Stanley has vague memory so let us play with him. They both were not trying to make Stanley remember but they were trying to hurt him or condemn and punish him for what he has done! Because one of the realities is that Stanley was living a life with his insanity, irregularity, absurdity. If he had been normal man then we could have blamed Goldberg and MaCann but the way Stanley has lived his life in boardinghouse with his behaviors shows his uncertainty so here at this point Goldberg and MaCann's efforts to lead Stanley to Monty don't seem strange! I'm not telling that they were doing their job was necessary , of course the way they mistreated Stanley is wrong but on the other side Stanley's behavior makes us think of oppressors' genuine reason too! This can't be discerned while reading drama. 

              Lulu's scenes are omitted. Personally it is not point of interpretation for me but I would say there would have been reason for director to omit them.  Perhaps They weren't allowed to be shown. The way camera moves, it shows director's excellence. It hasn't been remained close to our eyes but Goldberg and Lulu are enjoying each other's company can be visualized from the distance and director hasn't made their relationship as focal point but though it gains importance! One of the praiseworthy direction techniques! Sometimes some scenes become necessary for directors to show. The director has shown sexuality but it doesn't mean that he was interested in it but sometimes it shows human nature and their characteristics . This kind of scenes remain linked with other aspects of movie or narrative!If you omit it then the real effect of the movie will not be achieved! Some movies fall under the category of sexual where director's purpose remains one and the same to show it but in some movies, that kind of scenes have to be sown to show intimacy or subjectivity of nature! For example Kurbaan movie. The movie is very well directed but the way Kareena Kapoor sleeps with Saif Ali Khan doesn't make movie fall under the category of Sexual but the theme of that movie is about class distinctions and blind patriotism of Islam. Kareena Kapoor is caught and the way she acts and finds this only solution to sleep with man to find necessary proofs is acceptable because she was already having relationship with that man and she was cheated in her marriage . Here Lulu's character shows womanhood but in awkward way!

               Here, in this drama or movie it is proved that characters are at the mercy of other. Meg takes delight in company of Stanley. Stanley depends on Meg.Two oppressors work for Monty and agents of other person. Lulu wants attention from man.

             Petey: Stan, don't let them tell you what to do!

             This is spoken by Petey so again it creates conflict and ambiguity. Why does Petey speak this? What meaning does it give to us? Was he aware of circumstances? His this sentence again gives proof of valuable intimacy between three of them, Meg , Stanley and Petey. People really live at mercy of other. At the end in genre of Comedy of Menace Harold Pinter and Director give touch of realism in each and every moment!  

              If I were director of this movie, I would have chosen Nasseruddin Shah as Goldberg. Arshad Warsi as Stanley and Vidhya Balan as Lulu ( not because she has played incestuous roles in a few movies but where feminine sensibility comes, no one can beat her or her talent is beyond any appreciation! https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Mjp8Ms2t19Q