THE HOMECOMING
UK, 1973, 111 minutes, Colour.
Paul Rogers, Ian Holm, Michael Jayston, Vivien Merchant, Cyril Cusack, Terence Rigby.
Directed by Peter Hall.
Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming was first performed on the London stage in the mid-1960s. It was considered a great success, one of Pinter’s best plays, if not his best. It transferred to New York and Broadway in 1967 with Paul Rogers and Ian Holm winning awards in the Tonys and Vivien Merchant being nominated. The cast gathered together in 1973 for this film version, with years of experience and reflection on their roles – and giving their all, and even more, to their performances.
The film is set in a rather drab house in London. Paul Rogers plays the patriarch of the family, a pensioner butcher, who still has a malicious tongue as well as being ignorant about his wife and her behaviour, especially with his best friend whom he always quotes. He has three sons, Ian Holm who is something of a spiv, Terence Rigby who is rather thick-witted and a would-be boxer, and Michael Jayston as the philosophy professor who returns from the United States with his wife after an absence of nine years. Vivien Merchant, for many years Harold Pinter’s wife, is mysterious, enigmatic and skilful as the wife. The cast is rounded out by Cyril Cusack as the patriarch’s brother, a London chauffeur, rather supercilious and a bit foppish. The film, really a filmed record of the play, but compelling nonetheless, and directed by Peter Hall unobtrusively, giving full attention to the characters, in close-ups, reaction shots, and sometimes interesting tableaux as the four men smoking their cigars. The film exhibits Pinter’s dialogue, elliptical, enigmatic, with the famous pauses, the non sequiturs – but all the time this rather poetic if deadly dialogue illustrating the characters, the games they play with each other, and insights into human nature.
1. The impact of the film to play, as a piece of theatre, cinema? The American Theatre collection of plays, their aim, bringing the plays to an audience, life on television?
2. The work of Harold Pinter, Nobel Literature Prizewinner, his style, colloquial language, forceful, imagery and poetic, pauses, non sequiturs, yet a continuity in stream of consciousness which illustrates the characters and their interactions?
3. The cast, on the stage, the awards? Their ability to articulate the Pinter dialogue? Strong presences?
4. The mundane plot, the mundane family, the father and his sons, the attitudes of the brother, memories? The absent son and his wife in the homecoming?
5. An atmosphere of realism, yet surrealism? In conversation, characters, games, interactions? The visit, the wife and her developing relationships, breaking relationships, able to play the games – and win? The naturalism of the performances yet the highly stylised film?
6. The dramatic tension, the style of filming, close-ups, reactions shots, tableaux?
7. The characters and human nature:
(a) The father, his age, rough, background as a butcher, his memories of his wife, deceiving himself, his praise of his friend Mack, his brother finally telling him about his wife’s relationship with Mack? His spurning his brother, mocking him? His clash with his sons? Antagonism towards Lenny, his liking Joey? His work at home, cooking, cleaning, yet self-centred, his wants and needs? Teddy and his wife, attacking Ruth as a slut, changing his mind? The plan for her to be a prostitute, contribute to the upkeep of the house? The crude talk? The set-up and his approval? The final demand for a kiss?|
(b) Lenny, the spiv, pimp, relationships with women, small but arrogant? Cheeky to his father? The interlude over reading the paper? His attitude towards Joey? Meeting Teddy, their talk, discussions about his ability to read Teddy’s works? The years passing, philosophy, the vocabulary? His reaction to Ruth? The sexual advances? His contribution to the set-up for Ruthie? His lewd attitudes and behaviour?
(c) Joey, not quite all there, his boxing, rather ordinary, his relationship with his father, his father accepting him? With Lenny? The background, demolitions? His fights, regime, going to the gym? Encountering Ruth, the hours with her, his coming downstairs, Ruth teasing him? His encounter with her in front of the others? The future?
(d) Sam, the brother, dandy, supercilious, fastidious? As a London chauffeur, boasting about his clients, going to the airport, his reputation, his action in the war? His friendship with Mack, Mack with Max’s wife? His telling the truth to Max about his wife? Both fussy and spiteful, at home, insights, his being upset, the collapse?
(e) Teddy, his nine years away, his place within the family, in the US, lecturer, his books and writings, his studies, philosophy? The decision to come home, his initial caring for Ruth, worried about her, in the house, the beds and the sheets, her going for a walk? His discussions with Lenny, meeting his father, his father’s initial hostile reaction? The background of their trip, staying in Venice, coming to London, intending to return to the US? His reaction to Ruth’s behaviour, not intervening? The background of their children and home life? His phlegmatic behaviour, his final departure? The implications of the strength and weakness of the marriage?
(f) Ruth, her arrival, age, the only woman in the play? With Teddy, their relationship, family, the travels, to Venice? Her attitude to visiting London, meeting his family? The glasses of water – and the exercise of power with the glass of water, drinking it, not finishing it, keeping it? Her going for the walk? Sultry, her husband and his work? Her being provocative, with each of the brothers, her reaction to the plan? Her decision to stay?
8. The realistic aspects of the play? Surrealistic? Probing, provocative, providing insight?
