The Room

Robert Altman directs this adaptation of Harold Pinter's play The Room. Starring Linda Hunt, Donald Pleasance, Annie Lennox, Julian Sands, David Hemblem and Abbott Anderson. The play is also known as Basements.
"The atmosphere and theme of Harold Pinter's work is immediately established in The Room - the story of a woman's thoughts and feelings about the boarding house where she and her husband live. He sits silently creating scenes in glass bottles while she talks about her fears about the intentions of the landlord, Mr Kidd played by Donald Pleasance. Suddenly two mysterious visitors appear in the form of a mercenary young couple in search of accommodation. Mr and Mrs Sands enter the story played by Annie Lennox and Julian Sands. Confusion and consternation are set in the minds of the tenants and the audience as we learn that the room they are to occupy is occupied by the central characters (Linda Hunt and David Hemblem). The unease of the situation is continued as a new character is introduced by the landlord..."

[@sharonhennessy8868]

It is in the room everyone is faced with their past and their present. It is in the room there is fear of their darkest secrets being exposed, to close for comfort you have to leave the room. It is in the room there is confusion because no one quite knows for sure why they are there.

[@SamuelBlack84]

Such is life

[@jasoncollins1702]

I first saw this on TV; and it was the first time I understood Pinter. I'd read the play, thought it was nothing. Nothing at all. Then I saw this, and I GOT IT. Great to see it again. It's disturbing, unsettling, and very, very funny.

[@SamuelBlack84]

It's a strange life, isn't it?

[@baroqueman1]

Pinter's works often display an atmosphere of menace and general unease within very basic settings / scenarios, grabbing the audience's attention from the beginning. The ending in this one in particular is so unsettling, as is that of 'The Dumb Waiter'. Many thanks to the contributor and to KZbin for enlarging my experience of Harold Pinter's compelling dramatic productions. I will explore more !

[@SamuelBlack84]

Life in its neaninglessness comes off as rather sinister. We are all actors wandering around a stage without a script, without direction with no knowledge of the play we are there for. There's a story. A group of amateur actors who for reasons unknown visit a deserted theatre and interact with one another

[@coreycox2345]

Same here, @baroqueman. Compelling, but I can only take so much in one day. Disturbing.

[@groovynut222]

Linda Hunt's great in this. Perfect casting. She has that ominous, twisted look behind the eyes...

[@telebob]

Only a few views... someone needs to let the world know about this little jewel.

[@ajs41]

That's true but it must be a good thing if more people see this.

[@Ann-sj4pt]

I’ve found it

[@ThomasRoll85]

Pinter is amazing - a true actor’s playwright. His language enables good actors to play and have fun, and good audiences to engage in thought throughout. More Pinter please!!! PS: couldn’t you just imagine another version with Bowie in the Lennox part? It would make it very Queer, and a touch more unsettling - shades of Barbarella etc.

[@michaelarturo6119]

RIP Julian Sands

[@ajs41]

I'd say this play is about people misunderstanding each other and the paranoia that goes along with that. And about "safe spaces" being violated.

[@stevecox7075]

Andy JS : Thanks for the explanation, professor.

[@jasoncollins1702]

That creates humor too, and there is lots of it in this.

[@loulou-hz9qq]

Yeah, your comment on Pinter's play reminds me of the current social situation in covid times. Good comment!

[@aidentaylor8119]

not sure if you guys gives a damn but if you are bored like me during the covid times then you can watch all the new movies and series on InstaFlixxer. Been streaming with my brother for the last couple of days xD

[@terrencebarrett4343]

@Aiden Taylor Definitely, have been using instaflixxer for months myself :D

[@peterhagan8454]

love the oboe, clarinet and violins , brings the sadness to the foreground wonderfully highlighting each characters feeling and if not their feelings, then the feelings you feel for them, thats a lot of feeling in a sentence

[@SamuelBlack84]

The whole atmosphere of the building drips with despair and gloom. A complete loss of hope in an absurd, meaningless existence

[@Aramanth]

Love the baleful atmosphere... And it's hard to hear Linda Hunt without thinking of Grandmother Willow from Pocahontas! 🌳 Love Lennox in anything! Thanks for posting!!!!

[@ajs41]

It would be almost impossible to have a more mysterious and foreboding atmosphere than the one is this TV film. Excellent.

[@eshaibraheem4218]

Lovely to see Julian Sands, whose remains were recently discovered on a Californian mountainside. Makes one pause.

[@lesleymcshanemitchell9651]

What anb actress Ms Hubt is Never forget her in The Year of living Dangerously

[@ThePrinsessa22]

This is certainly one of the most astonishing first plays in 20th century british drama, it's just amazing how Pinter creates such a haunting and nightmare-like effect with minimal means and in the simplest of settings and his craftsmanship in terms of naturalistic dialogue is peerless.His Nobel Prize was well-deserved :) And by the way, just noticed that your avatar is the photo that was used as a cover for my copy of Other voices other rooms - yet another wonderful debut from a great talent ;)

[@jasoncollins1702]

It's funny, too.

[@eshaibraheem4218]

​He was always funny. I love his plays.

