Review of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) by Victor A — 14 Apr 2008

It was like watching a train wreck. Powerful performances, especially from Richard Burton. Clearly a lot of effort was spent in character development. We are supposed to understand why George and Martha behave the way they do.

However, there are bits, especially at the denouement that I found puzzling and unsatisfying. Overall I found the movie draining and unsettling, but in a pointless, inconsequential way. I'm glad I watched this movie - the play its based on is one of Albee's finest - but I would not want to watch it again.

I can imagine that a stage performance would be more powerful. This sort of histrionics lends itself better to the stage.