Pollack’s “As It Is In Heaven” and Saroyan’s “The Time of Your Life”: Comparison

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Table of Contents

Introduction
As it is in Heaven – description
Design elements in The Time of Your Life

Introduction

The problem of catharsis developed from the early times of Western civilization in Ancient Greece by famous philosopher and researcher of theatre are important nowadays as well. The main question raised by it goes as follows: how is it possible that tragedy and depressing events described and expressed through artistic means celebrate life? Purification of a soul caused by tragedy is an important part of art that reveals the truth of the world and people, thus, we can claim that every piece of art that reveals truth however tragic it will be celebrates life. The following can be in the famous film As it is in Heaven directed by Kay Pollack. Daniel Dareus the main character of the movie is the world-renowned conductor suffering from heart deceases. After a heart attack, he retires and travels to his native town in the north of Sweden where he had a difficult childhood. Here as he deceases not bothers him a lot he engages in the work of the local choir plunging into the problems and relations between different people. His love for music and people was stronger than his disease. The choir wins the ‘wild cart’ for participation in a musical competition, but suddenly before the performance in the make-up room, Dareus suffers another heart attack, stumbles, and hits his head. He lies on the floor bleeding and the voice of his choir unites him with eternity. This is a tragedy that has catharsis of celebrating life and hope for the better which unites all film’s characters under undefined but beckoning light.

As it is in Heaven – description

Another piece of art a play written and staged in 1939 by William Saroyan called The Time of Your Life has much in common with As it is in Heaven in terms of finding positive in negative – life celebration in life absurdity. The action of this play centers on Joe a young rich loafer fostering the visitors of the bar( the main place of action) in their strange behavior and eccentricity. Joe helps future Harry and provides his fellow Tom with the prostitute Kitty Duval. The bar is filled with people trying to find the sense of their life, trying to escape its absurdity and uncertainty. Among such characters, one should mention the frenetic man in love and the affluent couple. Saroyan managed to create conditions for understanding a simple fact that ‘When you live, live’ which make people think of their life and understand that it is a short period and all should be made to make it interesting and exciting. But notwithstanding the fact of similarity between the artworks discussed it can be said that As It is in Heaven is more tragic and has a higher intensity of catharsis. But in the Time of your life, more emphasis is put on reflection rather than emotions.

Design elements in The Time of Your Life

The play was initially structured in difficult form and lasted for more than 3 hours which can be regarded as quite a long time in terms of current staging practices. The five acts of the play are set mostly in the waterfront bar in San Francisco. The characters constantly enter the bar and interact with Joe – this structural and technical element helps to maintain the same decorations during the play. Most time of the play is passed in a calm manner giving the audience possibility to reflect on philosophical and moral problems but of course with much emotional accompaniment. Some scenes of play can be described as falling out the central idea creating the impression of ‘lost quotation’ but in sum the positive element undervalues them showing great structural and expressive coherence of the play.

The tension only appears in the end when a spiteful cop Blick makes trouble for Nick and Kitty Duval. Among decoration elements of the play, one should mention the upright piano and swinging door which serve the role of entrance and exit for the play’s characters. There are also other very interesting details: trophies, old photos, sailboats, various signed and framed dollar bills used as a souvenir for giving luck to their holders. In sum, it can be claimed that the play’s design elements create a gloomy atmosphere which is further mounted in the course of the play.

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Pollack’s “As It Is In Heaven” and Saroyan’s “The Time of Your Life”: Comparison

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