Time has not dulled Mike Nichols’ adaptation of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” It is tense. Bruising. Fifty-eight years later, it is still difficult to spend an evening with George and Martha.
So why revisit it? Why do we keep reliving the same awful night over and over?
First, there is what’s on screen. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are forces of nature in “Woolf,” fueling their performances with their own complicated real-life relationship dynamics. The fact that George Segal and Sandy Dennis aren’t completely blown off the screen says everything about the subtle complexity they bring to the roles of Nick and Honey, George and Martha’s seemingly innocent guests.
All of this is captured by Haskell Wexler’s unrelenting cinematography and guided by Nichols’ electric and suspenseful directing choices. That same level of thought and artistry is in every aspect of this movie; it’s little surprise that “Woolf” is only the second movie in history to be nominated in every category it was eligible for at the Academy Awards.
But it is the story of how “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” made it to the screen that really cements its legacy in Hollywood. Edward Albee’s liberal use of profane and vulgar language in his play left most assuming it could never be adapted into a movie. So when screenwriter Ernest Lehman decided to keep Albee’s dialogue more or less intact, it was immediately controversial: Both the Catholic League of Motion Pictures and the nascent MPAA threatened to withhold approval as the movie went into production.
But filming continued, and ultimately both groups backed down after the studio agreed to a few cuts and the condition that theaters showing the movie would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from seeing it without adult supervision. This process directly led to the creation of the MPAA’s rating system, which is still in place today.
It might seem odd that a rating system that has become synonymous with sex and violence was brought about by a movie that’s essentially just four people talking. But “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” is an adult movie—a movie for adults—through and through. It forces us to spend time in a messy darkness that most of us don’t want to acknowledge that we recognize in ourselves.
That is why it is so hard—and so crucial—to keep spending time with George and Martha.
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” plays this Saturday, at 3 p.m., at the Triplex, followed by a conversation with Philip Gefter, author of the new book “Cocktails with George and Martha: Marriage, Movies and the Making of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” and film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum. Copies of the book will be available for purchase in the lobby from our friends at The Bookloft.
Now Playing
“The Teachers’ Lounge”
The tense German drama comes to the Triplex.
A thrilling, intimate depiction of how even the best of intentions can divide a community, “The Teachers’ Lounge” tells the story of Carla (Leonie Benesch), a public school teacher who tries to prove a student innocent of a crime and ends up in the middle of a controversy herself. Nominated for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards.
Free Family Series: “Chicken Run”
Our free Saturday morning family series returns with Aardman Animation’s claymation classic “Chicken Run.” This series is sponsored in part by the Alford, Egremont, Sheffield, and Stockbridge Cultural Councils, local agencies that are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Playing this Saturday at 1o a.m.
“Perfect Days”
An emotional stunner from Wim Wenders.
The latest from legendary director Wim Wenders (“Paris, Texas”), “Perfect Days” explores the shadows that lurk on the edges of the simplest of stories. Depicting a few weeks in the life of Hirayama (Koji Yakusho), a Tokyo toilet cleaner, as his carefully constructed life is challenged by the arrival and departure of friends and family, this Academy Award nominee for Best International Feature is a small movie with a big emotional impact.
* * *
“Kung Fu Panda 4”
Po is back with a new adventure.
The latest installment in the beloved DreamWorks Animation series comes to the Triplex this week. Po returns to team up with a new set of allies to take on the mysterious Chameleon in Mike Mitchell’s “Kung Fu Panda 4.” Bring the kids (or the young at heart) for this energetic animated adventure.
“Dune: Part Two”
The spice must flow.
Director Denis Villeneuve continues his epic saga of House Atreides and the Fremen in “Dune: Part Two.” Boasting an all-star cast featuring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and many more, “Dune: Part Two” is already the biggest movie of 2024 and needs to be seen on the big screen.
Coming Soon
“Io Capitano”
From director Matteo Garrone (“Gomorrah”), “Io Capitano” is an immigration parable that mixes together touches of fantasy with a bracing reality. The story of two Senegalese cousins making their way across the Sahara and Mediterranean in the hopes of finding a new life in Italy, “Io Capitano” celebrates the human stories that often get lost in the headlines.
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
Our free family series continues with another modern claymation classic. From Laika, the studio behind “Coraline” and “The Boxtrolls,” “Kubo and the Two Strings” is a magical adventure through feudal Japan that is a beautiful tribute to family and the enduring power of memory. This series is sponsored in part by the Alford, Egremont, Sheffield, and Stockbridge Cultural Councils, local agencies that are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Playing Saturday, March 24, at 10 a.m.
“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire”
Director Jason Reitman continues the story his father Ivan started 40 years ago in the original “Ghostbusters.” Moving the action back to where it all started, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” finds the original Ghostbusters teaming up with a new generation of paranormal adventurers to ward off a chilling attack on New York City.
