A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) User Reviews

"Where I'm Not Wanted and Ashamed to Be"

[frankwiener · 9/10 · 15 August 2016]

"Streetcar Named Desire" is an exceptional film, thanks to three essential components: (1) the superb acting ability of its two leads, Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, as well as that of the supporting cast, small in number but huge in its combined dramatic power, (2) an excellent screenplay by the original playwright, Tennessee Williams, that is packed from beginning to end with explosive, conflict driven dialogue, and (3) the brilliant direction of Elia Kazan who so skillfully brings the play to the screen.

In its legendary opening, Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) emerges from a cloud of locomotive smoke and is helped onto a streetcar by a perfect stranger, a sailor. This simple act neatly ties the film's beginning to Blanche's final, heartbreaking line, "I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers". She, as the central character, is lost in the big city, and she becomes more and more hopelessly adrift in the world as the film approaches its very tragic end.

Broke and friendless, Blanche lands in New Orleans where her sister, Stella (Kim Hunter) lives with her coarse, crude husband, Stanley Kowalski (Brando). Having lost her ancestral home on account of family-related debt and having been dismissed under vague circumstances from her position as a high school English teacher in the small Mississippi town from where she came, she has no other place to go at a time of dire need.

Although Stella is genuinely concerned about Blanche's declining physical and mental state, the shabby apartment where she lives with Stanley consists of two small rooms, barely enough space for the Kowalskis even without Stanley's regular poker group, which seems to park itself there at every available opportunity. What makes matters worse is Stanley's loud and boisterous personality. From the start, Stanley resents the presence of Blanche, which he views as an unwanted, disruptive invasion of his marriage and his home. He regards her with total distrust and disdain. Another reviewer here interpreted this as a cultural clash between the old and the new South, and I think that is a very astute observation. In any case, Stanley is totally unsympathetic to Blanche's plight and looks upon her with nothing but suspicion and contempt.

Blanche is trapped in the claustrophobic and confining prison of the dingy Kowalski apartment. For one, fleeting moment, she believes that Mitch (Karl Malden), Stanley's poker buddy and co-worker, stands as her one bright hope of liberation from the walls that continue to close around her, but he turns out to be anything but her desperately needed "knight in shining armor". Tragically, Mitch, a weak individual who is still dominated by a strong mother well into his adulthood, is the last person with the ability to give Blanche the love and strength that she so urgently needs and to whisk her away from the stifling, debilitating atmosphere of the Kowalski dungeon. Blanche's one, last hope for personal redemption soon fades away forever.

I read that, under different circumstances, the lead roles could have been awarded to Olivia de Haviland and John Garfield. As much as I like them both, this would have been a much different movie with them as the leads. Ms. Leigh, a stunning Englishwoman who managed to score two Oscars for playing two iconic, southern American characters, portrays a mentally declining Blanche with great depth and compassion. As to Mr. Brando's brutish and obnoxious Stanley, you've got to see him in action to appreciate his magnificent performance. As in the case of his Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront", I don't believe that Stanley's most famous lines from this film would be among the most imitated to this day if they weren't delivered so dynamically by Brando in the first place. "Hey, Stel-la!" Sorry. I just couldn't help myself.

While Brando was beaten out of the Oscar by Humphrey Bogart in "African Queen" (not my favorite Bogey movie by a long shot), Leigh, Malden, and Hunter swept the awards for their performances here and deservedly so. The memorable role of feisty neighbor Eunice also launched Pat Hillias's successful career throughout the golden age of television during the 1950's until her tragic and untimely death in 1960.

If you want to watch an unforgettable rendering of a strong, intense script that is worthy of such a talented cast and director, don't miss this one.

Head-on Collision...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 4 November 2020]

... of two powerhouse juggernauts. Absolutely dripping with tension, acrimony and bitterness as Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski lock horns in their own uniquely individual way with the backdrop a dark, drenched and run down part of New Orleans. Coupled with a pair of superb supporting performances that amplify and escalate the whole to a unique plateau, you'll feel as though you've been run down by an out of control steam train, flattened by a steamroller to be reformed in a furnace fuelled by fear, frustration and desire.

