ODF1: Samuel Beckett's Breath - Your Interpretations before 6th August
Dilip Barad
Sem 3 students,
Today, while discussing ‘The Theatre of the Absurd’ and Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’, we viewed film version of his play ‘Breath’.
Two video clips viewed in class are saved in Classroom PC.
Click to view filmed version of the play ‘Breath’ on You Tube:
2. Breath - Samuel Beckett by Liana De Jourdan
4. Samuel Beckett Breath (Modern Interpretation)
You are requested to give your opinion / interpretation / review after viewing above mentioned video & below given reading resources.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breath_(play)
2. http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Londoners_gasp.htm
3. http://www.samuel-beckett.net/breath.htm
4. http://www.ssmrae.com/admin/images/a6395a341ad9285bd69a56b2e23104f9.pdf
5. http://www.apieceofmonologue.com/2008/08/samuel-becketts-breath.html
6. http://engdeptbu.wikispaces.com/Review+of+Samuel+Beckett's+play+'Breath' (read views of students of previous batches)
Last date: 6th August, 2013.
Dilip Barad, Ph.D.
Professor & Head,
Dept. of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University,
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Campus,
Bhavnagar - 364001. (Gujarat - India)
09427733691/09898272313
Gohil Yashpalsinh
Respected sir,
Here I am giving my interpretation to breath by Samuel Beckett.
In ‘Breath’, I think that Beckett is questioning about something. In one video we can hear the cry of a human being(a baby). In another video we can hear the sound of breath. And throughout the whole video, there are so many things shown like medicine, computer, bottles and many more; lying as garbage which all are related to the human life, and used by people in day to day life. So, what happens is we come to earth take a breath between all these things with which we somehow are attached and then we die. So, I would say that here, breath is the symbolical representation of life, and Beckett is satiring the human existence(the life). Beckett questions the human existence. What is our goal? Why are we here ? Why do we get birth and then die ? May be we come here for nothing. We just come here to go back only. So, I think Beckett wants to show the nothingness and the absurdity of life and human existence which doesn’t have any goal. I consider it very big satire on human existence(the life) because this play is only about thirty seconds in which the whole life of a human being is shown just like a spark. Lights on and lights off, finish…
Yashpalsinh Gohil
Respected sir,
Here I am giving my interpretation to breath by Samuel Beckett.
In ‘Breath’, I think that Beckett is questioning about something. In one video we can hear the cry of a human being(a baby). In another video we can hear the sound of breath. And throughout the whole video, there are so many things shown like medicine, computer, bottles and many more; lying as garbage which all are related to the human life, and used by people in day to day life. So, what happens is we come to earth take a breath between all these things with which we somehow are attached and then we die. So, I would say that here, breath is the symbolical representation of life, and Beckett is satiring the human existence(the life). Beckett questions the human existence. What is our goal? Why are we here ? Why do we get birth and then die ? May be we come here for nothing. We just come here to go back only. So, I think Beckett wants to show the nothingness and the absurdity of life and human existence which doesn’t have any goal. I consider it very big satire on human existence(the life) because this play is only about thirty seconds in which the whole life of a human being is shown just like a spark. Lights on and lights off, finish…
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Avani Dave
Bhumi Vajani
Works Cited
Michael, C. A. (Producer), Beckett, S. (Writer), & Daiman, H. (Director). (n.d.). Breath [Motion Picture]. Ireland.
Respected sir,
As asked for interpretations of the play “Breath” by Samuel Beckett. Here I am giving my point of view about the play and watching the videos. At the scene starts, we can see medical Garbage; we see the symbol of Swastika symbol is significant in the video. People of Germany voted Nazi Party and brought it to the power. This party’s symbol was Swastika. By the Swastika lie Garbage-the medical waste, the destructed things. This destruction was brought to the world by this Nazi party. We see the darkness of society. We see the harsh reality in the play. There is hidden symbolism in the play. This symbol can be considered as a ray of hope. It may be connected with the Global warming and problems of environment. And it is also future of mankind. We hear the sound of crying of A Baby in the video play, that is the significance of the lightness and darkness or Birth and Death. Such absurdity is shown by Samuel Beckett “Waiting for Godot”.
