Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)

The New York Times obituary for Elizabeth Taylor begins with a short sentence that encapsulates the end of an era: "the last movie star died Wednesday." It's a breathtaking statement and one that rings true. There are many left who we should continue to celebrate, not forget, but no one as prolific or iconic as Taylor. To watch her performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is to recognize that those beautiful violet eyes could turn to daggers or to velvet with ease, and hers was far more than a pretty face. I must take issue with the rest of the above cited obituary, which seeks to bolster Taylor at the expense of all other old Hollywood actresses who are far too easily written off and unnecessarily cut down. I say this not to take the spotlight off Taylor, but because I think what was so wonderful about her was a projected lack of cattiness or pettiness. Her strength was in herself. She was a figure larger than life, without comparison.