Enjoy what it is, wonder what it could have been

[hall895 · 7/10 · 12 February 2011]

A Streetcar Named Desire is a good film which surely would have been even better had it not had to tiptoe around its plot to meet the ridiculous censorship standards of the time. Powerful as it is you definitely get the sense that a great deal was lost to appease the censorship zealots. Never is that more evident than in the film's crucial climactic scene in which not only can we not see what happens we can barely even have it hinted at. No doubt this dulls the film's impact. And that's a shame because there is so much to appreciate about the film. It has a great, captivating story and some terrific acting performances. And director Elia Kazan brings it all together so well, all while doing his delicate dance with the censors. Getting this movie, with all its "controversial" material, made at all in 1951 is a little miracle. Getting it made so well is a really masterful achievement.

The first thing that people remember about the film is probably Marlon Brando's portrayal of Stanley Kowalski. And well they should, it's a career-making performance. And a performance unlike most anything else Hollywood had seen up to that time. Brando holds nothing back in bringing the rough, tough brute Stanley to life. It's such a powerful performance, charged with emotion. It's impossible to take your eyes off him, you never know where the next explosion is coming from. Of course we now know what a great star Brando was. At the time though he was essentially an unknown. In 1951 the "star" of this film was Vivien Leigh. And with her portrayal of faded, troubled Southern belle Blanche DuBois she matches Brando stride for stride. Blanche is no doubt a complicated character, certainly a challenging part to play. And Leigh captures the character, all her pretensions and delusions, perfectly. With Brando and Leigh in top form everyone else is somewhat overshadowed but both Karl Malden and Kim Hunter still managed to pick up Oscars for their supporting work. Malden plays Blanche's suitor Mitch, a bit of a sap but definitely a good guy and a welcome contrast to the boorish Stanley. And Hunter is very good in playing the woman torn between her affection for her sister and her love for the brute whom she just can't quit. Hey Stella!

As presented A Streetcar Named Desire is captivating, powerful drama. But in many places not as powerful as it could have been. Not the fault of director Kazan or his wonderful cast though. They did the very best they could while confined to the little box the era's moral police placed them in. Brando's performance in the film has become the stuff of legend. Leigh is absolutely terrific and Malden and Hunter contribute nicely. After all the fine work the actors turned in, after all the twists and turns of the compelling story, it is a shame that the ending had to be so watered-down. It's a film which deserved a better ending than its era allowed it. You may lament what was lost but you can still appreciate what Kazan and his terrific cast managed to give you. Despite all the challenges they produced a very good film.

Superb writing that is matched by superb acting and incredibly atmospheric and charged direction

[bob the moo · 21 December 2004]

Blanche Dubois arrives in the French Quarter of New Orleans suffering from a mental tiredness brought on by a series of financial problems that have ended in the family losing their plantation. She has come to stay with her sister, Stella and her husband Stanley Kowalski in their serviceable little apartment. The aggressive and animalistic Stanley immediately marks himself as the opposite of the feminine and refined Blanche and Stella finds herself pulled between the two of them. Stanley suspects all is not as it seems and begins to pry into Blanche's colourful past, even as Blanche spots a way out in the arms of the Mitch, a man captivated by her. However it doesn't take long before the cracks begin to show in the relationships and in Blanche herself.

It almost goes without saying that the writing here is of top-notch quality. The story is a relatively simple character piece that can be summed up in a couple of sentences, however this would do a great injustice to the depth of development and the convincing manner in which the characters are all written and the story told. It is not so much the depth that some of the characters go to, but the complexity that is effortlessly written into them – we can see it writ large on them, but not to the point where it seems obvious or uninteresting. Blanche is of course the focus and she is a mess of neurosis barely hidden behind a front of respectability that clearly doesn't convince her anymore than it does Stanley. Mitch is also really well written – at first it is comic that he tries to be such a gentleman while having the brute just under the surface, but later his frustration is heavy on his face along with his anger. The overall story is surprisingly, well, "seedy" is the best word that comes to mind. It is in the gutter and no matter what Blanche wants to believe, that is where it stays and the film is right there the whole time.

How Kazan managed it in the early fifties is beyond me, because even now the film is pretty graphic in its violence to women, subject matter and rippling sexuality across pictures and characters. It is a compelling story due to the characters and the manner in which they are delivered – Kazan's atmospheric direction really helps; the films feels humid and close, and he has done it all with a basic set and a camera. The lighting throughout is wonderful both in the general atmosphere but also specific touches such as the way Blanche manages to visibly age due to lighting changes when the film has slight chances of tone.