Samuel Beckett also become one of the first absurdist play writes to win international fame. He remarked that each word seemed to him “an unnecessary stain a silence and nothing less” Sense of metaphysical analysis at the absurdity of the human condition.
Thank you.
hetalba gohil
Dilip Barad
Bhumi Vajani,
See below given citation as an example for ‘how films can be cited’ as per MLA 6th edition – auto by Office 2007.
Hamlet. By William Shakespeare. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Kenneth Branagh. Prod. David Barron. Warner Home Video, 1996.
Devendra Joshi
Respected sir,
Here I am sending my view about Beckett's play and video .Breath is a notably short stage work by Samuel Becket. The uk premier was at the closs Theatre club in Glasgow in October 1969. This was the first performance of the text as written. The second performance and the English premier, was at a benefit held at the oxford playhouse. Breath is an unusually terse work.
Breath is a thirty second play,
No one would believe that it is only in second rather than minutes.
No characters, no dialogues except a pile of garbage. This is very compact and meaningful 32nd play.
We come to the conclusion that neither life nor money is at the center but absurdity or nothingness.
Thank You
Dilip Barad
Devendra,
We wasted entire class in learning how to cite – and you are posting your views without it?
What’s the use of learning if we cannot make use of it?
Please re-post with appropriate citation as per MLA handbook (auto referencing in MS Office Word)
Regards,
From:
eng_d...@googlegroups.com [mailto:eng_d...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf
Of Devendra Joshi
Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2013 11:26 AM
To: eng_d...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [eng_dept_bu} ODF1: Samuel Beckett's Breath - Your
Interpretations before 6th August
Respected sir,
--
chudasama pratipalsinh
Respected sir,
As asked for interpretations of the play 'Breath' by Samuel Beckett, here I am giving my reading of the play and watching the videos
The point of the play is that we come into a world of trash…live briefly… then die (Mahida 23).in the all play Breath remain as background of the music, and through that Beckett try to convey message that the life of human are trapped in medical advancement (Hirst), technology, Aristotelian life style. And because of these all things human are departed from natural the world. All this things are become meaningless and absurd for human at the and of his life. And there are no important of all this advancement, if all this advancement is not help us to save our Breath.
Thank you.
Regards.
Works Cited
Mahida, Prof. Chintan A. "Decoding World's Shortest Play." November, 2011. www.ssmrae.com. <http://www.ssmrae.com/admin/images/a6395a341ad9285bd69a56b2e23104f9.pdf>.
Samuel Beckett by Damien Hirst - Breath. Dir. Damien Hirst. n.d.
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Dilip Barad
Pratipalsinh,
Citations have following error:
1. No titles like Prof. or Dr. or Mr. or Ms is included in citation.
2. Citation of movie by Hirst is also not appropriately cited.
Need to resend after changes.
Dilip Barad, Ph.D.
Professor & Head,
Dept. of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University,
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Campus,
Bhavnagar - 364001. (Gujarat - India)
09427733691/09898272313
From: eng_d...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:eng_d...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of chudasama
pratipalsinh
Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2013 5:54 PM
To: eng_d...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [eng_dept_bu} ODF1: Samuel Beckett's Breath - Your
Interpretations before 6th August
Respected sir,
Avani Dave
Respected sir,
As asked for interpretations of the play 'Breath' by Samuel Beckett, here I am giving my reading of the play and watching the videos
As the scene starts, we can see something reviling on the screen or in our mind while watching the videos. something discovering . after some time we come to see the debris features hospital and medical waste . there is also cigarette butts shaped to form swastikas that was related to Hitler's symbol.
