While, I understand that this movie will always have its detractors who will never be able to understand and fully embrace this film as incredibly “artistic”, or “creative”, or “good” by a large segment of the population of any generation, in any country, at any time in history.
However, there will always be a large portion of the population that will be enthralled and hypnotized during their cinematic journey into the “The Theater of the Absurd” performed by great actors that's amped up with stunning black & white photography by a director who knows how to convert material that's originally created for the stage into a uniquely intense cinematic experience. I'm one of those enthralled hypnotized people.
So, with nothing but peace and love in my heart for all of humanity, I'll attempt to explain to all the "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" dislikers and misunderstanders (are those even words?) what's up with all the "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" lovers, and how we can even stand to watch this movie. In what's probably a vain attempt to create at least a better understanding between one another, but here it goes anyway.
OK, first of all, I think it's important to remind everyone that there actually was an early 19th century female intellectual literary giant named Virginia Woolf, and like Ayn Rand, devoted her life to living without false illusions until she committed suicide in 1941. In her last note to her husband she wrote:
Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can't go through another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can't concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I don't think two people could have been happier 'til this terrible disease came. I can't fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can't even write this properly. I can't read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that—everybody knows it. If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can't go on spoiling your life any longer. I don't think two people could have been happier than we have been.
While Virginia Woolf's suicide note may have provide us with some insight into at least an aspect of Virginia Woolf's personal struggles, and how it affected her marriage. However, as difficult as their marriage may have been at times, of course it doesn’t necessarily mean that it was anything close to George and Martha's, match made in hell, as depicted in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?".
So, for a little more insight into the characters George and Martha, we now turn our attention toward the original author of the play, Edward Albee, who was expelled by a lot of Academies and Universities before continuing his formal education at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he was also expelled in 1947. In response to his expulsion, Albee's play 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' is believed to be based on his college experiences.
And, the title of his semi-autobiographical play, according to an interview in the Paris Review, Albee said he first found the question "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" scrawled in soap on the bathroom wall of a New York bar. When he later began writing the play he recalled the rather typical, university intellectual joke that he had seen written on the bathroom wall in NY ten years earlier. But, what does the title mean, and why should I care? Glad you asked.
Although, we may never know what the person who likes using soap to graffiti NY bathrooms with non-sequiturs involving literary legends who commit suicide meant, however, Edward Albee's story is quite clear that, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?" is about people struggling with living a life of manufactured illusion vs choosing to confront, and, properly process the sometimes harsh realities of life, and properly dealing with the regret from the decisions one makes during the coarse of a persons life.
While a majority of plays, movies and TV shows often encourage living a life of self-illusion, which requires a lot of suppressed memories and blissful ignorance in order to achieve a sense of happiness for a short while. Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?", on the other hand, demonstrates the human tragedy of choosing such a life of manufactured illusion over a life in pursuit of acquiring self-knowledge and properly processing personal trauma.
The theater of the absurd manner in which Edward Albee illustrates the tragic consequences of making such a disastrous choice should force every audience member to ask him or herself the question, “Who is afraid of facing reality?”, and, “Do you live in a world of false illusions of your own making?” by its conclusion. Well, do you? Be honest now.
Unfortunately, for a lot of people, they have to come to the plays resolution by following the drunken tumultuous lives of George and Martha who are lost in their everyday illusions. And, because misery loves company, George and Martha have a need to share their drunken tumultuous illusionary lives on young unsuspecting dinner guests. So if George and Martha ever invite you over for dinner? Don’t expect any food, but the alcohol will be plentiful, and the conversation will be really interesting, in a very surreal kind of way.
After George and Martha's finish messing with the heads and lives of their dinner guests they’re left to themselves, a quiet, calm moment befalls the main characters. In Albee’s stage directions, he instructs that the final scene is played “very softly, very slowly.” Martha reflectively asks if George had to extinguish the dream of their son. George believes it was time, and that now the marriage will be better without games and illusions.
The final conversation is a bit hopeful. Yet, when George asks if Martha is all right, she replies, “Yes. No.” This implies that there is a mixture of agony and resolution. Perhaps she does not believe that they can be happy together, but she accepts the fact that they can continue their lives together, for whatever it is worth.
In the final line, George actually becomes affectionate. He softly sings, “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf,” while she leans against him. She confesses her fear of Virginia Woolf, her fear of living a life facing reality. It is perhaps the first time she reveals her weakness, and perhaps George is finally unveiling his strength with his willingness to dismantle their illusions.
Reality vs Illusions? Not being afraid of facing the Truth, or living a life of manufactured lies and fantasies? What's it going to be?
Now, can we all just get along?
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Albeehttp://plays.about.com/od/plays/a/virginiawoolf_2.htmhttp://bobtaylorrocks.blogspot.com/2011/01/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf.html
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RyanCShowers
12 years ago
^this
When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron.
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