The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (1968), directed by William Friedkin, is an adaptation of Harold Pinter’s play of the same name. You can watch this for free on Youtube, which should be all the recommendation you need. William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist (1973), The French Connection (1971), and Sorceror (1977) will certainly go down as one of the 20th centuries finest directors. If you’re familiar with the playwright, Pinter, you’ll know that this film is not an easy watch—nor is it meant to be. The film is a psychological drama about Stanley (Robert Shaw), a man living in a dingy boarding house who suddenly finds himself the target of an unsettling birthday “celebration.” Two mysterious visitors, Goldberg (Sydney Tafler) and McCann (Patrick Magee), arrive with vague intentions, turning what should be an ordinary day into a nightmare of existential dread.
My own introduction to Pinter was at Indiana University, where I had the privilege of watching Josh Hambrock play the lead role with bravery and abandon. I still don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything like his portrayal of Webber. I think about it often, and the work that goes into acting even at the college level, and the luck required to rise to the top of the field. The film unfolds with ominous dialogue, uncomfortable silences, and an overarching sense of menace. Friedkin, who would later become famous for his aforementioned hits, keeps the film true to its stage roots. The claustrophobic setting of the boarding house, with its shabby rooms and dim lighting, feels almost like a prison. The camera work is tight, focusing on the uneasy expressions of the actors as tension builds.
Robert Shaw’s performance as Stanley Webber is exceptional. He portrays the character’s paranoia and confusion,, making you feel every bit of his unraveling. It’s the opposite of Shaw’s later iconic roles, like Quint in Jaws (1975), and essential to understanding Shaw’s range. Tafler and Magee are equally strong, playing the menacing visitors with a calm, detached cruelty that masks their true motives.
The Birthday Party is about power, control, and the crushing weight of undefined threats. Friedkin captures the play’s dark humor and mounting anxiety, but the film never gives you the comfort of clear answers. As in Pinter’s original work, much of what happens remains ambiguous, forcing the audience to grapple with the unknown. This ambiguity is where the film finds its power—it’s unnerving, disorienting, and deeply effective.
The film's pace is slow and deliberate, demanding patience as it teases out its layers of discomfort. If you’re looking for resolution, The Birthday Party isn’t for you. But if you’re drawn to psychological dramas that get under your skin and stay there, this is an unsettling experience that’s hard to forget.
The Birthday Party
Written by Harold Pinter; Directed by William Friedkin
1968
123 minutes
English
Recommended way to watch (at time of publication): You can watch it free on Youtube!
You’ll like this if you like: The Servant (1963), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), The Exterminating Angel (1962)