Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Contrary to popular belief, it is entirely possible to respect and understand the greatness of a film without personally enjoying watching it. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is one such film for me. I can watch it with a clinical eye and see just how well acted it is, how well written it is, see the themes at play, and understand everything that is going on in the subtext, yet the characters are so bitter, angry, reprehensible, and drunk the entire time that I lose any sense of sympathy for them. And if I cannot sympathize with any of the characters, then I cannot go along with their story. Some will say that is a fault of my own and not of the film, and I will not argue the point. But what is a review if not the writer’s opinion of what they are seeing? 

This film is based on a one-room play written by Edward Albee in 1962. The title referenced English novelist Virginia Woolf, who committed suicide in 1941, leaving behind a note that expressed her love for her husband, Larry, and her sorrow for the anguish she was causing him. Albee was an acquaintance of Larry’s and wrote him, gaining permission to use Virginia’s name in the title and in the dialogue of his play. 

Audiences in 1962 were shocked by the mature content in Albee’s play, including many instances of adult language and sexual dialogue. At the time, such language was outside the standard moral guidelines for films, and audiences, unaccustomed to hearing such profanity, were shocked by how provocative it was. Even four years later, as the film was being made, several lines had to be softened or removed outright, though much of it remained intact. Critics in 1962 voiced that the play could not be made in Hollywood, but they were unaware that things were shifting on the motion picture landscape, and big changes were on the horizon. 

The play has only four characters in it, taking place entirely inside a single house. This was opened up just a little in the film, though the majority of it still takes place primarily in that house. Two characters were added to the film, though they are only seen briefly. This is still basically a story about four people and stays focused there. When it was submitted for the upcoming Academy Awards, all four members of the cast were nominated for their acting, a feat that has rarely ever happened in Academy Award history.

The film does have a plot, though the vast majority of what happens is in the dialogue as we break down the relationships of two couples in a single evening of drinking and fighting. George (Richard Burton) is an associate professor at a small unnamed New England college. He is married to Martha (Elizabeth Taylor), the daughter of the university president. The two return home one evening from a party, drunk and argumentative. Shortly afterwards, Martha informs George that she has invited over another married couple who were at the party, Nick (George Segal), a biology professor, and his wife, Honey (Sandy Dennis). This news, and the lateness of the hour, 2:30 a.m., sours George even more and he doesn’t want to entertain anyone, but Martha gives him no choice. 

More drinking ensues as both Martha and George hurl insults and verbal abuse at each other, which at first embarrasses Nick and Honey, then entangles them. Martha angers George further by talking about their son, who is turning 16 the next day. While Martha and Honey are out of the room, Nick confesses that he married Honey for her money and because he mistakenly believed that she was pregnant. Later, George will ascertain that Honey may have actually had an abortion instead, perhaps more than one. We also suspect that he and Martha are actually childless, unable to have children of their own, and that this story about a 16-year-old is an invention to ease their personal pain over being unable to conceive. This will later be confirmed in an emotional breakdown late in the film. 

A lot of behind-the-curtain revelations come out over the course of this film. In this way, what we are seeing is a dissection of a marriage, whittled to the bone and spread open for all to see. It seems hard to believe that any of these people would stay together with their partner after seeing how their relationship is here. Yet we are also seeing them during an evening of hard drinking. George and Martha may be expressing more than usual with the aid of alcohol. It’s also possible, even likely, that this is just how they are, and some level of self-hatred keeps them together. Whichever it is, it is simply unpleasant seeing them tear into each other with such bitterness. This is not a couple that should be together and would be justified in a separation. 

Martha is living with a false illusion of having a son. She rails against the notion that this is a fantasy, despite her agreement with George never to bring this son up outside the marriage. This illusion of a son gives them a comfort, allowing them to avoid facing feelings of inadequacy. The lack of a child flies in the face of the ideal mentality of the nuclear family. We have a tendency to see families in film and television as perfect representatives of that nuclear family mode, such as in Father Knows Best or Leave it to Beaver. This film smashes those conventions with a depiction of a more realistic family that argues and fights, drinks too much, and harbors a lot of personal pain that isn’t usually aired out in front of company. It is meant to make us uncomfortable, squirming in our seats awkwardly just as Nick and Honey are initially.

As I mentioned in the beginning, I find this film hard to watch. All four of the cast are so convincing that it makes it difficult to watch the emotional breakdowns, the bickering, the drinking, and the depression. It’s often ugly and uncomfortable. In that way, it is a rousing success as this was what Edward Albee was going for. This degree of realism is believable but it makes for two hours of feeling awful and depressed. Because of that, while I appreciate the craft and the skill of the writing and the incredibly well-performed characters, I don’t feel like I could subject myself to another viewing of this film anytime soon. 

Academy Award Nominations:

Best Picture: Ernest Lehman

Best Director: Mike Nichols

Best Actor: Richard Burton

Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor (won)

Best Supporting Actor: George Segal

Best Supporting Actress: Sandy Dennis (won)

Best Screenplay - Based on Material from Another Medium: Ernest Lehman

Best Art Direction - Black-and-White: Richard Sylbert and George James Hopkins (won)

Best Cinematography - Black-and-White: Haskell Wexler (won)

Best Costume Design - Black-and-White: Irene Sharaff (won)

Best Film Editing: Sam O’Steen

Best Original Music Score: Alex North

Best Sound: George Groves

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Release Date: June 21, 1966

Running Time: 132 Minutes

Not Rated

Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis

Directed by: Mike Nichols