(Contributors)
as the name suggest breath so here even in absurdity, Beckett is trying to raise a question how to take breath in that kind of surroundings? so Here, I interpret that it's may be Alarming for the Problems of Environment and Global warming also. As there is nothingness in life shown by Beckett in his play 'Waiting For Godot', the same way, I guess, it's for the 'Breath'. that between all that Garbage, one Born and Die. To prove my point, I can say that there is a Crying of A Baby in the video, that signifies the birth and death. Between both, there is nothingness.
(Herst)
Works Cited
Breath. Dir. Damien Herst. Prod. Damien Herst. 2007.
Contributors, Wikipedia. Breath Play. 28 feb 2013. 9 Aug 2013 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breath_(play)>.
Thank you.
baraiya bhavna
According to my view there is the
scene of disruption. Everywhere found wastage and things lying
unmanaged. We can see a peace after devastating war. There is the wind
roaring sound can listen. It is reveals some important happening.
(Beckett)
In another video we can hear a screaming
sound of new born baby which is the symbol of revival and new starting
of the world. The things like carrot, potatoes, strawberry, banana
etc. lying scattered. (Beckett, Breath)
Works Cited
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damien Hirst. Prod. Michael Colgan Alan. n.d.
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Prod. Liana De Jourdan. 2011.
hetalba gohil
(Wiora) In the first video there is too much dirt and useless things .Infant crying is heard. Different groaning of a person is heard. This video seems absurd. But according to me the child may be illegitimate. For some social reasons or for the sake of honour the child’s mother could have abandoned the child. There may be satire hidden in showing the absurd meaning indirectly.
The child may be a girl child because boy is given much preference compared to the girls in the family. This meaning may be seen in different contexts In different countries. But I saw it in Indian context.
(Beckett) In the 2nd video there is bio-waste. Near garbage there lies an ash-tray. This video might be symbolic. It might be the representation of the world wars that killed lakhs of people and brought hazards in the life of people. Many innocents were killed. There is a swastika in the video. The swastika may symbolize the Hitler’s Nazi party’s symbol. Swastika is the symbol of good omen as per Indian culture is concerned. This swastika presents peace. It advices to live with brotherhood.
These both videos have positive and negative aspects. It depends on human beings. What man thinks and how he thinks depends on man.
Works Cited
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damien Hirst. Prod. Michael Colgan. june 8, 2007.
Breath. Dir. Dan Wiora. Apr 23 , 2007.
Yashpalsinh Gohil
Respected sir,
Here I am giving my interpretation to breath by Samuel Beckett.
In ‘Breath’, I think that Beckett is questioning about something. In the video we can hear the sound of breath. And throughout the whole video, there are so many things shown like medicine, computer, bottles and many more; lying as garbage which all are related to the human life, and used by people in day to day life. So, what happens is we come to earth take a breath between all these things with which we somehow are attached and then we die. So, I would say that here, breath is the symbolical representation of life, and Beckett is satiring the human existence(the life). Beckett questions the human existence. What is our goal? Why are we here ? Why do we get birth and then die ? May be we come here for nothing. We just come here to go back only. So, I think Beckett wants to show the nothingness and the absurdity of life and human existence which doesn’t have any goal. I consider it very big satire on human existence(the life) because this play is only about thirty seconds in which the whole life of a human being is shown just like a spark. Lights on and lights off, finish… (Beckett)
Works Cited
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damien Hirst. Prods. Michael Colgan and Alan Moloney. 2000.
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Devendra Joshi
Respected Sir,
As per instruction here I give my reviewed to Samual Backett “Breath”. By watching Deniel Hirst adaptation of breath. I Feel that Beckett tries to give messages about the selfish nature of Human. Medical advancement and Technology (Hirst) they would get a long life to live. But all these things are not helped them to save their life. And these advancements become meaningless for them.
30 second plays also represent the life of common human the whole life whatever he/she do but at the time of death, person have only few seconds to realize about his/her death.
Thank you..
Works Cited
Samuel Beckett by Damien Hirst - Breath. Dir. Damien Hirst. n.d.
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Bhavnagar
nidhi kunvarani
Honorable sir,
Here, I’m giving my personal perception about Samuel Beckett’s 32 second play and some videos about “BREATH” October 1969 . In very small play writer convinced the very large concept of the human life.
