Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis
Directed: Mike Nichols
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama
1966

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young couple (George Segal, Sandy Dennis) visit George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and an alcohol-fueled night soon spirals out of control.


Review:

Tim: After watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, I feel like I'm still coming to grips with what I saw. There's certainly nothing quite like this movie. It starts out ordinarily enough- two couples get together for a few drinks after a faculty party. How the night falls apart is a fascinating development. Fueled by alcohol and baggage, these characters become unraveled. The film has a great source material in the Tony-award winning play, but it's still something to behold on the big screen.

Director Mike Nichols burst onto the scene with this, his directorial debut. It's a stunning debut. The movie won 5 Academy Awards (out of the 13 for which it was nominated). It's such an emotionally charged, unflinching, fascinating exploration of a darker side of humanity. It's a brilliant film that deals with mature issues. It had to have been controversial in 1966, as it really does tackle some adult concepts. In Hollywood, relationships are so often depicted in the brightest light- two people fall in love and it's magical and they live happier ever after. The real world has more than its share of broken and toxic relationships. This film sheds a light on those.

I have to give immense credit to the cast. There's really only four people involved and each of them gives a monumental performance. Elizabeth Taylor is the most vivid, unhinged, and memorable. She's strong, mean, a victim, an oppressor. It's a wonderfully layered performance that has more than a few explosive moments. It's not a surprise she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. It's a big, meaty role and she absolutely nails it. Richard Burton likewise gives a mesmerizing performance. He goes toe-to-toe with Taylor and many of the film's best scenes involve these two bickering or yelling. Burton is called upon to show so many emotions throughout this film. It's a great performance and I was at least pleased he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. George Segal is in a supporting role, but he adds substantially to the film. First, due to his strong performance. But even more so because he's the perfect match for Taylor and Burton. As they fly off the handle again and again, Segal is there to show the opposite. He takes their abuse when it's hurtled at him. This isn't to suggest his character doesn't have his own displays of emotion- but Segal brings that out at all the right moments. He's really good, especially as he gives each of his co-stars what they needed in that moment. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The final main cast member is Sandy Dennis. I absolutely acknowledge that she gives a good performance- whether it's being painfully naive, over-the-top drunk, or the other wide array of emotions she shows. And yet, she's clearly the weakest of the four. It's a very good performance, but it cannot compare with her other three co-stars. It also got a little annoying at times, if I'm being frank. And yet, despite my quibbles, she actually did win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. I'm not saying it's a travesty or anything, but I would have been content if she just got a nomination. Still, Mike Nichols assembled an incredible cast and allowed them to all give remarkable performances. It's impressive that this movie received 4 acting nominations and 2 Academy Awards out of it.

I do need to comment on the ending of the film. I admit I was slightly perplexed by it. I thought I understood, but it took some research to confirm my suspicions. It's a strange ending, one that requires further thought into what this means for the unhealthy relationship of George and Martha. I'm not sure I loved the ending, but I appreciated the uniqueness of it. It's certainly a memorable conclusion to this powerful drama.

I've seen a lot of movies and a lot of the all-time classics. I feel confident saying that Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is absolutely a great movie. In addition to the two acting Academy Awards I mentioned, it also won Best Cinematography- B&W, Best Art Direction- B&W, and Best Costume Design- B&W (I hate those years when the Academy split categories between black & white and color). It's a classic film that holds up even decades later.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Cleopatra, The Graduate, A Place in the Sun