The Birthday Party (Movie screening- review/ experience) by Harold Pinter

v  The Birthday Party is a play by Harold Pinter. Genre of the play is Theatre  of Absurd or Comedy of menace.

v  Menace:-

v  -a perceived threat or danger

v  -the act of threatening

v  -an annoying and bothersome person 

v  -To make threats against (someone);

v  To intimidate.to a country with war

v  To threaten (an evil to be inflicted)

v  -To endanger (someone or something);

v  Comedy of menace is a term used to describe plays of David Campton and Harold Pinter by critic Irving Wardle.

v  The Birthday Party is full of a kind of fear, danger which we cannot explain. It is funny as well as frightening. We feel uneasy all the time even when we are laughing or smiling with amusement. This dual quality gives play uniqueness. Play is full of uncertainty and insecurity.

v  There are two silences in Pinter's plays. One when no word is spoken. And the other when perhaps a torrent of language is being employed. While the play sometimes there is long pause, total silence, not a single word is spoken. At the same time there are moments in the play, where there is torrent of dialogue that we do not have even time of thinking or comprehending what is going on. Our mind goes blank. Example of torrent of dialogue is Nat and McCann’s questioning to Stanley- that frustrated Stanley shouts and kicks him.

v  Oxford English Dictionary defines “Pinteresque” as “of or relating to British play wright, Harold Pinter, or his works”. “Pinter’s plays are typically characterized by implications of threat and strong feeling produced through colloquial language, apparent triviality, and long pauses”

v  The Birthday Party as an Allegory- means having more than one meaning. It is very much open for various interpretations. We can read Stanley as an artist in exile. And artist is in danger because of his radical, free thinking. And threatened by underworld. So he is living fearful like that somebody will come and caught me. There is reference of him as pianist, and at the end of the play he is not able to speak and is well dressed and clean shaved which mean that he has conform to Nat and McCann (Underworld or society).

v  Political reading leads us to think Stanley as smaller Nations and Nat and McCann as bigger nation like U.S. etc.

v  Characters like Petey symbolize impotency of society. In spite of knowing everything, they can’t do anything. Meg forgets everything which symbolizes large number of people, generally forgets things. Broken glasses of Stanley symbolize breaking inspiration, vision of artist.

v  Although Harold Hobson declared that ‘no one can say what precisely it is about ‘and albeit Pinter’s assertion that “I can sum up none of my plays, I can describe none of them …’ the play has a pertinent and poignant theme for it deals with the subordination and marginalization of women characters. Pinter’s symbolical and allegorical play The Birthday Party is concerned with how the women characters like Meg and Lulu are relegated to insignificance, how they are treated as inferior to male characters like Stanley, Goldberg, McCann and even Petey, how they are deprived by men-folk socially, economically and culturally. Thus a feminist reading of the play is obvious.

v  Apart from a very good writer Pinter was very good screen play writer also. He himself has written screenplay of movie version of The Birthday Party. If we compare film and movie, then movie gives far better experience what Pinter wanted to say. In stage performance all the things are not possible, which is in movie. Film communicates better dramatic experience. For example apart from outdoor shooting, many scenes are suggestive. We see through the mirror of car, which signifies many things- that where car has been rather than where it is going.

v  In play we cannot see the kitchen of Meg, but in film camera focuses on untidiness of kitchen. The camera records and magnifies the trivia. Magnification technique is used very well in the movie. For example tearing of newspaper by McCann, Goldberg’s threat to Stanley. And Stanley’s weakness in the face of the threats against him is also emphasized through camera angel. In the movie, deliberately to create menacing effect background music is not give. It is not interesting to watch. It becomes unbearable. But this itself is the texture of the play & movie. They wanted to transfer the experience, which they have done through far better objects in the movie.

v  There are many scenes in which knocking of door happen and it creates menacing effect. For example when Stanley wakes up and washing his face there was knocking of door,

v  When Nat &McCann were threatening to Stanley suddenly there is loud knock on the door. It frights characters as well as audience also that what will happen? Who will be there behind door? Etc.

v  Silence and pause is special characteristics of Pinter’s plays. It is used in such a way that it creates dangerous, frightening effect.