In one video of “BREATH” In the very first scene I found that some images of medical wastages and computer, bottles cigarette butts and many more thing. So, here, I found the similarity between the title and the video is that medical garbages is the representation of the body without “BREATH’’ just only remain as medical garbages. And, the other thing like that Computer is the representation of the modern age in which living together machine human-being also remain as machine. Just difference is that man can able to take “BREATH’’,while machine can not. Third, thing is that cigarette butts and the symbol of swastika is the representation of the christ which remind us that in modern age with some technological progress we are forget some saying of the christ, in a way spiritual degradation comes out that we can found that type of very vast concept in the very short video. (Damien)
In the second, video I found some images of the fruits some fruits are freshy and some of are an edible. Means some ripen fruits should be fall one day after living the world of freshy fruits means “BREATH” (De)
In the third, video I found the image of light converted into the darkness in the same way light also converted in to the darkness. This process either we can compared with the “BREATH” of human being or compared with the process of the birth-death- rebirth process. Birth after death and death after again birth kind of life in what’ s the ultimate goal of the human existence. Perhaps that’s the purpose of the video (School).
In the last video, I found that some slowly process of the cycle of the nature like “BREATH”. In this video many some images also represent the hope or optimism and despair or pessimism’s cyclical movement through out this video. And, some symbolic elements also represent the process of death-birth-rebirth and meaninglessness of the world.
(B. Samuel)
Works Cited:
"BREATH''. Dir. Samuel Beckett. n.d.
"BREATH''. Dir. Jourden Liana De. n.d.
"BREATH''. Dir. National Theatre School. 2007.
''BREATH''. Dir. Hirst Damien. n.d.
Thank you.
Bhumi Vajani
Respected sir,
As asked for interpretations of the play “Breath” by Samuel Beckett. Here I am giving my point of view about the play and watching the videos. At the scene starts, we can see medical Garbage; we see the symbol of Swastika symbol is significant in the video. People of Germany voted Nazi Party and brought it to the power. This party’s symbol was Swastika. By the Swastika lie Garbage-the medical waste, the destructed things. This destruction was brought to the world by this Nazi party. We see the darkness of society. We see the harsh reality in the play. There is hidden symbolism in the play. This symbol can be considered as a ray of hope. It may be connected with the Global warming and problems of environment. And it is also future of mankind. (Samuel, June 8,2007)
We hear the sound of crying of A Baby in the video play, that is the significance of the lightness and darkness or Birth and Death. Such absurdity is shown by Samuel Beckett “Waiting for Godot”. (Samuel B. , Apr 23,2007)
Samuel Beckett also become one of the first absurdist play writes to win international fame. He remarked that each word seemed to him “an unnecessary stain a silence and nothing less” Sense of metaphysical analysis at the absurdity of the human condition
Thank you.
Works Cited
Samuel, B. (Writer), & Dan, W. (Director). (Apr 23,2007). Breath [Motion Picture].
Micheal, C. (Producer), Samuel, B. (Writer), & Damien, H. (Director). (June 8,2007). Breath [Motion Picture]. Ireland.
vibhuti bhatt
According to my views about the video of the play ‘Breath’ by Samuel
Beckett, in the first video we can see dirt all around and also hear
the voice of crying of child, however the child is not seen. In fact,
not a single character appears throughout the video. Only the
scattered things are there. By this video Samuel Beckett perhaps
intends to say that everything is meaningless in the world.
In another video we can hear the painful voice of one person, we
cannot see that who is it, and we see the something useless and absurd
in the world.
Thank you.
Works Cited:-
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damiel Hirst. Perf. Keith Allen. Prod.
Alan Moloney Michael Colgan. Jan, 2009.
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Liana De Jourdan. Sept, 2011.
Deepti Joshi
Beckett's play BREATH, here I have shared what I could observe in
videos and what I could understand by reading of several articles.
