In late 2005 Harold Pinter videotaped a lecture on the occasion of the award to him of one of the most distinguished of honours, the Nobel Prize for Literature. His speech, delivered directly to camera, is a complex reflection on his own writing and an excoriating attack on the foreign policy of a “brutal, ruthless and scornful” United States.

Harold Pinter reflects on the genesis of his plays “The Homecoming” and “Old Times”; on the problems of political theatre; on the tragedy of American actions in Nicaragua; on the invasion of Iraq and on other crimes by the United States in the past half century.

“Art, Truth & Politics” is a speech that made headlines around the world. It is an urgent and compelling appeal for us all as citizens to seek out and honour truth.

Harold Pinter: Art, Truth & Politics Product Information

Grade Level: College and University
Subjects: Literature, Drama
Set: DVD Only
Copyright: © 2006 Illuminations. All rights reserved.
Total Running Time: 46 minutes
Educational Prices: (includes Public Performance Rights)

• College / University: $189.00
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• Library / High School: $89.00
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• PAL Version: $89.00
  
  

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Reviews

“[A] passionate and astonishing speech, which mixed moral vigour with forensic detail… This was a man delivering an attack on American foreign policy, and Britain’s subscription to it, with a controlled anger and a deadly irony. And, paradoxically, it reminded us why Pinter is such a formidable dramatist. He used every weapon in his theatrical technique to reinforce his message. And, by the end, it was as if Pinter himself had been physically recharged by the moral duty to express his innermost feelings.”
- Michael Billington, The Guardian, December 2005

“Pinter’s plays speak volumes between the lines - but bluntly stating his position as he does here, he speaks even more loudly with them. His speech is not just a major contribution to revealing the lies we’re living under, but also an important new part towards understanding the man.”
- The Stage Online, December 2005

On the occasion of his acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005, playwright Harold Pinter recorded this speech, and the video was shown at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm. In this riveting talk, Pinter describes his commitment to truth in his writing, and he contrasts this with the suppression of truth in contemporary politics. He is especially critical of U.S. foreign policy and the invasion of Iraq, and he examines the lies and media manipulation that have led to U.S. atrocities around the world. Of special interest to students of theatre and creative writing is Pinter’s discussion of the impetus for some of his greatest works (The Homecoming and Old Times) and the playwright’s relation to his characters.
- Educational Media Reviews Online