v  Things like mirror, toy drum, newspaper, breakfast, chairs etc. symbolically significant in the movie. In the beginning of the movie, camera focuses on mirror of car, and through this we see what is passing by. In other scenes it can be interpreted as it shows self-reflection to character who they are.

v  Newspaper is widely used. Petey is reading in the beginning. We can read that behind newspaper he is hiding his impotency. Untidy, tasteless breakfast Petey takes and appreciates also, which may be interpreted as husband wife’s dull, loveless, tasteless relations.

v  Interrogation scene is very interesting, in which there is not even space for taking breath. It is like torrent of dialogue. Nat & McCann asks plenty of questions, and frightened Stanley starts sweating, starts shouting and kicks him.

v  Birthday Party scene is set in very small room, where is no space –occupy by too many objects, symbolically signifies characters narrowness and unable to move kind of situation. Interesting thing is that, they are celebrating birthday of Stanley, But Stanley denies that it is not his birthday. Except Stanley all enjoys- Nat & Lulu, Meg & McCann.it also mean both the ladies are taken away from him. His glasses are broken during this scene- means breaking artist’s vision and inspiration. So it is very important.

v  And in the 3^rd act, Nat and McCann takes Stanley away to a man called Monty. Petey tries to resist but can’t stop them from taking Stanley. This suggests society’s impotency to protect artist.

v  In the movie two scenes are omitted, which is in the play- the reason may be to make movie compact and precise. Or maybe they wanted to focus on Stanley- an artist that how they are used and frightened by bureaucrats or people from underworld.

v  Yes, there are many incidents when we feel effect of danger. When two strangers come, who they are? Why they came? What they will do with Stanley? Etc. will create effect of danger- even Stanley says to Meg – you don’t know with whom you are talking. This indicates his fishy past.

v  McCann tears newspaper which Petey was reading earlier. In last act, in spite of Petey’s resistance they take Stanley away and also threat him. Which shows Petey’s insignificance, impotency against them.

v  While playing blind man’s buff, camera is on the head of Stanley which creates image like cage, trap which means that he is held up in such a situation from which it is not possible for him to come out. Now Stanley has no way to go out, he has to succumb himself to them.

v  Film is brilliant, no doubt than movie. It with fantastic use of camera transfers the experience of fear, menace to the audience. What Pinter cannot do in the play performance, because of its limitations, he does that in the movie. Then even if we don’t know the Pinter’s biography or if we watch movie without prior reading then we will understand nothing. It is boring, monotonous to watch, and even without background music.

v  Director has beautifully made the movie. They are able to tell what they wanted to. Setting, character, camera work, dialogue everything is perfect.  

DIGITAL INDIA

•  DIGITAL INDIA:-

v  Last week, I got opportunity to interact with school children of my village. and from them I came to know many things about "Mid Day Meal".

v  Every day in News paper and other social media, we  read  something problematic about Mid Day Meal in school. though it is one of the best programme of Govt. of India, something is not right with it. contractors, intermediaries are not doing their job sincerely and as a result poor, innocent little school  children’s have to suffer a lot.

v  Many time we  read in newspaper that children are hospitalized because of poor quality of food of Mid Day Meal at school . finding cockroaches and other small insects in  meal is also common in news.

v  there is inspection team of Govt to prevent this but inspection is not happening regularly. at the same time it is time, energy and money consuming also. And there is also scope for corruption.

v  so what is solution?????

  Definitely Technology !!!!!!!

v  Earlier, where there was no technology, so we can understand that it is difficult to keep watch over person. But now we have medium, then why don’t we use them??

v  In 21st century technology can be important tool to prevent corruption.

v  what I think is that Govt. have to use technological gadgets like CCTV camera, whatsapp, face book and other social media.

v  it is rule  in school that menu is different everyday. but contractor does that on paper only. And surprisingly teachers are also silent over this matter. they should be sensitive towards this issue.

v  Everybody has mobile now a day. So Government can make rule for contractor that take photographs and video of everyday and send it to Govt. before given time. you can also take small 2/3 minutes interview of teachers and students describing quality, quantity, punctuality and variety of Mid Day Meal.

v  If contractor of Mid Day Meal is uneducated then teachers can help them.

v  it is also possible that School prepare their own face book Page, and post photographs everyday.

v  Govt. can make zone as per need at Taluka level or district level. A single person by sitting in his office can check schools of entire district. ELECTRONIC FOOT PRINTS ARE DIFFICULT TO RUB. one can easily access information of many months or years and if anyone does corruption in this they he/she may be easily caught.

v  I think, this kinds of smaller steps will make  true  our dream of DIGITAL INDIA.