"BREATH" a play written by Samuel Beckett has its own unique identity
in English drama because of its concept, length, style,
characterization etc.
First of all it's different from other dramas because of its length.
If am not wrong than its the only drama which is shortest in length
just about 32 second and it's difficult to convey message in 32
seconds.
Second one is its characterization. In this drama you will not find
any character playing the role but here we can say that GARBAGE has
played a vital role. We can consider it as character
Third is, drama has not a single dialogue or conversation. But it has
just background music.
These things have made the drama different from others.
Now if we talk about the concept and theme we can see that Beckett has
used GARBAGE to convey his massage and just with one reading we will
not be able to get that meaning because at first it seems just an
absurd thing to use USED things.
As the drama was written after World War II, so here main theme is the
aftermath of world war II. Becket has shown the situation of that time
.when I saw the movie first time I could not get the meaning but after
watching it several times what came to my mind is that GARBAGE is
human beings. we can say that this garbage is western people because
they have suffered a lot during the world war and after war two.
We could find its effects in their literature even and the best
example is THE WASTELAND.
Western people have lost every thing we found even the degradation of
their moral values, ethics, spirituality, and that garbage stands for
the western people. As the drama has just background music we could
hear the baby’s cry which stand for the coming generation who has to
suffer.
So the drama at first seems nothing but just an absurdity but then we
find the layers of meanings. We can say that in Beckett's play there
is a meaning in his absurdity even.
Thank You.
Works Cited:-
Breath. By Samuel Becket. Dir. William Fallon. National Theatre School
First Year Technical Production Class . Jan, 2008.
Mahida, Prof. Chintan A. "Decoding World's Shortest Play Samuel
Beckett's Breath." International Referred Research Journal November
2011: 23-24.
Aneri Thakar
In this video first we can hear the sound of roaring of the wind. some empty box of drops, broken keypad and wastage of medical. We also find some empty bottle of medicine. In all this wastage we saw the Ash tray in which we saw the symbol of swastika which is also a symbol of Hitler. In first glance we feel that the things are shown in the video all is meaningless. But the purpose of the video is to find out some meaning from meaningless things. we find absurdity from that as the same way we find meaninglessness in the play Waiting for Godot. (Hirst)
Works Cited
Samuel Beckett's "Breath". Dir. Damien Hirst. n.d.
Respected sir
As we are supposed to give our reviews and interpretations regarding film version of the play ‘’Breath’’, I have seen these videos and I would love to share my views.
I can’t even think of one dramatist or writer and his excellence who has given the concept of human life and existence. How excellently he creates an ambiguous picture of “REALITY IN ABSURDITY’’! What do we really do after taking birth in this earth? What is our purpose? How can thirty seconds show picture of our life? Here a main question or we can say conflict comes up in my mind about ABSURDITY v/s REALITY. We are all of one mind that life is shown absurd in video but on the other side we claim that even in this concept of absurdity there is reality. Indeed, we are living our lives like the way it can be visualized here. But whatever we do, feel, condemn has something to do with REALITY. We are alive, divine human beings so how can we be considered as “absurd” and how can our deeds be considered as “absurdities or futilities”? No plot, no characterization, neither any anecdote nor any matter. None of these show “ANYTHING’’ but I would say all of them show “EVERYTHING”. It is a major conflict between NOTHING and EVERYTHING.
First question arises regarding the title of the play ‘’ Breath’’. Isn’t it symbolizes life? How can we say that the play can be compared with Samuel Beckett’s ‘’ Waiting for Godot’’? How can we say that it falls under the category of ‘’ Absurd Theatre’’ and there is nothingness? After watching these videos I’m of the opinion that the title has been given appropriately and it is an apt one. The things show life and also indicate that people have to make themselves adjust in their lives. They are supposed to survive. It has nothing to do with ‘’ABSURDITY’’. However, this word creates a conflict here. Why people are bent on making it fall under the category of ‘’ MEANINGLESS’’ and ‘’ NOTHINGNESS’’. Aren’t they able to discern or perceive? The things that have been shown seem to indicating that ‘’ life is meant to be learnt, discerned or perceived. It is not meant to be considered meaningless.’’ This is a primary thought of my life which has something to do with this concept and I would love to put up this thought here too.
