Review of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) by Tristan F — 21 Mar 2008

The social taboos that Edward Albee's play tackles may not be as controversial as they once were in its original period, the film adaptation is still a powerful piece of cinema, a triumph of using the film form to serve a theatrical piece.

Haskell Wexler's black and white cinematography puts you into the ring with these two combatants, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor as George and Martha as they "entertain" their guests, another couple who are younger and are new to the campus which they all work and/or live in.

Mike Nichol's direction lets each of the actors show their command of Albee's words, primed for devasting impact. Despite the 'Long Night's Journey Into Day' structure of the play where disputes give way to revelations, at its heart, it is quite truthful and moving in its examination of a long-term relationship where disappointment and anger are balanced by co-dependency and love.