Films that ask us to sit with discomfort and distress, offering pockets of humor but ultimately no escape, are challenging. But it’s this level of trust in the viewer and emotional realism that brings me back to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? time and time again.
Written by Eva Mohácsy
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is unequivocally legendary. It’s one of two films ever to be nominated in every Oscar category eligible, winning five total — including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Cinematography (Black-and-White). The film is Mike Nichols’ on-screen directorial debut, whose illustrious and varied career spanned decades, with iconic films (and series) like The Graduate (1967), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Birdcage (1996), and Angels in America (2003). Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who were in their tumultuous first marriage to each other during filming. They drew heavily from their chaotic chemistry for the roles, adding a level of realism incomparable to anything I’ve ever seen on screen, and a metatextual layer film historians can pick at for years and still have more to mine.
But it’s not what it won or who’s involved that makes this film truly stand across the test of time; it’s its refusal to be put into any box. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a drama, a comedy, a romance, a psychological thriller, a character study, and everything in between. Connected but not attached to genre, the film has an ever-changing quality with each rewatch and a distinct humanness that an audience-friendly blockbuster cannot fully capture.
Much of the magic of the movie is in George (Burton) and Martha’s dynamic, their games. Before their guests arrive, we get a peek at who these characters are without anybody watching them perform. They’re clearly discontent, as Martha (Taylor) implies, when she quotes Bette Davis ("What a dump!") and famously cannot recall the name of the film (it’s Beyond the Forest (1949), in case you're curious). This is our entrance point into a relationship unraveled: a seemingly innocuous argument over movie trivia represents years and years of unmet expectations and resentment.
Though this dynamic is tragic, it’s also very romantic. George and Martha share a language only they know, a world only they occupy. They built it together for protection from the truth, but it’s right atop their slow, mutually assured destruction. They’re sliding into a sinkhole, but at least down in the ground, they’re safe from reality, together. Their shared language is most evident after the arrival of their guests, Nick (George Segal) and Honey (Sandy Dennis). George and Martha take turns trying to recruit each to their side, and Nick and Honey are helpless against their sick sense of humor. The caustic couple is completely unpredictable to anyone but each other, emphasized by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s volatile performances. Often offended by relatively benign comments but bent over laughing at cruel zingers, every respective action and reaction is surprising but never untruthful to the characters.
Cinematographer Haskell Wexler, who later worked on thrillers like In the Heat of the Night (1967) and The Conversation (1974), uses extreme close-ups, especially on Martha, during her most confrontational moments. If you’ve ever had the displeasure of an angry, drunk person getting in your face, it feels exactly like that. But there are still blinks of tenderness in the unpleasant moments. When Martha asks for a drink, George might complain, but he always gets it for her. There’s a sense that this is all an elaborate bedroom game the couple’s played before. It’s their nightcap, their way of unwinding for the night, but as the film continues, we learn it’s never been pushed to this extreme. Only at the end, when the game is finally over — killed — by George, do we witness the catharsis of the couple soft and truthful to one another.
Nick and Honey are the perfect foils to George and Martha, reflections of their younger, hopeful selves. The film adaptation elevates the supporting roles beyond the stage play of the same name by Edward Albee. Much of this is due to Sandy Dennis’ performance. Though George Segal is excellent too, playing the opportunistic and unsuspecting young professor, it’s Dennis who truly stands out among the powerhouse leading couple. Truly some of the best (and casually hilarious) drunk acting I’ve seen on screen; every nervous tic is lived-in, real. The character as written is ragile and oblivious, a type that could easily be annoying when approached reductively. However, Dennis plays her with such vulnerability and humor that it’s impossible not to feel protective, especially when the cruel games turn to her.
One of my favorite bits is Honey yelling for more "Violence!" as George and Martha get physical in the dance hall. Because, as tenacious and distressing as this film can be, I wouldn’t be doing it justice without mentioning how funny it is. The premise of one couple forcing another to watch and join their joint delusion is ripe with cringeworthy comedy. The tension in breaking social norms is vital to this film, especially in the first half. And there are so many casual recurring gags and verbal witticisms that become welcome buoys keeping us afloat in the latter half of the film. Nichols’ roots in improvisational comedy and social satire are no doubt a perfect match for the material. He even plays George alongside Elaine May’s Martha on stage in 1980.
When looking forward to films like Die My Love (2025), The Drama (2026), and The Invite (2026), we see the various influences of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The Drama in particular ruffled feathers this year with its darkly comedic lens on serious social issues. Films that ask us to sit with discomfort and distress, offering pockets of humor but ultimately no escape, are challenging. But it’s this level of trust in the viewer and emotional realism that brings me back to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? time and time again.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is available to rent or buy on Amazon or Apple TV in the US and Canada.
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