People are always influenced by despair and hopelessness but question is that aren’t they major elements of liveliness or our life? If life is consist of hope, desire, passion then it is also consist of despair and sorrow. It is cycle in which there is a mixture of both grief and happiness. However hard we try, we can’t get rid of dominance of nothingness. Nothingness has meaning because it itself becomes indication of liveliness. It arises from it. For example- peacefulness itself indicates the real world, and nature that meant to be ''EXPLORED’’. It seems to be appealing to us to explore it. People’s unwillingness to animate or to be with it is another truth but it deserves to be alive and animated because if the divine nature and world have been made by God then we are DIVINE human beings that have been made by that same almighty and we have been given ‘’BREATH’’ to live it. To feel it. To perceive it. To discern it. To explore it.
In third video, there is darkness which could be found. Music and mixing of sound that are being played threatens us and shows that life is meant to make people alert and aware. It gives a picture of horror and pessimism. For example I can say that we can feel life by only living it truly. We are evidances of our own lives which we have been living since our birth; experiencing or feeling it. By living it we can say that there is a lot to be felt or to be lived but if we look at a distance and an area of our point which is far away, we feel that life is nothing. We have done nothing. That music also shows that something went wrong. Life is not life unless one digests it having taken birth or coming into it. It is not a kind of life in which we can come over to make ourselves happy or adjust having come out it. It is given once to live it . It creates a pessimistic picture rather optimistic. This video shows the things that are coming before our eyes to indicate futility. What a pity it is! In spite of doing everything we consider life ‘’ABSURD’’. But absurdities are parts of our lives. Have they nothing to do with liveliness? What about those pleasures that we find during taking delight in absurdities? We become absurd because we indeed know the ‘’ REAL’’. We want to be far away from seriousness for some time that is necessary. It should not be interpreted as ‘’ABSURD’’ instead it could be interpreted as an ‘’ORDEAL’’.
As the forth video opens up, it seems to be giving a kind of pleasure with an optimistic idea. Sun, sky, wind, trees are elements of nature. Breezes blow the branches. This video shows our travelling from childhood to adolescent period and from adolescence to youth. There is a mention of continuous process of one’s life that goes on and on. Childhood period is the time when no abomination from others comes. It’s when the child sleeps in his mother’s lap and we feel, How uselessly overgrown that child and we have turned. There are some things like a toy of the car and foot ware about which in course of time people get attracted for having it. That is a symbol which shows the desire of ONE after growing up. The journey from adolescence to being dutiful is worth in ONE’s life. Perhaps foot ware becomes the symbol of being dutiful in life and the time has come and one has to walk on the path on his own. He has to create a way to reach out to his destiny. Things like: the book, mobile phone, specs and watch add charm to notion of optimism or practical and day to day life. It shows that life has something to do with ‘’ENRICHMENT’’ not absurdity. Personally, I like this video much as compared to other videos just due to the way it has been made. At the end of this video there is an album which shows that after performing all the duties one can recall his time with memorable memories. Medicines show the old age especially when one becomes sometimes preoccupied with despair and hopelessness that it should have been done, it could have been there ; if I had reached there I would have been somewhere at some better place and one goes on repenting. This situation creates a kind of conflict between optimism and pessimism. ‘’Whether it should be compared with optimism or pessimism?’’ At some extent it also feels that it is a major conflict about life and our agreeing and disagreeing with the ‘’TIME’’. Is it too short or too long? Sun rises and it shows our arrival in form of our birth on this earth. As sun sets, there is a picture of the “ END” of our life. Sunrise and sunset become symbols of life and death.The things that have been made visible show Beckett’s skillfulness and intelligence. He is so complex to interpret. How enigmatic the things have been! It too feels that Beckett must have been a well experienced man who really lived his life. He seems to be looking at life from a distance and feels that ‘’ I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING BUT IN THAT EVERYTHING THERE IS NOTHING.’’
