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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

United States

1966

131 Min
Black and White
1.85:1
Latin, English
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
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DIR Mike Nichols

PROD Ernest Lehman

SCR Edward Albee, Ernest Lehman

DP Haskell Wexler

CAST Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis

ED Sam O'Steen

PROD DES Richard Sylbert

MUSIC Alex North

SOUND M.A. Merrick

Synopsis

Psychological realism and foul language: George and Martha are as far from the bourgeois 1950s perfect married couple as you can get, alternatively badgering, berating, abusing and loving each other, both alone and accompanied by the naive young married couple that have come over for a nightcap. The fun and games in which George and Martha involve Nick and Honey are a lacerating look at the older couple’s existence, where the emotional brutalizing fill an unspeakable void at their center, and a troubling preview of what the younger couple’s life could become. Combines the banal, the vulgar and the poetic. —IMDb

Director

Original

Mike Nichols

Mike Nichols (born Nov. 6, 1931, Berlin, Ger.) American motion-picture and stage director whose productions focus on the absurdities and horrors of modern life as revealed in personal relationships.

Nichols immigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven. He attended the University of Chicago (1950–53), studied acting under Lee Strasberg in New York City, and then returned to Chicago, where, with Elaine May, Shelley Berman, Barbara Harris, and Paul Sills, he formed the comic improvisational group The Compass Players. Nichols and May then traveled nationwide with their social-satire routines, and from 1960 to 1961 they performed on Broadway in An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May.

Nichols made his Broadway directorial debut with the highly praised Barefoot in the Park (1963) and went on to direct a series of commercially and critically successful Broadway plays, many written by Neil Simon. He won Tony awards for Barefoot in the Park, Luv (1964… read more

Wall

Displaying 4 of 31 wall posts.
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meancreek

13Apr12

It gets off to a loud, obnoxious start and it just never ends. The story just doesn't go where I expected it to go, and in turned into one of the most boring experiences since I started watching films. I'm not even sure whether I like the performances, although they are probably the best thing about the entire film. A real shame that this was my first Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton movie.

Alex likes this

  • Picture of Nour A-Hadi Haba

    Nour A-Hadi Haba

    29Apr12

    Wow, that's such a shame considering how mind-blowing the end was? But I do understand how it can drag on a bit. But honestly, not sure about liking the performances? Considering you sat and watched the whole thing should maybe make you think that they were captivating enough for you to follow through with it :)

Picture of The Macho King The Illmatic One

The Macho King The Illmatic One

10Apr12

What a amazing powerful debut

Nour A-Hadi Haba likes this

Picture of Thomas Ban

Thomas Ban

25Jan12

Good, better, best, bested!

Nour A-Hadi Haba likes this

Picture of Zac Zellers

Zac Zellers

7Dec11

i haven't seen this before tonight (started this at 2am), but i won't be able to get this out of my head for a while. a revelation!! i... don't know what else to say. this is necessary movie-watching.

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Lists

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Reviews

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Notes

By Maascha on February 20, 2010

An intellectual couple indulges their addiction to confrontation with verbal abuse, heavy drinking, and extramarital flirtations. Identities, “truths and illusions,” and relationships converge and…  read review

I dance like the wind … Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

By jaredmo​barak on January 30, 2010

There really is nothing more frightening than a writer. The ability to weave a story together that so touches you with its realism is a very powerful gift. You become cast under a spell, yearning for…  read review

I'm afraid!

By Jye Sherwel​l on January 14, 2010

What an experience!

So intense, yet so wonderful.

I simply love the look of the film. Rarely has black and white looked so crisp. The lighting is used so perfectly.
Some of the camera…  read review

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Who Likes Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?

27 posts by 20 people about 1 year ago