Film of the Absurd

Waiting for Godot is widely known for being the exemplary theatre of the absurd tragicomedy, but its film adaptation went too absurd. The final scene portrays Vladimir and Estragon contemplating their lives, their time and their long days. It concludes in a medium-wide shot of Estragon, the tree, Vladimir and behind them the desolate road and the moon. Motionless, Estragon says "Yes. Let's go," and the two friends remain still for about ten seconds. This impacting shot made the whole point of Beckett even more clear than it was by reading the play. The viewer feels uncomfortable and awkward just seeing these two vagrants do absolutely nothing for such a long time. The lack of belief and decision is evident. They have no will or initiative to move along, therefore remain there, probably for the rest of their monotonous lives. Not too often a film has such a boring and disturbing shot, but with such significance. Absurdity is evident in the film with the use of exaggerated statements and stands, equally to Beckett's suggestion that life can be nothing more than what is seen. 

Both the film and the play portray a world like any other. Beckett does not seek to tell a story of heroes and revelations, but rather a story of life. One does not look forward to a monotonous life, but waiting for a god, a special person, an object of value, or any desire, are futile in preventing this type life. In the eyes of absurdity Godot could be anything, and simply watching the end of Vladimir's and Estragon's wait, portrays the bluntness of this wait. The plot could have been the same if Godot was something else. The point lies in the ridiculousnesses that satisfy people. People get lost into useless desires of anything and wait for them, loosing track of everything else, but this is valid. Waiting for nothing or waiting for everything is just the way people go. Watching the film of Waiting for Godot takes almost two hours of one's time and it surely makes its point. Two hours of nothingness are pointless. Two days of Vladimir's and Estragon's life are useless.