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It was announced this morning that Elizabeth Taylor has passed away from heart failure. She was 79.

Above is a clip from what I think is hands down Liz Taylor’s best performance, and one of my favorites from any actor period – “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.”

Like all great art, some of this fiction is extrapolated from real dysfunction; both in the sense that the playwright tapped into a very real and visceral interaction between two people who were poison for – but still dependent on – each other, as well as the very real dysfunctional relationship between co-stars Taylor and Burton, which stretched over decades.

Though her life and talent was often obscured by the celluloid lens of mainstream Hollywood and tabloid controversies, Taylor was an artist in a very real way. Unfortunately there were too few Marthas and too many Cleopatras in her day, and as such she rarely got as many opportunities as her male counterparts to display her true range and gifts. But when she did, oh boy.

To her credit, she took roles like the one in “Cleopatra” and somehow still spun gold out of it; despite the fact that the bloated excess of the film was apparent to audiences even in an age of excess, history looks at it as iconic, despite the fact that it bombed upon its initial release. That people view the film through rose-tinted glasses is a credit to the grace, charisma, and talent of one of Hollywood’s – and America’s – finest exports.

RIP, Liz.

 

4 Responses to From Martha to Cleopatra: the legacy of Liz Taylor

  1. JGold says:

    Great clip, nice tribute.

    But oops – it would be Hollywood’s celluloid, not cellulite, lens. Besides, everyone knows there are no dimpled thighs in Hollywood.

  2. EZ says:

    Hopefully Gilbert Gottfried hasn’t made any jokes on Twitter yet.

  3. BRL says:

    I read today that she also believed that this was the best role of her career. Liz would be happy with your choice!!

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