[@ianbuckley7451]

OMG, Donald Pleasance, Linda Hunt and Joe Sugden from Emmerdale. Added attraction of Ms Lennox. What amazed me was the director and the year. Thanks for sharing.

[@ajs41]

Why did the director and the year amaze you?

[@madbadanddangeroustoknow..3025]

The actor Fraser Hines played Joe Sugden in Emmerdale Farm. He isn't in this play. 😊

[@civilizedsatyr]

Who knew Altman and Pinter would be such a good team? This may be the best Pinter film I have ever seen.

[@OakleyANDSittingBull]

Following is a *link* to the *second part* of 'The Room' or 'Basements' titled *'The Dumb Waiter'.* It's been uploaded in parts, however, it's parts' ordering is non-sequential: kzbin.info/aero/PL9E66ADEDA5FA7776. *Enjoy! :)*

[@curtchildress7160]

An excellent and mysterious teleplay...all portrayed by excellent actors. Annie Lennox was outstanding in this production...so impressed by her acting ability and screen presence. The ending was dark and unexpected with the female lead becoming blind...almost a metaphor representing a desire to ignore the truth of their lives inside what really was glass bottle type world/existence. The husband in the end kills the blind visitor in a metaphorical act of getting rid of the symbol of their doomed existence and the presence of inevitable death. I could be wrong with this interpretation and would enjoy hearing other interpretations to add to my insights into this very rich production.

[@XyzXyz-mm9vq]

@curt childress / WHY would u give away the ending?! Don’t u know that a lot of viewers read the comments BEFORE they watch it?...or u just don’t care

[@tesconstamylo]

What about mr. Kidd? He is the only character I don't understand

[@timopheim5479]

I agree. Mr/Mrs Sands (Sans) = without. What do you think of the possible references to prostitution?

[@jasoncollins1702]

It's a good interpretation. That said, Pinter resisted literal interpretations of his work. Also, the social aspects rub shoulders with the metaphorical. Pinter was concerned with racism and prejudice as much as he was with existential issues; I daresay more so.

[@comprehensiveboycomprehens8786]

I'm very much in danger of idolatry when it comes to Anne Lennox as a pop artst. Finding this, via a biography, is downright surreal. The patina of age on the production values and film quality is so suggestive of the 80s which I remember well but coupled with a generalized sense of the 20th century anywhere between 1920 and God knows 1990 or something. Pinteresque you'd call it. She knew about bed sits did Annie. She was a true starving artist who triumphed and created great music without a penny of subsidy unlike a lot of these theatre luvvies. I'm flabbergasted by finding this. I am really, and no mistake guv.

[@ajs41]

This is the only example I know of Annie putting on an English accent. She does quite a good job of it, although occasionally you can hear her Scottish accent coming through.

[@christineduffy3113]

Didn't know Annie Lennox was an actress you learn something new everyday Pinter was a complicated man his plays were thought provoking

[@TheBrokenGlassesEdit]

Thanks for sharing!

[@ajs41]

Love Annie Lennox's attempt at a southern accent in this, although you can hear the Scottish accent coming through every so often.

[@brentmeistergeneral2813]

I doubt even Pinter himself could explain the ending to you.

[@christiananderson4909]

Where's Finchy?!

[@Ann-sj4pt]

He doesn’t have to.

[@anthonycook5934]

Another masterpiece by Harold pinter

[@johnbadr2890]

Anthony Cook do u have the text of this drama ?

[@tinamondalgsmptti-8318]

what is the central meaning if this drama?? If you understand please tell me the story. what is the meaning of unsatisfied ending??

[@jasoncollins1702]

@@tinamondalgsmptti-8318 To search for a definite meaning in a Pinter play is pointless, because he doesn't want to leave you with one, but more of a feeling and a sense of lingering wonderment. You'd do better to search out his early lectures on his approach to dramatic writing.

[@jasoncollins1702]

And a good interpretation by Altman.

[@tinamondalgsmptti-8318]

@@jasoncollins1702 thank you so much for your guidance. I will follow yr comments.

[@MissPerriwinkle]

the luminous annie lennox....

[@Emulous79]

A rare find. R.I.P. Julian Sands

[@EmoSew1]

Who else came here because they found out Annie Lennox was in the movie?

[@Kenman22]

Do you have The Dumb Waiter, the second part of Basements, as well? One the few adaptations that Harold Pinter approved of and also has a rare good performance by John Travolta during his 80's slump.

[@OakleyANDSittingBull]

@Kenneth Sutton, Here is a playlist of the film parts of 'The Dumb Waiter'. However, it's parts' ordering is non-sequential: kzbin.info/aero/PL9E66ADEDA5FA7776

[@SamuelBlack84]

I wonder if there's a story to be made of an existential reality of sentient mannequins in an abandoned shopping mall?

[@AlexSchultz816]

Do you by any chance happen to know the VHS edition this was ripped from? I'm currently writing a paper on Pinter and would like to use it as a reference.

[@stevecox7075]

Alexander Schultz : Have you heard of Google?

[@IrvyHill]

My God Annie Lennox is gorgeous

[@paulgrahamedwardspencer5161]

Is she ?

