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Mood:
- CleverCaptivatingTenseRoughBiting
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Plot:
- PsychologicalCouple RelationsFamily in CrisisLife is a BitchMind and SoulUnfulfillmentCouplesFamily Problems more...
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Genres:
- Drama
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Time/Period:
- 20th Century60s
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Place:
- New EnglandSmall Town
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Praise:
- Award WinnerBlockbusterControversialCritically AcclaimedEssentialOscar WinnerPrestigious Awards
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Style:
- Twists and TurnsTalky
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Based on:
- Based on Play
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Attitudes:
- SeriousRealistic
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Look:
- B&W
Does this gene fit Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf??
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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966
English, Latin
USA
Profile of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The mood of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is tense, clever, and captivating. The plot centers around a family in crisis, themes of unfulfillment, and family problems. It is a drama movie. Stylistically, it involves twists and turns and is talky. In approach, it is serious and realistic. It takes place, at least partly, in a small town. It is set in New England. It happens in the 1960s. Visually, it is black and white. It is adapted from a play. The movie is known for being controversial, an Oscar winner, and essential viewing.
Summary of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Turning the underbelly of bourgeois academia into a microcosm of human relationships in all their arduous complexities, Mike Nichols' auspicious debut feature is a harrowing descent into the private lives and painful secrets of two couples thrown together for an evening. Based on the controversial play by Edward Albee, this noir-ish 1966 drama stars former real-life couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, in what many critics consider to be their best performances. George (Burton) is a senior professor of history who has turned to alcohol to deal with his vituperative, vicious wife Martha (Taylor), whose appetite for administering abuse knows no bounds. Invited to the couple's home for late-night drinks are new professor Nick (George Segal), and his naïve wife Honey (Sandy Dennis), where over the course of the evening, the polished veneer of the hosts tarnishes grotesquely. The witty repartee of consummate sophisticate Martha degenerates into increasingly violent verbal abuse of both her husband and guests, while George's stoic façade crumbles both physically and emotionally. The horrified Nick and Honey initially come off as happier foils to the misery of the older married couple, but the guests are soon mirroring George and Martha in their mutual antagonism, giving voice to buried resentments and alcohol-fueled revelations of repressed injuries.
A director with a reputation for delivering intelligent, "adult" films, Nichols made a remarkably smooth and successful transition from stage to screen with this adaptation of Albee's already-notorious play. Screenwriter Ernest Lehman kept the text of the play virtually intact, maintaining the intensity and sheer violence of the frankly foul language. The film shocked audiences, presenting them with a tortuous foray into a love-hate relationship and, ultimately, mental illness. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? received Academy Award nominations in virtually every category it was eligible for, winning five of them.
Details
| Language: | English, Latin |
| Country: | USA |
| Release date: | 22 June 1966 |
| Runtime: | 131 min |
| Awards: | Academy Awards |
Awards
Cast and Crew
as George
as Martha
Photos
Users Reviews
- 05.September.2010
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- by: ColumboFan
- ColumboFan rated this movie
0/10
- 08.August.2009
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- by: Devon Kane
- Devon Kane rated this movie0/10
