Review of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) by Jessica S — 28 Jul 2010

Elia Kazan was such a phenomenal director, it kind of makes me sad that they don't make movies like "A Streetcar Named Desire" anymore. What's interesting about this movie - which is so amazingly-acted, written and directed by the way - is that when it was originally released the censors cut so much of it out! And not little things, but important elements of the movie like the passion between Stella and Stanley and the completely obvious sexual tension between Blanche and Stanley. So I'm glad that in these modern times of DVD and such we can see "A Streetcar Named Desire" in all its glory. My favourite scene in this movie is when Blanche (Vivien Leigh) first meets her sister's husband Stanley (played to perfection by Marlon Brando). The music for this scene was done so well, that you feel like you are in the room with these two, meeting for the first time. The sexual tension practically leaps off the screen at you. Then of course there's the added bonus of Marlon Brando looking absolutely amazing in this movie, back in the days when he was super young and practically perfect-looking. It seems silly to dwell on that side of him though, when he was so clearly one of the best actors of all time.

I loved Karl Malden in this movie too, he's such a character. Malden starred in "On the Waterfront" with Marlon Brando too. I would love to go back in time and see Marlon Brando perform "A Streetcar Named Desire" on the stage before this movie came out, back when it was just a play by Tennessee Williams. Because as much as they are now able to show of this movie and this story, I think the play would have been even more amazing. In the movie for example, it isn't really clear what happens between Stanley and Blanche when they fight and he knocks her out... but it's made far more obvious (and tragic) in the play that *SPOILER ALERT* Stanley does sexually assault her. I think that's an important part of the story, because it shows what a brute he really was, in the end. Anyway I'm rambling now, but all I really need to say is that "A Streetcar Named Desire" is an intense movie, with an amazing score and even more amazing performances from all the actors. On a slightly tragic note: I've always found it really sad that Vivien Leigh plays the mentally unstable Blanche DuBois in this movie, and in real life Vivien Leigh did actually go mad. Makes the film all the more interesting though, I think.