Works Cited
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damien Hirst. Prod. Colgan Michal Alan Moloney. n.d.
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. William Fallon. National Theatre School of Canada first year technical production. 2007-08.
Breath ( modern interpretation). By Samuel Beckett. Enigma pictures, Lazy Tire production. n.d.
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vora hirva
Respected sir
As we are supposed to give our reviews and interpretations regarding film version of the play ‘’ Breath’’, I have seen these videos and I would love to share my views.
I can’t even think of one dramatist or writer and his excellence who has given the concept of human life and existence. How excellently he creates an ambiguous picture of “REALITY IN ABSURDITY’’! What do we really do after taking birth on this earth? What is our purpose? How can thirty seconds show picture of our life? Here a main question or we can say conflict comes up in my mind about ABSURDITY v/s REALITY. We are all of one mind that life is shown absurd in video but on the other side we claim that even in this concept of absurdity there is reality. Indeed, we are living our lives like the way it can be visualized here. But whatever we do, feel, condemn has something to do with REALITY. We are alive, divine human beings so how can we be considered as “absurd” and how can our deeds be considered as “absurdities or futilities”? No plot, no characterization, neither any anecdote nor any matter. None of these show “ANYTHING’’ but I would say all of them show “EVERYTHING”. It is a major conflict between NOTHING and EVERYTHING.
First question arises regarding the title of the play ‘’ Breath’’. Doesn’t it symbolize life? How can we say that the play can be compared with Samuel Beckett’s ‘’ Waiting for Godot’’? How can we say that it falls under the category of ‘’ Absurd Theatre’’ and there is nothingness? After watching these videos I’m of the opinion that the title has been given appropriately and it is an apt one. The things show life and also indicate that people have to make themselves adjust in their lives. They are supposed to survive. It has nothing to do with ‘’ABSURDITY’’. However, this word creates a conflict here. Why people are bent on making it fall under the category of ‘’ MEANINGLESS’’ and ‘’ NOTHINGNESS’’. Aren’t they able to discern or perceive? The things that have been shown seem to indicating that ‘’ life is meant to be learnt, discerned or perceived. It is not meant to be considered meaningless.’’ This is a primary thought of my life which has something to do with this concept and I would love to put up this thought here too.
People are always influenced by despair and hopelessness but question is that aren’t they major elements of liveliness or our life? If life is consist of hope, desire, passion then it is also consist of despair and sorrow. It is cycle in which there is a mixture of both grief and happiness. However hard we try, we can’t get rid of dominance of nothingness. Nothingness has meaning because it itself becomes indication of liveliness. It arises from it. For example- peacefulness itself indicates the real world, and nature that meant to be ''EXPLORED’’. It seems to be appealing to us to explore it. People’s unwillingness to animate or to be with it is another truth but it deserves to be alive and animated because if the divine nature and world have been made by God then we are DIVINE human beings that have been made by that same almighty and we have been given ‘’BREATH’’ to live it. To feel it. To perceive it. To discern it. To explore it.
In third video, there is darkness which could be found. Music and mixing of sound that are being played threatens us and shows that life is meant to make people alert and aware. It gives a picture of horror and pessimism. For example I can say that we can feel life by only living it truly. We are evidances of our own lives which we have been living since our birth; experiencing or feeling it. By living it we can say that there is a lot to be felt or to be lived but if we look at a distance and an area of our point which is far away, we feel that life is nothing. We have done nothing. That music also shows that something went wrong. Life is not life unless one digests it having taken birth or coming into it. It is not a kind of life in which we can come over to make ourselves happy or adjust having come out it. It is given once to live it . It creates a pessimistic picture rather optimistic. This video shows the things that are coming before our eyes to indicate futility. What a pity it is! In spite of doing everything we consider life ‘’ABSURD’’. But absurdities are parts of our lives. Have they nothing to do with liveliness? What about those pleasures that we find during taking delight in absurdities? We become absurd because we indeed know the ‘’ REAL’’. We want to be far away from seriousness for some time that is necessary. It should not be interpreted as ‘’ABSURD’’ instead it could be interpreted as an ‘’ORDEAL’’.
