Look Back in Anger

The subject of marriage has been examined countless times. Some occasions show why the subjects fell in love, but it's not the case every time.

In Look Back in Anger, the marriage of Jimmy (Richard Burton) and Alison (Mary Ure) is so estranged you wonder what made them fall in love in the first place. (That theme would also be examined in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, another work of Burton's.) They have moments of passion early on, but it's all downhill afterwards.

Jimmy is so dissatisfied with his life with Alison, he will spew his discontent onto her, regardless of what she thinks. Jimmy is also physically abusive towards Alison, as well as other women. He doesn't hate women however. If he did, he wouldn't have gotten married in the first place.

Look Back in Anger is good, but it pales in comparison to Room at the Top, which was released the same year and focuses on similar themes. I like Burton's work, but it looks weak next to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, again similar themes. It's still good though.

My Rating: ****