The Birthday Party

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Claudio C Sep 23 The Birthday Party (1968) Unpleasant and Depressive (11,936 - 23 Sep 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) In a British coastal town, the talkative Meg (Dandy Nichols) runs a boarding house with her husband Petey (Moultrie Kelsall). Presently, her only guest is the thirty and something years old pianist Stanley “Stan” (Robert Shaw). Out of the blue, her neighbor Lulu (Helen Fraser) receives a birthday gift for Stanley, who denies that it is his birthday. Then, the gangsters Goldberg (Sydney Tafler) and McCann (Patrick Magee) arrive at the boarding house and rent a room for them both. Further, they schedule a birthday party for Stanley. “The Birthday Party” (1968) is an unpleasant and depressive movie by William Friedkin, based on a play by Harold Pinter. The plot is never clear about the reason why the gangsters destroy Stan and whether he was the right target. In addition, Meg is an annoying and shallow character. The conclusion does not indicate the date of Stanley; therefore, a disappointing end. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): “Trágico Aniversário” (“Tragic Birthday”) My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ See more isla s 09/03/2022 This is very much a slow burner of a film but I certainly felt it became quite sinister in tone and its intriguing, as a viewer we know very little about the lodger who it appears is targeted by two mysterious men. He isn't someone who is easy to like or feel sorry for, certainly at first but the tension that undoubtedly builds as things become more and more intense in terms of the constant questioning and aggravation by said mysterious men. Its one of those films in which you, the viewer, finds themself analysing whats going on and trying to guess what led to things and what may, or may not, happen next. I thought the performances were quite good - the clear distress on the lodgers face is very well put across and I'd say I felt a shiver or two down my spine. This film mainly deals with the theme of manipulation, that and control, I reckon. I felt it also made me question how much anyone really knows other people your only mildly acquainted with. This is by no means an especially visually scary film as such but it is effective in terms of putting across a sense of distinct unease, of something untowards being in the pipeline. It didn't surprise me to find out that this is a film adaptation of a play, as its pretty much all set in the same building/location. I don't doubt that its a bit too slow and subtle/boring for people who prefer their films to be fast paced, with lots of CGI and the like but that aside, its good and is worth a watch for those interested in it. See more 12/15/2019 William Friedkin is an odd choice as director of Harold Pinter's very English and claustrophobic one-set play. He casts it very well, and hones in on faces to animate the drama. Only the very particular black humour eludes him - although Sydney Tafler, Patrick Magee, Dandy Nichols and Robert Shaw are all excellent, and the production design - the small front room of a grotty seaside bed-and-breakfast - is pitch perfect. Judicious editing would have improved things too. See more 04/14/2017 This is a glacially paced, stagy, and confusing mess of a film. See more walter m @Harlequin68 11/28/2013 "The Birthday Party" starts with Meg(Dandy Nichols) making a delicious looking breakfast of fried bread and corn flakes for her husband Pete(Moultrie Kelsall) who announces that a couple of men are interested in renting a room at their boarding house. Their only other tenant is Stanley(Robert Shaw) who has been living there for about a year. Enter McCann(Patrick Magee) and Goldberg(Sydney Tafler). Ordinarily, I would complain when a movie like "The Birthday Party" does not expand on its stage origins, in this case from a play by Harold Pinter(who also wrote the screenplay) first produced in 1957, but here William Friedkin's claustrophobic direction works wonders in its mind games that play on the very nature of identity and could have also served as an influence on "The Prisoner." Of special interest are the funky visual effects used in the film's climax. And even as disheveled as he is in torn pyjamas, balding and overweight, Robert Shaw is still a force to be reckoned with. My only major complaint is that this movie could have been much more tightly edited, especially in the end. See more 11/09/2012 The earliest and most impenetrable of Friedkin's play adaptations, and surprisingly one of his very most visually distinctive films. Worth mentioning is the rare treat of seeing such a young Robert Shaw playing such a different role than one would expect from the guy who played Quint and Henry VIII. Pinter admirers are more likely to find it accessible, but like me who are unaccustomed to such extremely ambiguous, if not downright contradictory, if even existent exposition will simply be subjected to an exhilaratingly unnerving experience. See more Read all reviews

The Birthday Party

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