As the forth video opens up, it seems to be giving a kind of pleasure with an optimistic idea. Sun, sky, wind, trees are elements of nature. Breezes blow the branches. This video shows our travelling from childhood to adolescent period and from adolescence to youth. There is a mention of continuous process of one’s life that goes on and on. Childhood period is the time when no abomination from others comes. It’s when the child sleeps in his mother’s lap and we feel, How uselessly overgrown that child and we have turned. There are some things like a toy of the car and foot ware about which in course of time people get attracted for having it. That is a symbol which shows the desire of ONE after growing up. The journey from adolescence to being dutiful is worth in ONE’s life. Perhaps foot ware becomes the symbol of being dutiful in life and the time has come and one has to walk on the path on his own. He has to create a way to reach out to his destiny. Things like: the book, mobile phone, specs and watch add charm to notion of optimism or practical and day to day life. It shows that life has something to do with ‘’ENRICHMENT’’ not absurdity. Personally, I like this video much as compared to other videos just due to the way it has been made. At the end of this video there is an album which shows that after performing all the duties one can recall his time with memorable memories. Medicines show the old age especially when one becomes sometimes preoccupied with despair and hopelessness that it should have been done, it could have been there ; if I had reached there I would have been somewhere at some better place and one goes on repenting. This situation creates a kind of conflict between optimism and pessimism. ‘’Whether it should be compared with optimism or pessimism?’’ At some extent it also feels that it is a major conflict about life and our agreeing and disagreeing with the ‘’TIME’’. Is it too short or too long? The things that have been made visible show Beckett’s skillfulness and intelligence. He is so complex to interpret. How enigmatic the things have been! It too feels that Beckett must have been a well experienced man who really lived his life. He seems to be looking at life from a distance and feels that ‘’ I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING BUT IN THAT EVERYTHINH THERE IS NOTHING.’’
Works Cited
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damien Hirst. Prod. Colgan Michal Alan Moloney. n.d.
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. William Fallon. National Theatre School of Canada first year technical production. 2007-08.
Breath ( modern interpretation). By Samuel Beckett. Enigma pictures, Lazy Tire production. n.d.
Thank you.
prakruti bhatt
Respected sir,
Here I give my reviews and interpretation regarding film version of the play “Breath by Samuel Beckett. I have seen these videos and I would like to share my views.
The theatre of Absurd was undoubtedly influenced by the traumatic experience of the horrors of the second world war, which showed the total impermanence of any values and highlights the precariousness of human life and its fundamental meaninglessness and arbitrariness. The theatre of the Absurd seems to be a reaction to the disappearance of the religious dimension from contemporary life. The theatre of Absurd is commonly associated with Existentialism.
Beckett’s plays seem to focus on the theme of the uselessness of human action and failure of human race to communicate.
In the third video, I fill that the things which are visible show futility and meaninglessness of our life Human beings generally get engaged in activities of life which does not have any meaning. We are given birth and then we do our deeds, live them, achieve something and at last die. But what is the purpose of all those things? Why are we given birth? For whom or for what? Is there anything worth? We do everything but find nothing.
In the forth video I found a positive image and a kind of picture which seems “Real”. Whatever we do from our childhood to old age is shown in the video. In course of time some changes take place and we adjust with them. It shows a different picture that life is really worth understanding.
(Backett)
Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary sources:
Breath. By Samuel Backett. Dir. William Fallon. National Theatre school of Canada. 2007-2008.
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Prod. Anigma Pictures. n.d.
Bhatt Heeral
Works Cited
Breathe. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damien Hirst. Prod. Michael Colgan Alan Moloney. n.d.
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kashmiraba jadeja
Works Cited
Breath. By Samuel Beckett. Dir. Damien Hirst. Prod. Michal Colgan. 2009.
Thank you.