The Birthday Party, Harold Pinter’s second full-length play, was written in 1957. Stanley Webber’s life at a rundown seaside boarding house is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of two mysterious and sinister strangers called Goldberg and McCann, who terrorise him and eventually take him away.
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  • Why are two scenes of Lulu omitted from the movie?
In this play ,female characters like Meg and Lulu are subordinated and subjugated , marginalized . They are regarded as puppets. Lulu abused by the male in party. But by whom that is not shown. Because the play represent Stanley as a criminal not Goldberg. So may be Beckett don't want to clarify us that Stanley was innocent. Or may he don't want to show this type of act on stage.

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



Comedy of menace term used to describe this play. The Birthday Party is a tragedy with a number of comic elements. It is a comedy, which also produced an overwhelming tragic effect. In conversation of Goldberg , McCann with Stanley we find Menace in torrent of language , pause and use of silence. In the film door knocking , breathing , tearing the paper all scene creates atmosphere 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 ?
  • In the play we see violence throughout and feeling of insecurity. At party time Goldberg and McCann ' s behaviour with Stanley was much dengerous and worst. During blind man's buff game they torcher him much . Sounds of drum and it's effect this all lurking danger while viewing the movie.


  • 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 as a means of communication used by dramatist in play ironically. The characters hide them behind the paper. When Petey was reading the newspaper meg trying to make conversation with him unsuccessfully. McCann tearing shows his mentality. When Petey hides it it means he wants to hide reality from Meg about them and Stanley.


  • 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? 

Camera closely reflects all characters inner state and frustration. It shows Stanley as helpless against them. He controlled and torchered by Goldberg and McCann. This all movement shown to us by camera movement , it focuses on power position. We are able to see it completely which thing don't know the other characters of the play. Thus nothing can be hidden that is shown by it.


  • "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 basic elements  of the absurd theatre like Pinter pause , silence and torrent of language that all is main charactricharac in the play. There are use of silence , incoherent of sounds , and dengerous effect of sounds this all are very effective and we fill that they are cruel and have mercy on Stanley. But complete truth behind it is still unknown to us.

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)?

While viewing , camera movement clarify every face closely with inner and outer state. What happening and who are suffering that all visuals and expression is very helpful. Texture , pause and silence , sounds of different things and dialogue all creates atmosphere of violence and dengerous. It helps in better understanding of 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”

 I agree with statement 2 that it is quite appreciate file according to Pinter ' s play. With all characteristics of theatre it provides very apt film on the absurd play. It is impossible to imagine better film than this .
If you were director or screenplay writer, what sort of difference would you make in the making of movie?

 If  I was director ,I don't think that there is need of any difference . It is quite apt according to play .no need of difference as per characteristics of the play.

Stanley : Rajkumar Row
Lulu :      Priyanka Chopra
Petey :    Irfan khan
Goldberg :  Nasrudin shah
McCann :  Anupam Kher
Meg :  Kiran kher