[@curtchildress7160]

+Alex Alexander Annie Lennox proves to be impressively multi-talented.

[@ajs41]

She certainly is.

[@sayanisengupta213]

she looks like a super model!!

[@alpehyl]

Pinter after smoking some weed is one of the experiences you need to try.

[@stephenwoodman6015]

The only other actress I know who could play the wife's role is Jessie Evans who played Gran Hopkins in 19 74 on Corrie.

[@Ann-sj4pt]

I’m sure i’ve known people like this.

[@alma2491]

Julian Sands

[@YellowBriefs]

Oh hi Mark

[@kallolsfunnypetshowandvlog7395]

It's Harold Pinter's drama The Room, right?

[@johnbadr2890]

do you have this drama pdf ?

[@kallolsfunnypetshowandvlog7395]

No but I have the full text

[@johnbadr2890]

i need it please

[@johnbadr2890]

could you please send it to me ???

[@rODIUMuk]

John bader you can buy it on amazon

[@thelycanblood]

i dont understand the ending.

[@dantean]

It was that or keep going.

[@ajs41]

The woman has some sort of connection to the black man that she's ashamed of, although it's not clear what exactly.

[@jasoncollins1702]

Pinter wasn't interested in wrapping things up neatly for his audience, which can make his work seem confusing. It requires some imagination to fill in the gaps, and the clues come in the performances and dialogue.

[@joyce990302]

Sure found out Becter's influence on the movie, but when I speed up the clip double... I saw Vicky pollard....

[@joyce990302]

7:26 from Coda...

[@johnbadr2890]

if any one have the text of this drama please send it ito me

[@thomassimmons1950]

You can get the text in the Collected Works of Harold Pinter: Volume 1

[@eo5468]

Tommy Wiseau made a remake of this, though slightly different.

[@Creee]

Oh hai mark

[@EmoSew1]

The woman looked like smeagel at 7:10

[@lawsonj39]

smeagel?

[@F_ck604]

Where’s Tommy Wiseau?

[@GabyGeorge1996]

This isn’t the Tommy Wiseau film

[@youwayo]

Where Wiseau?

[@quester09]

Red different room

[@vestibulate]

Red With Waldo.

[@Ann-sj4pt]

The more bizarre the better

[@johnbeam6000]

What year is this?

[@ParkerSterling]

1987

[@rahalfatima8469]

written in 1957

[@rexmundi2237]

Also known as "Basments" ? Only in fkin A,merica!

[@ajs41]

Basements was the name for the video which featured two plays: this one, and also Dumb Waiter starring John Travolta and Tom Conti.

[@ajs41]

@@celestialrailroad Not in the same play. Two plays on one video.

[@tsubarashiii6251]

13:20

[@sergioherreno8875]

sub in Spanish please! ??

[@ajs41]

Doesn't seem to be available for some reason.

[@homendersinghromare6783]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@MohammedAli-ew9ul]

خرب يومج شلعتي قلبي يلا نجحت بيج 😭😭😭

[@ableblas1011]

31:46

[@ableblas1011]

34:33

[@ableblas1011]

35:27

[@DSDMovies]

I'm no expert, but the play didn't read at all like this production to me. She's much too slow and ominous. The character as written is far more like your typical working class London 'washer woman' type, fast, garrulous, nattering away regardless of getting a reply or not, unconcerned whether anyone else is speaking. If you don't know the type, think of Monty Python's working class women with the headscarf, Terry Jones. All Pinter's people seem to talk in the same working class London accent, in all the plays I've read so far at least.

[@autodidact2499]

Read "The Lovers" and "The Collection".

[@lawsonj39]

I read it the same way you did. But that's one of the fun things about theater: seeing how talented people can use the same words to create different effects.

[@lawsonj39]

Very true. The play comes off much differently.

[@jasoncollins1702]

I think it's about right. Pinter was discovering himself with The Room, and, in The Birthday Party, he more fully extracts the humor in the situations and characters. Enjoy both.

[@timoliphant]

good but the music is annoying

[@risanalan273]

Malayalam kittumo Aliyaa😂😂😂

[@xiali3495]

Don't understand it >

[@ajs41]

It's about people misunderstanding each other and paranoia, and about "safe spaces" being violated.

[@shilodance1st]

I directed this play, and I don't recall much from this version. There were four characters, two male, two female. WTF? Altman -- go back to directing Popeye, dude.

[@pianolessonsboulder1894]

I despise Harold Pinter.

[@21innocentbystander]

Why?

[@pianolessonsboulder1894]

That's a sweet quesion. But I don't want to go into it. Thank you for understanding. No disrespect intended to his millions of fans :)@@21innocentbystander

[@madbadanddangeroustoknow..3025]

@@pianolessonsboulder1894 He despises you too and rightfully so.

[@pianolessonsboulder1894]

@@madbadanddangeroustoknow..3025 I am honored!:)

[@karinteves1412]

One has to work very hard to create such a terrible movie. YUCK!

[@ajs41]

I thought it was fantastic.

[@brianestoll]

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE... in the most campy sense...

[@ayushrajesh7593]

wtf