Absolutely relentless with its content, overflowing with charged emotions & sustaining its intensity from start to finish, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a tour-de-force of sublime direction, ingenious writing & explosive performances that takes hold of your attention with its armour-piercing dialogues & never lets go until the very end.

The story concerns George & Martha; a middle-aged married couple, whose relationship over the years has turned very bitter & volatile. The plot covers one late evening in their lives when Martha invites a young couple for drinks but this new couple only find themselves caught in the verbal battle between Martha & George which escalates under the influence of alcohol as the night progresses.

Directed by Mike Nichols, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is…

The adaptation of Edward Albee's theatre drama is a brutal, honest and unforgiving look at the breakdown of a marriage where the proverbial kid gloves are most definitely off. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton bring what many suggest was their real-life marriage onto the screen, tearing absolute lumps out of each other with resentful delight.

In one sense, this could be the next instalment of Richard Linklater's romantic trilogy, at a time when both parties are weary of each other, drained by the mere sight of their partner when they open their eyes in the morning. From beginning to end we are bombarded with a litany of barbed insults in awe of this tennis match of hate slugging it out…

There is a scene late in this one where Taylor and Burton square off for a moment. Earlier, Taylor had mocked Burton by relating a tale in which he avoided a boxing match of sorts. In the scene where they square off, they have just gotten out of a car and are howling at each other. They declare "total war" on each other. And for a moment, everything is framed just so that it looks like they are about to begin a boxing match. This moment perfectly encapsulates the entire film. It is sheer combat.

There are lies within lies here. There are verbal barbs coated with affection and sweet kisses coated in poison. It is an impossible maze of…

Being one of the most acclaimed films of the 1960s, and having enjoyed Mike Nichol's second feature, The Graduate, I was looking forward to seeing his debut feature, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Filled with explosive performances, biting dialogue and classy direction, it's a wholly engrossing watch and it's clear to see why it has had such a legacy.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton play a tempestuous married couple, written exceptionally well by Ernest Lehman. Their back and forth is terrific, and you're never quite sure who is ever going to come out on top. It's a complete subversion of the post-war couple, very bold in its undertaking and enthralling to witness.

Nichols' execution of the adaptation from the stage…

167/250 Letterboxd Top 250

I kind of find it interesting that so many seem to find Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? uncomfortable and depressing, because to me it has a hugely exciting appeal to it. The movie could have easily been uncomfortable if the guests were meek, didn't have a spine and just sat there in discomfort, but the moment Nick shed his courteous candor and responded to George's relentless provocation, I knew I was in for a great time.

The movie revolves around the two of them launching an onslaught of emotional pain at each other. By the end you find out the tragic nature of their relationship, which re-contextualizes their whole relationship. Unlike others however, I don't find…