The mix appears perfect, Albee's play charting the fall of Western values and the myth of the American Dream epitomised through a foul mouthed couple and imaginary son, with its principle characters to be played by Burton and Taylor, a couple whose own marriage was fast deteriorating. Indeed it does result in extraordinary performances from both Taylor, who switches perfectly from dominating, tormenting and fierce, to frightened and fragile, and Burton who seems to bring his own frustrated ambitions into the role resulting in a superb performance.
However all the other things I loved about the play were lacking from the film. The play is set in the one room of the house which makes it very claustrophobic, as an audience you simply cannot escape the tension that builds to increasing climaxes every act. The script is a monster which also means this tension is stretched until it is almost unbearable, but also enthralling. By moving away from just the one room the film becomes less intense, and rather than adding variety, the extra scenes in the car and at the bar seem pointless and tacked on, rather than giving the audience a break the film merely loses the audiences focus which remains intense in the play.
Naturally the film had to cut the script in order to make it palatal, however by doing so it lost a key element of the play. I remember seeing the play just after 9/11 and seeing the effect the words along the lines of "and dogged by crippling alliances the West inevitably must fall". This whole idea of the West hindered by tradition (History, George) falling behind the waves of the future in the East (Nick) fascinated me. However this wasn't brought out by the film, and many of the key exchanges between Nick and George such as the discussions about genetics were omitted.
Nevertheless it is still fantastic to watch these two great actors battling it out in two larger than life roles, in a play that brings out the tensions of their real life marriage.
However all the other things I loved about the play were lacking from the film. The play is set in the one room of the house which makes it very claustrophobic, as an audience you simply cannot escape the tension that builds to increasing climaxes every act. The script is a monster which also means this tension is stretched until it is almost unbearable, but also enthralling. By moving away from just the one room the film becomes less intense, and rather than adding variety, the extra scenes in the car and at the bar seem pointless and tacked on, rather than giving the audience a break the film merely loses the audiences focus which remains intense in the play.
Naturally the film had to cut the script in order to make it palatal, however by doing so it lost a key element of the play. I remember seeing the play just after 9/11 and seeing the effect the words along the lines of "and dogged by crippling alliances the West inevitably must fall". This whole idea of the West hindered by tradition (History, George) falling behind the waves of the future in the East (Nick) fascinated me. However this wasn't brought out by the film, and many of the key exchanges between Nick and George such as the discussions about genetics were omitted.
Nevertheless it is still fantastic to watch these two great actors battling it out in two larger than life roles, in a play that brings out the tensions of their real life marriage.