The first scene deals mainly with introducing the characters and the basic plot of the book.
I would want the characters to act really well in the first scene of the film to get the message of their characters across. The other purpose of the first scene is to entertain and interest the audience. The play begins in an office full of books with a man shuffling between the books on his bookcase, obviously looking for a book as he is muttering the names of the authors as he goes. To the viewers' surprise, he pulls out a bottle of whiskey and starts pouring a glass of whiskey for himself.
This shows us that Frank perhaps has a drinking problem and is trying to hide it. There is then a telephone call between Frank and his girlfriend. I would want Frank to act rather frustrated when he is on the phone as he obviously doesn't want to be speaking to her. I would especially want him to act frustrated in the line, 'What do you mean am I determined to go to pub? I don't need determination to get me into a pub' Rita's entrance into the room is an important moment as it is when we meet one of the two main characters.
She knocks twice on the door even though Frank shouts at her to come in. Frank is obviously surprised at Rita's character as he has never met anyone like her before. You would expect her to walk in and introduce herself but instead she starts ordering Frank about after she eventually bursts into the room swearing and speaking in a very common voice (this contrasts with Frank's very middle class English) 'I'm comin' in, aren't I? It's that stupid bleedin' door.You wanna get it fixed! ' After Frank's surprise he asks, 'You are? This is an upper class phrase and Rita, unused to such language takes this phrase literally, 'What am I? ' Frank gets very confused and frustrated and it continues until Frank gives up trying to force her to understand and studies the admission papers. At this point, I would want Rita to be acting very confused as Frank has not fully explained and also I would want her looking strangely at Frank, as if he were mad, while Frank is thinking the same about Rita and giving her the same look.
This part of the scene introduces another main part of the story, cultural differences. While Frank is studying the admission papers Rita is looking around his office. She probably hasn't seen a room much like this before and so is obviously interested. She then turns her head to a painting and asks Frank if he thinks it's erotic. Frank is surprised at the question and admits that he hasn't looked at it for around ten years. I would want Frank to sigh as Rita carries the conversation on and says 'Look at them tits.
Frank is obviously embarrassed at this conversation as he is middle class and probably hasn't had an open conversation about sex or nudity, especially with a total stranger and I would want him to act very bewildered as Rita gazes round the room with awe. I would want the whole scene to be slightly comical, as Russell intended for the scene to come across as comical to get both the personalities of the two characters and the story of the play across.