Of course the main reason I keep coming back to this wonderful film is the actors, who take the opportunity and, in many cases, make it so that it is hard to see anyone else playing their roles. Leigh is perfect for the role and gets everything absolutely spot on; she is vulnerable yet self-seeking, confident yet needy, proper yet unstable. Even visually Leigh is convincing in terms of body language but also the fact that she looks the right mix of ages, looking beautiful one moment but worn and defeated the next – totally, totally deserved her Oscar. Brando made his name here and even now his performance is electrifying and memorable. He has his big scenes where he gets to play to the back row but he also has moments where he does nothing other than be a presence on screen; no matter what is going on we are watching him because we are as in awe and yet as afraid of his power as Blanche is herself. Together Leigh and Brando dominate the screen and whenever either of them are on screen it is hard to look away. As a result, Kim Hunter sort of gets lost in the background although her performance is still good. Karl Madden is great but again only holds a supporting role and deserved his Oscar for a convincing performance of a well-written character. Of course it is easier to give good performances with great material than with bad material but there have been enough versions of this play around for us to see how lesser actors can fail where this cast soared.

Overall this is a great film that sees so many critical aspects all coming together as one final product. A superb play has undergone a great adaptation that has been seized upon a great cast who deliver a collection of performances that deserve all the praise heaped on them, all directed with a real sense of atmosphere that really delivers a seedy and erotic film both for its time and today. I cannot think of an excuse for people not having seen this film.

One of the Greatest

[dusted1 · 10/10 · 24 October 2000]

I had put off watching this video for sometime. I was afraid that I might be disappointed in this classic. Instead I was drawn into this marvelous film with its great Tennesse Williams' script.

Williams doesn't let any of his characters off. Brando's Stanley is a boorish, bullying, loudmouth. But he also possesses an extraordinary physical sexuality and also seems to be more than a little bit of a victim himself. Life has not been smooth for Stanley. No silver spoon here. Both his wife and sister-in-law put him down as a crude "Polack" and other variations on that theme. Not that there isn't some obvious truth to their put downs. However, truly nice people (as opposed to "nice" people) do not engage in such speech. There's also the table scene where Stanley is eating chicken and receives a harsh verbal reprimand from Stella. Whereupon he sees the tactics of class shame being used and he proceeds to blow up in a very physical and blue collar fashion. Stanley sexually assaults Blanche at he end of the film. Blanche was already hearing voices by this time in the film, and this act of aggression pushes her over the edge. Brando's performance was really superb.

Hunter's Stella is by far the most likeable character of the major 3 players. She's honest, kind, sexy, and very much in love with Stanley--despite his obvious faults. The depiction of the physical love and lust between Stanley and Stella is classic. She also loves her sister and wants what's best for her. She and Blanche collude to some extent against Stanley which provides much of the film's strongest tensions. Stella is financially and sexually/emotionally dependent on Stanley, but she's also a strong character in her own right. We don't really know for sure if she'll go back to Stanley at the end of the film after the baby and the sexual aggression against Blanche. We do know that Stanley for all his macho swagger is extremely emotionally dependent on her.

Vivien Leigh's character was a revelation. I thought the most brilliant moments in the film were towards the end when her character was speaking. I didn't really think Leigh's accent was all that great, but hey, when you can act like that who cares? Blanche is a victim, but Blanche is anything but innocent. She was having sex with one of her high school English lit students back in Mississippi. Naturally, the small town locals did not take a shine to such behavior. Also, she was more than just a bit on the promiscuous side for a high school teacher in mid-century small town America. It's not surprising that she got chased out of her small town teaching job. There's also the touching scene where she asks for and gets a kiss from the boy who is collecting for the newspaper. It's all tied in to her love for the boy who killed himself over her when she was 16. She said some very cruel words to him about being weak which led to the boy's suicide. She's not an innocent--by any means. The sexual attraction between Stanley and her is noticeable in a number of scenes. And yet for all her pretentiousness, lies, and putting on airs, the audience is drawn to her. Her fading beauty, vulnerability, and weakness can hardly help but elicit a sympathetic response. Blanche is the human condition writ large. In some respects there is some of Blanche in all of us: hidden ugliness from the past, both emotional and sexual neediness, and just plain old human weakness. I think Leigh's performance was really brilliant. And thank God for Tennnessee Williams and his ability to portray people more as we are than as we would like to be.

