Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf Analysis

Even though Edward Albee’s play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? takes place in one living-room setting, the highly acclaimed film adaptation, directed by Mike Nichols, has accommodated for different settings including the lawn, porch, various parts of the house, and even a roadhouse. Though it is common for such stage direction to “open up” the screenplay, the inclusion of different settings by screenwriter Ernest Lehman seems to preserve the feeling of seclusion as the play does, while still allowing for changes in setting. By utilizing close-ups, stylized shadows, and unique shot angles, the cinematography provides the audience with an incredible rendition of Albee’s play.
While shifts in setting and the use of Lehman’s cinematography is apparent throughout the film, one scene that occurs towards the end of the film is strong representation of the effects of location changes. The scene begins on the porch the Third Act, when Martha is speaking to Nick, a while after they sleep together. The scene represents a steady rising action, which precedes the climax of the film—when Martha’s will to fight is broken. The shots in the scene are all-inclusive, meaning that each shot consists of all the pertinent set items and acting. Throughout the scene, the camera is focused primarily on the characters’ faces, using a strong contrast from
While the film did not veer much from the written play, it accommodated for many stylistic and cinematographic additions, which cannot be conveyed in a play. The shifts in setting, though providing diverse areas for action, preserve the trapped feeling that the characters, especially Martha, have, as interpreted from the play. Additions of setting in this film only manifest further Albee’s intention to illustrate individuals imprisoned in their own daily lives, unable to