Movie review of "Midnight's Children"

Movie review about the Midnight’s Children and The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

The Midnight’s Children is the movie adapted from the novel of  the same title by   Salman Rushdie. The novel is so long so it looks difficult to compile into a movie version. The technique used in this movie is of Magic Realism. Directed by Deepa  Mehta, the movie tries to compile story of three generation which looks too long. The movie has rather allegorical  political meaning.  The narrator of this movie is Saleem Sinai. And he starts telling story from his grandfather, then father and  his life’s journey, so it becomes difficult to remember and also looks unnecessary in the movie. Movie could have been much better if it only tries to cover life of Saleem Sinai. Or just little information through flashback technique would be fine. Even the representation of Indian slum area, streets, fighting, riots during independence movement, blood shed and mass killing looks like pre- conceived notion about India or say stereotypical image of India. Rushdie himself lives in Europe since many years, so we can say that he is also looking at India like Western people looks.

The movie has a very traditional beginning like I was born in Bombay  'Once upon a Time....'
#  scene of Miah Sahib killed in the beginning of the movie by telling that you Kafir can't prevent partition is appropriate to show the ugly face of partition.

# When the world will sleep, India will awake- is very significant.
Nurse's changing of child plays vital role in the plot of the movie.

There is also a scene in which lift were pulled by ropes, which presents appropriate picture of contemporary India.

# Messenger technique:  Rather than showing blood shed and mass killing Film maker brilliantly makes use of old technique ( messenger   comes on the stage and informs that this happens outside)
that Mary's husband comes and tells that outside people are killing eachother.Hindu killing Muslim and Muslim killing Hindu.

#Magic Realism presented very well in the movie. A scene where Saleem calls other Midnight's  Children and introduces  their  gifts that is wonderful.
Shiva always fights and Saleem always tries to make them realise the reason why they are there....
# birth of children symbolically means birth of Nation. For example Shiva and Saleem - India and Pakistan. And later on birth of Adam Sinai ( son of Parvati) also symbolically attached with birth of Bangladesh.

#'India is the Prime Minister, Prime Minister is India'- a statement in the novel/movie is very controversial.
Decision to destroy slum by Indira, Emergency as a black spot in the history of democracy,... is a serious attack on the politics of India.

#After the end of the 1971 war, camera captures the scene of corpses lying here and there and there is even no one to buried them, shows the dehumanization and terrific effect of war. India and Pakistan makes treaty with each other. Then what is the use of war? What about those who have lost their lives for the sake of war? Govt. has nothing to do with either soldiers or common people. So it tries to give voice to them.

# there is also a scene in the movie in which crow was sitting on the grave, which symbolically means ....there is no one to remember who pass away.

Traditional way of looking towards India:- In the movie at the time of 1971 war, there is scene when an old man called Picture-ji has so many snakes with and around him. Which proves image of India as a land of snake charmers.

# it is Parvati-the witch who saves Saleem Sinai during war and brings him back to India through his magic tricks - Abaraka dabra. And the same word speaks Adam sinai at the end of the movie.

#at the  near end of the movie Emergency is over and

 camera captures scene of sunrise which  suggests new beginning, new hope and birth of country.

Ø 

Does Literature Lie ????

Does literature lie???

Does literature lie or it expresses universal truth?, that is the question arise in my mind while studying literature.

          I want to put forward my arguments with the books like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dr, Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, a story that is in the 12^th English and even Paradise Lost by John Milton.

