Absurd: Mr and Mrs Smith (1 Viewer)

[pungpui]

Hi folks,

I did HSC Drama last year, did Absurdist theatre and after seeing Mr and Mrs Smith (Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie...mmmm) I couldnt help but notice such obvious links to the concept of absurdism...as follows:

1. Blatantly...the title Mr and Mrs Smith: 2 characters in Ionesco's The Bald Prima Donna (IMO the best Absurdist play on the HSC text list).

2. They live lives that are totally unknown to each other. Link here to Godot, Pinter's the Dumb Waiter, Prima Donna (the maid's speech...shes 'Sherlock Holmes').

3. They both spend a long time trying to find out who each other is...link to the 'How very extraordinary, how very amazing and what a strange co-incidence' saga where there is like 20 minutes of meaningless dialogue, like pitt and jolie do and eventually they half find out about each other. It took them the whole movie to find out.

4. Powers above us use us like puppets on a string (Pitt and Jolie's seperate bosses forcing them to kill each other)...link to Gus and Ben in Dumb Waiter...

5. The whole 5 or 6 years questioning marriage...the meaninglessness and ineffectiveness of communication. Whether it is 5 years or 6 years is irrelevant, has no effect on their relationship.

6. The meaninglessness of life...both pitt and jolie kill strangers because the boss said so...Gus and Ben.


I cant remember if there is any examples you need to use in your responses but maybe this might help. Any other links?

 

[niteshade1312]

thats soo true. Now I am not doing Absurdism, but when I heard the movie was coming out, I thought that it might be about Ionesco's "The Bald Prima Donna" and then I saw it and could also see the same similarities as you. Do you think the director had Absurdism techniques in mind when he was doing the movie?

I think what got me was the title of the movie and the similarities between the bluntness as well as formal opening. Even with the camera angles... spooky!

 

[Opium]

I haven't seen the movie but have heard about it. Wow those certainly do sound like some links. I might have to see it for myself

 

[kristie87]

Wow, that was very clever of you to notice all that!
That's awesome!
I haven't actually seen that movie, but i spose i bet to if i can actually use it in the exam, seeing as im doing absurdism this year. Ace.

 

[ameh]

what other techniques mark the text as absurdist?

 

[kristie87]

In practice, The Theatre of the Absurd departs from realistic characters, situations and all of the associated theatrical conventions. Time, place and identity are ambiguous and fluid, and even basic causality frequently breaks down. Meaningless plots, repetitive or nonsensical dialogue and dramatic non-sequiturs are often used to create dream-like, or even nightmare-like moods.

 

[ameh]

ah ok, time and place is meaningless....so its the same in literature too right?

thank u!

 

[kristie87]

Yeah, it's the same sort of techniques that apply in literature, like in all of Camus' essays such as 'The Myth of Sisyphus', if that's what you mean. Except the way the techniques will be applicated will be different to that of the stage.

 

[pungpui]

Well doesnt Mr and Mrs Smith exhibit meaninglessness?

Dialogue...5 or 6 years marriage...whether it is one or the other, it doesnt matter. Even the fact that they have been married for 5 or 6 years is pretty irrelevant.

What happens in the movie? Pretty much nothing. It is meaningless...the audience doesnt come out further educated at all...

The arrangement of Mr and Mrs Smith at the beginning and end (next to each other at a theropist or something) very much like Mr and Mrs Martin of TBPD.

 

[pungpui]

I've got some notes here abuot the BPD that I retrieved from last year:

'Ionesco's plays lack tanditional action, characters and dialogue.
Characters and dialogue is definately non-traditional

'The "Bald Prima Donna' on the surface appears to be a light comedy, but the lack of communication between the two middle class English families makes them appear to be unbalanced."
Mr and Mrs Smith is a light comedy...well there are some funny parts in it...and there is definately a lack of communication there!

''The Absurdists conventions of the use of pause, one-dinemsional acting and a sense of vaudeville have been thrown into this evening at home - rich with tensions, (competitive) story-telling and a game of whist.
Definately lots of pauses, especially at beginning and end scenes, rich with tension, etc.

Also whats his name from the OC...cant remember...how they simply use him in a dangerous, life threatening situation to get rid of the two agents...highlights the meaninglessness and exhistential existance of hunamity.


Oh that right...if they ask you to link absurdist to contemporary society...ie questions like 'is it still relevant', etc....use this example...its still relevant in modern day.

If they dont ask u to use contemporary links, use it anyway! It might give you extra marks to show that you've thought outside the box.

 

[kristie87]

I think you're definately onto something there.