Genre: Drama
Actor: Agnes Flanagan, Elizabeth Taylor, George Segal, Richard Burton, Sandy Dennis
Director: Mike Nichols
Based on a stage play of the same name, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a masterful example of how vital blocking is in movies. The film takes place in a few locations--a New England home, the yard, and a roadhouse a few miles away--and is shot in simple black and white. There are only four characters here. And yet, the film feels dynamic, volcanic even--every scene erupts with so much anger, passion, love, and frustration. The characters move about like they’re in a highly charged dance, and each of their lines feels like a dagger straight to the heart. You could easily see how this worked as a play, but Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Charlie Wilson's War) translates it smartly into film. The camera is as restless as the characters, and each frame is a thoughtful decision of what to show and what not to show, betraying their actual ignorance despite their academia. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? remains a classic for a reason: it set the standard for a lot of dialogue-heavy, raw-honest films these days, but it’s also simply a riot to watch.