241. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

Director: Mike Nichols

Starring: Richard Burton

Elizabeth Taylor

Sandy Dennis

George Segal

IMDB Rating: 7.9

My Rating: 7.5

"Martha, in my mind you're buried in cement right up to the neck. No, up to the nose, it's much quieter."

George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) are as dysfunctional as couples get. Arriving home from a college faculty mixer, they are both smashed. They bicker about absolutely nothing as couples usually do. Martha orders George around as they tidy up their house for arriving guests. She has invited over the college's new biology professor Nick (George Segal) and his wife Honey (Sandy Dennis) for drinks. When Nick and Sandy arrive, George and Martha are in the middle of a huge argument. They continue the argument with no regard to their new guests. The drinks start pouring and the games are just beginning for what looks to be a very interesting night.

If you find couples fighting with sharp one liners funny, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is for you. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton both turn in great performances. They were married at the time of filming, which might explain how comfortable they seemed to be working together. Their often hilarious banter becomes painfully searing near the end of the film. Sandy Dennis and George Segal also turn in performances that build upon themselves with each scene. With only four characters, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is an amazing showcase of four unique talents.

I've have seen this film in it's original home, that being on the stage. This is one of the better stage to screen adaptations that I have seen. The film keeps much of the plays original appeal, while still expanding past the limitations of a stage. The Motion Picture Association of America only made minor cuts of certain swear words before distribution. Luckily, the original scripts theme and vision are still intact.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a success in many aspects. The performances are all award worthy. The script is witty, sharp, and quite tragic at times. It also serves as an excellent debut film for director Mike Nichols. Although, the run time is a bit long, but every frame is needed to completely tell the story. Like some stage to screen films, the sets change very seldom. So be aware that this film relies heavily on dialogue. If you liked other adaptations such as A Streetcar Named Desire or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, this film is highly recommended.