                                                                               Let me start by Dr. Faustus – a play by Christopher Marlowe. Setting of this play is in Renaissance era. Very impressive description description is given in the first monologue.  He is the scholar from the university from of Wittenberg. He has acquired all the knowledge available at that time, like history, economics, medicine, law, physics and many other fields. I can say that he has acquired such a large quantity of knowledge in 16^th century that may not have common people of 21^st century. Dr. Faustus was synonym of knowledge.

                                                                               But then even he was not satisfied with the knowledge he has!!!!!!!! He was still hungry for more knowledge.

And then to gain more knowledge he makes contract with Mephistopheles- a devil, that Mephistopheles will give him power and after 24 years  Faustus will give her soul to devil. Dr. Faustus willingly accepts this!!!!!!!!!

                                                                               And Ultimately, Faustus in last monologue regrets and suffers a lot and dies   a tragic death.

I

                                                                               Now my point is that why knowledge is portrayed in negative  shade by writer. The question in my mind is that whether writers know universal- ultimate truth or they (writers) are also biased? Is knowledge really destroy person or writer portrays it like this because the contemporary society believed so?

If we glance in the field  of science and technology then we come to know that knowledge of anything is becoming boon for mankind. Edison, Newton, Einstein etc scientist were also hungry  for more knowledge, and it is because of their thrust for knowledge we ‘ve  electricity, technological gadgets, mobiles, heavy machinery, mobiles, engines, transportation, progress in aeronautics (space), internet etc.  all these things are essential part of our day to day life.

                                                                               If these things won’t be there then we are still like cave men. what  is the difference between them and us.

Modern progress and development became possible only possible because of basic human nature- desire to know more.

                                                                               now  if one tries to get knowledge what is wrong in that – that  he is portrayed in negative way and given tragic end to his life.

Person like Faustus and Victor Frankenstein are like candle. they burn themselves and  give light to others. It is only because of their sacrifice  personal lives and hard work, we enjoy all the privileges of our lives.

Another example is  victor Frankenstein- a protagonist of the novel ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley.

                                                                               He was an eccentric scientist, who wants to know the secret of life. He gives so many years of his lives to the research that  it is possible to make dead person alive by electricity.  And after a dedicated, determined hard work of  long time he did so. He joints the different parts of the corpse and creates a monster- life into a  dead one!!!!!!!!!

And then the novel is full of suffering and pain of victor. He loses all his near and dear- father, mother, brother and even his beloved Elizabeth. (all killed by monster) and ultimately victor dies a tragic death.

                                                                               Now again the question comes into my mind is that why Mary Shelley gave tragic end to Victor? Why gaining a secrets of life- knowledge is curse rather than boon in the novel?

Is this the warning to the 21^st century people ( or any living being)  that don’t run behind knowledge otherwise  you will also suffer like Victor!!!!!!! Is any writer can see what we common people cannot see? Or is it true that “ Knowledge is unhappiness and Ignorance is bliss ?

 Or writers are also biased ? or  they have done injustice to their character. Because they cannot think beyond social norms.

Renaissance and Romanticism was a time when people were slowly and steadily coming out from from dark age towards light. People have started to develop scientific approach in their life. Rather than religion science was predominating every spheres of life.

If writer is universal genius then why he prefers religion over science?   To please few groups of people?  To earn money? Or to threat people?

Even the same case with the Paradise Lost by John Milton. Where God punishes Adam and Eve for eating  a fruit of knowledge. But why???? What is wrong in that???

In developed countries like U.S, Japan and many others have prepared  highly modern robots. Slowly we are moving into the era of robotic culture. Recently I have read in newspaper that Robots are used as a waiters in restaurant. Recently there was soccer competition of robots, which was won by Australia. NASA is also sending robots into  space. List is long……………

My point for talking about the role of robots in 21^st century  is that  IN ONE OR THE ANOTHER WAY

ROBOTS ARE ALSO EQUAL TO THE MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN.  Basic idea to create like into dead one  by electricity is taken from. Traces of this idea is into the mind of Victor Frankenstein.

                                                                               It  (Robots) is becoming boon for for us then why Monster becomes curse for Victor??  Or because of that era writer don’t realize its importance.

Should  we think in this way or it  is indication  (like movie Robot) that this artificial intelligence will one day create problem for its creator???

