Yet another stage play that has been brilliantly translated for the silver screen, Mike Nichols' adaptation of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is an incredible, dark comedy that kept me engrossed the entire time. I knew nothing of this film going into it and I feel that was frankly for the best. This movie is a nightmarish exploration into the different stages of relationships, marriage, and the hardships that come with it all, while still maintaining an entertaining premise to keep its audience engaged. I was blown away by how intriguing this film turned out to be, given that there are only four main performers and the story almost entirely relies on dialogue. Despite a few minor issues with the script, this is another addition to the list of films that should be studied for the art of its screenwriting.
Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and George (Richard Burton) are an aging married couple whose relationship is as testy as it is fueled by alcohol. After a long night at a party hosted by George's boss, the two invite a younger couple named Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis) over for drinks to get to know them. As the night goes on, however, these two couples learn more and more about themselves as their respective relationships begin downward spirals into hatred and spite. Similar to other films of this era and style, the aspect that I enjoyed the absolute most about this movie was its script by Ernest Lehman, adapted from the play by Edward Albee. This movie is solely an exploration of how couples deal with the hardships of their relationships and being with someone who might not share the same values as you. What was most interesting is that these themes unfolded within a quick 2-hour window and in such a deteriorative way that is not necessarily too far off from many relationship problems of even today. The writing from Lehman is very quick and witty, providing for a lot of the comedic parts of this film, especially towards the beginning. However, once the tone of the movie turns from playful into nearly deadly, this comedy serves a much darker purpose. I loved how Nichols' direction in this film was so sharp in keeping the audience engaged despite the changes in the tone.
This captivating story would not have been so interesting, however, if not for the characters. George and Martha are two of the most volatile partners in a film I have ever seen and it is a wonder that they had been together for so long. Which brings into question the reason for their relationship and why they have decided to put up with each other. This film does an excellent job of exploring their toxic relationship and all of the metaphorical things that they constantly say they will do to each other. Since Martha's father is the head of the university that George works at, there is a consistent theme of picking sides. Once Martha reveals that she only married George to please her father, it leads the audience to wonder what her true motivations and aspirations are. And while George makes a joke about only marrying Martha to "get her off his lawn", it's very difficult to think that these characterizations are actually genuine. All of these character traits are undoubtedly elevated by the performances from these two, as the energy and passion that emanated from them were quite evident. Another of this film's dynamics that I loved was the difference between the generations of the two couples. Despite only being 20 or so years apart, the way that they treated each other was so much different. The hope that was still instilled in Nick and Honey was a refreshing break from the anger that was shared between Martha and George, but this movie has such a strong effect that may make you never want to get married.
While this story and the script were the greatest aspects, my minor issues stem from them as well. This film, as it focuses on two different straight couples, did not give nearly as much time for the female characters to develop as it did the male ones. While the women were offscreen around the house or inside making coffee, the majority of the runtime was dedicated to the development of the men. While their stories and sides were still integral to telling this story, I wish the film would have focused more on the female side as well. For revolving around relationships and the commitment that goes into them from both parties, this movie absolutely had the power to give more materiality to its women but apparently decided not to. I also got lost in much of the dialogue between George and Martha as their arguments escalated into screaming matches and an epic battle of wits. Much of their raucous back-and-forth was full of metaphorical phrases and seemingly loaded insults, but there came a point where the film did not even leave me room to breathe. Their arguments became almost nonsensical and with no context behind what they were discussing, its value became lost on me.
Thankfully I enjoyed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? much more than The Graduate, or I might have a bad taste left in my mouth due to Nichols' direction. This film is a fantastic look into the harsh realities of relationships and even more than 50 years later, still maintains its pertinence as painfully relatable insight into modern marriage and family life.
My Rating: ★★★★½
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