Ivan Lalic
Marlon Brando was THE actor of the golden age of Hollywood, but often misleading the public with his looks and not his acting. Story about a possessive love and hate relationship between him and Vivien Leigh was precisely one of those scripts that grew more ripe over the decades, still being able to shock and move the viewer even long after its protagonists were gone.
Tennessee Williams was one of the most sucessfull writers to be adapted into movie scripts in that era and Elia Kazan was one of the best directors to do such a task, which resulted into 12 nominations for "oscars", including all the major categories. Acting earned 4 of those noms giving the "golden boys" to Malden, Hunter and Leigh, leading to some impeccable one-on-one scenes of pure intensity, unparalleled deep into the 21st century.
If you want to watch one of the Top 10 American movie dramas of all times, you should definitely watch "A streetcar named desire".
lillismonica
I got this DVD from the library and settled down on a Sunday afternoon to watch. Possibly, it was one of the worst films I have ever seen. There is no plot, no action, it consists of the female character, blanche getting more pathetic, in her quest to lure a local bachelor/ and/or her brother in law, as she stays at her sister and brother in law's home for months. and it's unclear if she is mentally ill or just an over the top drama queen/exhibitionist. The so called 'smouldering sexuality' and 'chemistry' between brando and the character just looked like pure hate and aggression. Maybe the novel is better. Don't waste your time.
blanche-2
"A Streetcar Named Desire" from 1951 is a brilliant adaptation of the Broadway play that catapulted Marlon Brando to superstardom. The performances in this film are formidable.There is talk on this board of Leigh's classic style of acting versus the "method" acting of the rest of the cast, but somehow it all works beautifully. Leigh's Blanche has all the frailty and disillusionment necessary to the character, as well as the sweetness and flirtatiousness. It is a delicate, soft, heartbreaking performance. We can see her disintegrate before our eyes, first after Mitche's total destruction of her emotionally, and then Stanley's destruction of her physically.Marlon Brando, with his bulging muscles and macho style, is the epitome of the new, non-class-conscious South, the swaggering man with the bad temper and the strong sexual hold he has on his wife. His performance needs to be appreciated as it was in the time period with all the handsome, heroic, classic leading men, well spoken, and wearing tuxes. Enter this walking, talking, overt sex machine, a real macho man with his mumbling voice, tousled hair, t-shirt, and major attitude. It was a shock. It was even a shock to Tennessee Williams, since the main character is supposed to be Blanche. It wasn't on Broadway.Here, Elia Kazan's skillful direction and the magnificent acting brings the play into balance and shows the new south obliterate the old south of jasmine perfume, pretty frocks, and class distinctions.Someone said Leigh's Blanche was an extension of Scarlett O'Hara had we seen her age. But Scarlett was one who changed with the times. In what was left of her mind, Blanche was stuck in the old days of manners, flirtation, and gentleman callers.An incredible play, a beautiful film, even with the slightly softened ending. Because we know Stella will return to Stanley, no matter what he did to her sister. The game, after all, is "seven-card stud," the last words in the play. In that game four out of seven cards are exposed to other players. Like the game, certain aspects of human nature, such as cruelty, remain hidden. Poker is based on the ability to bluff. Stella is also trapped in a world of fantasy, perhaps even more so than her sister.
851222
Greetings from Lithuania.To say that i didn't enjoy first hour of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) would be nothing - i was so bored by the first hour of this movie. The second was better, and the ending saved this movie for me a bit. Brando is superb in here, playing this simple man, which can be nice man and explode in a second. Vivien Leigh gives a performance, for which if she would have played it just like that in 2015 she would have received Razzie award - i didn't get the whole hype around it. By the end i kinda started to understand what her character might have suffered in the past, but i just didn't care. Other were OK / good. Brando is the one who gave a best performance in this movie, a classical one.Overall, "A Streetcar Named Desire" is a disappointment for my. I didn't like the story as whole, just watch "Jasmine" instead if you wan't so see intriguingly and amazingly told this kind of story. the first hour of the movie was simple a characters build up, but sooo boring (word which i barely use when describing a movies).
AD