One more example that I give that is a story from 12^th English.

                                                                               The setting of  this story is 2094- in future and in this  story technology is portrayed as villainous.

It is a story of a school girl who don’t like her mechanical teacher. ( mechanical teacher means computer) there was a computer in her room where she used to study  whole day. There was some error in her mechanical teacher , so that girl was relaxed- felling happy. But  her mother calls technician and makes computer functioning well. Then  her grandfather gives her book about school but that girl hates even name of school. It was a printed book. She has never seen printed book in her life. She was surprised to see stable words on book. This school girl considers  it stupid that what is the use of this printed book once after  it read. She has so many books on her computer screen.

But then her grandfather tells her that IT IS A BOOK ABOUT THE SCHOOL THEY HAD.

Then her grandfather tells her story – once there were TEACHERS  ( HUMAN BEING) to teach children. Then girl speaks beautiful  sentence that HOW CAN A MAN BE A TEACHER? ( because of high technological  era she was taught only by the computers.)

The girl exclaimed that I will not allow  any unknown person to enter into my ho use. At that time her grandfather laughed and replied that teachers do not come home to teach you.

                                                                               There was separate rooms and buildings for students. All boys and girls were going there to study. It was a place called school. Then there is wonderful description of REAL SCHOOL. The girl lost into the stories of her grandfather &  thinks about the days THEY HAD.- A DAY OF REAL SCHOOL. Where every one was studying, laughing, playing, enjoying together.( helping each other in homework, going school on bicycle, a time when teachers were real man)  REALLY EDUCATION-SCHOOL WAS NOT MONOTONOUS AS IT IS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

This story, like many other stories is an futuristic vision of writer, that what kind of schools will be there in the days to come. That school will be in your  drawing room. Teachers will be replaced by the computers and lifeless, dull, monotonous teaching –learning will be there. Education won’t be interesting as it is now. Computers can give you knowledge but it can’t  give you love, affection and sympathy which teacher can. If teachers  will be replaced by the computers then it  will kill the basic spirit of children.

This is the thing I think writer wants to tell through this story.

                                                                               Now the question comes in my mind is that why educational technology is shown as harmful ? as I have asked in earlier parts , that same question can be ask here again also.

( as generally it is said and believed in literature) if writers are extraordinary human being with futuristic insight  then will it be true what he is telling in his story? Is it a prediction for human race or HE IS A TRADITIONAL, ORTHODOX PERSON WHO CANNOT THINK BEYOND SOMETHING.                                                      

I have read and observed  that new things (invented) are not easily accepted by the people. You will be surprised to  know that when electricity was invented, most of the people were protesting it, rather than supporting it. Now can you live today without electricity??? ( it means that contemporary people were wrong) so writers are also part of that society who don’t realize the importance of new thing.

During Industrial Revolution heavy machinery was invented.  At that time also people were protesting it- that it will replace human being.

There are still some people who prefer bullock cart over tractors in agriculture ( farming)

My point is that every new things faces problems initially. Contemporary people with traditional, orthodox mentality faces problems in accepting new things.

IS THIS THE SAME CASE IN THIS STORY???????

EVERY coin has two side. I am not denying negative parts of any. My point particularly about this story is that – think about the  positive changes technology can bring in teaching- learning process. Audio, video, images and internet can give far better learning experience which only teacher and ‘chalk and talk method’ can’t.

Teacher, even though efficient , master and specialist in his subject cannot explain the  outside world really as it is. By sitting in your classroom you cannot explain the glory of the African  Jungle, but you can do that easily by showing video.

You can neither go in space nor explain  SPACE ( stars, galaxy, planets) but you can show images and videos about that to do it in better way.

It is proved through research that  Audio- Visual teaching aids creates better understanding as well as this points goes into long term memory of student.

                                                                               Volcano, flood, earthquake, water- air pollution, internal body mechanism, historically important places, rivers, wonders of the world………etc… for students it is not possible to visit but technology is boon that you can show anything through  video or images as per need. It saves time and money too.

Then why writer of that story focuses only on  negative aspects of that?

So what do you think……..???? may I ask you a question      DOES LITERATURE   LIE  ????   ……OR ….????