....and all that jazZ

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf ?

So I come back here after a really long time, sabbatical of sorts and i find that i already have an unfinished draft. It only has this title and nothing else in it. Nonetheless i am going to comment on this movie.

4 Characters - Old professor and wife and their guests a young professor and wife.

Venue - a shabbily kept home belonging to the older couple.

setting - starts late evening and a drama unfolds and a story is told through conversations of these people over the course of the night. It ends at day break.

Perfect setting for a play I thought.Turned out the movie was originally a play. The screenplay was adapted to suit the big screen, actors hated the screenplay and they reverted back to the original script dialogues et al.

This is one of those movies that was meant to be black and white. With characters as wonderful and colourful as these, you dont need any colour in the background. The dialogues are absolutely a delight. Sharp edged and delivered with perfection this movie can be watched simply for the brilliant performances by the leading cast -- Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor( she won the oscar for this).

The story as it unfolds through the night through the volley of words being hurled back forth and across between the four people first amuses, then shocks and lastly settles into understanding and sympathising if not empathising with the protagonists. Nothing I say about the story will help at this point. To put it crudely its about a reationship that is doomed, failed, a success and meant to be that way, all at once..

Do watch it if you get a chance. It certainly far exceeded my own expectations of it when i first rented it out.

My fav part from the movie. When you believe that everyone pretty much hates everyone else,

Martha: I disgust me. You know, there's only been one man in my whole life who's ever made me happy. Do you know that?
[pause]
Martha: George, my husband... George, who is out somewhere there in the dark, who is good to me - whom I revile, who can keep learning the games we play as quickly as I can change them. Who can make me happy and I do not wish to be happy. Yes, I do not wish to be happy. George and Martha - Sad, sad, sad. Whom I will not forgive for having come to rest; for having seen me and having said "yes, this will do."


-- courtesey IMDB


Okay enough said. Just go on and watch it.

1 Comments:

  • Enjoyed the movie the first time I saw it. I was impressed with how a stage play essentially was crafted to a movie without losing its impact.

    By Blogger Parth, at 7:21 PM  

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