A Streetcar Named Desire [M]

Blanche Dubois comes to New Orleans to live with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley. Whilst Stella is ecstatic to have Blanche living with them, something about the woman doesn’t sit well with Stanley and he’s soon driven to furiousness, as he believes she’s holding out on some mythical inheritance. Already disturbed by the loss of the family estate, the death of a lover, and a horrible reputation back home, it’s only a matter of time before Blanche crumbles under Stanley’s resentful bullying. 

This is a stunning film. An absolutely STUNNING FILM! Admittedly it’s concerned more with the theatrical rather then the cinematic, but who’s to argue when you have such brilliance in direction and performances? A great theatre production seen through the lens of a camera, A Streetcar Named Desire is a gripping, tragic, and breathtaking drama where everyone is wonderful, everyone is terrible, and everyone is a victim of desire. 

Blanche Dubois comes to New Orleans to live with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley. Whilst Stella is ecstatic to have Blanche living with them, something about the woman doesn’t sit well with Stanley and he’s soon driven to furiousness, as he believes she’s holding out on some mythical inheritance. Already disturbed by the loss of the family estate, the death of a lover, and a horrible reputation back home, it’s only a matter of time before Blanche crumbles under Stanley’s resentful bullying. 

The play translates very well on the screen. The collaboration between Tennesssee Williams (from his play) and Oscar Saul is quite the thrilling match with all the emotional turmoil, standings, and journeys being adapted very well into the medium. There is a lot going on here in terms of story and not even when ‘the end’ has flashed onto the screen are you certain of who is the hero and who is the villain. The hindrance to the classical Hollywood script structure provides the film with its iron ability to captivate and grip the audience and seriously, for the entire two hours there was nowhere else that I can think of where I’d rather have been. 

Vivien Leigh stars as Blanche delivering a most mesmerising performance! A theatrical diva that treads the boards of cinema excruciating well, her portrayal of Blanche is heroic, poetic, and tragic and put me in mind of names such as Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson, and Marlene Dietrich. Part tiger, part shrinking violet, Vivien is stunning in this film: refined, poetic, gracious, and eloquent, with a shadow of melancholia about her. She’s wondrous! 

Despite Vivien being the heroine of the piece, she runs a hard road battling against Marlon Brando. As rough and resentful brother-in-law Stanley, Marlon delivers a performance thick with animal magnetism, primal aggression, and a wavering sense of gentility and sensitivity. Whilst he’s quite nasty to Blanche, he’s so tender towards Stella and his booming and desperate cries of “Stell-aahhhh” are sure to continue to ring through the mind like gongs after the film concludes. Marlon’s performance is conflicted, earthy, rough, and irresistible: the most attractive and yet dangerous type of man. I LOVE MARLON BRANDO! 

Starring Kim Hunter, Karl Malden, Rudy Bond, Nick Dennis, Peg Hillias, Wright King, Richard Garrick, Ann Dere, Edna Thomas, and Mickey Kuhn, A Streetcar Named Desire is a stunning film filled with drama, romance, tension, and Oscar-winning performances. It’s definitely a film that everyone has to see at least once in their lives!