The Birthday Party [Region 2]

The Birthday Party [Region 2]
by William Friedkin

The Birthday Party [Region 2]
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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Dandy Nichols, Moultrie Kelsall, Patrick Magee, Robert Shaw, Sydney Tafler
Director: William Friedkin
Cinematographer: Denys N. Coop
Editor: Antony Gibbs
Producer: Edgar J. Scherick
Producer: Max Rosenberg
Producer: Milton Subotsky
Writer: Harold Pinter
DVD: Region Code 2
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: PAL
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 123 minutes
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)

Movie Reviews of The Birthday Party [Region 2]

Movie Review: Extremely disturbing film adaptation--chilling and brutal
Summary: 5 Stars

I've nothing to add regarding H. Pinter's play as I'm not familiar with it. Therefore, I may only safely comment on the film adaptation. The film is structured so that the viewer is aware that terrible things have happened, are happening, and no doubt will happen quite soon. All the action takes place at a rooming house ran by Meg and Petey Bowels (Dandy Nichols and Moultrie Kelsall). Their only tenant is Stanley Weber, a former piano player that is perceived by most to be a "washout". His past is dubious and it is rather impossible to form a true picture of his character.

Robert Shaw portrays Stanley as a hideous wreck of a man who is gradually transformed into something credible. Throughout he is bitter, defensive, and contrary to everything in the world he has adopted as his own. There is nothing he likes, nothing he takes pleasure in. He's just a nasty sort of person who seems destined to do something ill-conceived to get his head caned in. Then two men, McCann and Goldberg, appear and take a room for a couple of nights. They clearly know Stanley and proceed to rough him up a bit when they get him alone. Stanley acts as if he has been expecting these two for quite some time. His resignation to maltreatment at their hands is quite disturbing, but not entirely unsurprising.

Patrick Magee, who played the Marquis de Sade in the film adaptation of "Marat Sade" is truly threatening as McCann. His sheer presence on screen is demonic. His eyes steel into you and you feel fixed in your place by his animal stare. There aren't many actors who do this bit as well as he. As Goldberg, Sydney Tafler is actually far more dangerous than McCann. His diabolism is shrouded in a hyper-friendly, articulate, obsessively well groomed mensch. He insists that Stanley celebrate his birthday with all his friends. The arrival of the dippy, highly impressionable Lulu (Helen Fraser) does nothing at first to calm Stanley's nerves. Eventually, however, she wakes him up into his Self, after a fashion. It is quite a shock seeing Lulu all tarted up amidst the sexless crowd at the party. More than anything else, she is the one who terrifies Stanley the most. Her lack of self-consciousness about her body further puts the spike in his neck.

This is simply a great film for observing how daily routines can come to get at some people. Also, how being removed from your safety zone can sometimes shock you into behaving like an entirely different person provided the elements are all in place. It really is a horror film of the highest order. It demonstrates the sinister aspects of the every day quite wonderfully.

A brilliant film. 5/5.

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