I do agree with at least one of the previous viewers that the term "nymphomaniac" seems somewhat out-of-date in describing Blanche. Blanche uses sex in a promiscuous fashion to escape from her loneliness. I think this is the same pathology that both men and women engage in when having "casual--such a strange contradiction in terms--sex". I certainly don't think that Williams saw her as either a "nympho" or a "slut". Rather, just a lonely, tortured individual.

Hey Stella.....STELLA!

[JFHunt · 10/10 · 17 September 2007]

I often asked myself this question with mixed responses. Did Brando make Streetcar great? Or was he just great in it?

Vivien Leigh is simply haunting and never not shocking. There is more going on there than just a performance. She appears out of herself and hovering ever so softly above. As for the rumored mental illnesses, I can only speculate. I do know for sure that her visualization of Blanche DuBois is the single best performance by an actress I've seen. Well that might not mean much, but I've seen a lot of movies.

Brando made On the Waterfront a classic, but Leigh made Streetcar unforgettable. I always felt like it was a continuation from her most timeless role as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Like what would have happened to Scarlett, if she was allowed to grow old. Maybe I'm just crazy. But I think the billing says it all; Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden. I don't think you could dream up a finer cast. Brando might have been the sexiest thing alive, but it's obvious that Leigh made this film great with some memorable help from some movie icons.

Brando may have sent an Indian to receive his second Oscar, but Leigh used her second as a doorstop to her bathroom.

One of the greatest movies ever made.

[callandobs · 10/10 · 9 March 2018]

With a screenplay by Tennessee Williams, direction from Elia Kazan and quite possibly the greatest performance ever in Vivien Leigh's Blanche DuBois- you can't go wrong.

This movie is dark, gritty and, at times, disturbing in its portrayals of domestic abuse and mental illness. It's astonishing how much of a punch this movie still has after all these years. This just goes to show what a true genius Tennessee Williams really was. The characters he wrote, with all their own complexities and contradictions, and the script with its haunting poetry and now iconic lines are all classic.

But what good is a great script without great actors? Well, luckily, the cast couldn't have been better. Here we have a young Marlon Brando as the brutish Stanley Kowalski, who is truly ferocious in the role. We then have Kim Hunter who gives a great performance as the weak-willed Stella. Stella is the most likeable character in the movie for all she wants is for everyone to get along. Karl Malden is equally great as Mitch, who is seemingly weak and simple and serves as a contrast to Stanley's brutality. Then we have Vivien Leigh as Blanche DuBois. As I said above, I believe Leigh's performance here to be the greatest ever to be committed to film and here's why- Blanche DuBois is probably one of the most complicated characters ever written. She's a compulsive liar, who lives in a world of her own, choosing to create her own reality rather than acknowledge her bleak surroundings. She's a snob, a hypocrite and a user but at the same time she's an underdog who's had a tough life and just wants to be loved. Tennessee Williams himself said of Vivien's performance that 'she brought everything I intended to the role and even much more than I had dared dream of' which pretty much sums up her performance here. She truly gives herself to the darkness of Blanche DuBois, she's unpredictable, tormented and haunting while still somehow sympathetic. Through Leigh's mastery of her character we see that Blanche is really just a daffodil in a windstorm rather than a bad person. Every time I watch this film I notice a new nuance in her performance, whether it's a look in her eye that I hadn't noticed before or a change in her voice as Blanche lets her mask slip- never has there been such a true embodiment of a character.

So all this considered, with Kazan's brilliant direction, great cinematography and the unique "jazzy" score, is why I consider 'A Streetcar Named Desire' one of the greatest films ever made. It's not a film for everyone- it's heavy from the start, it's quite talky and most of the film takes place within the Kowalski's apartment but if you want a movie with brilliant acting and a dark, poetic script then there's no better film than this.

Vivien Leigh Gives One of Cinema's Greatest Performances

[Mayesgwtw39 · 10/10 · 21 May 2003]

Tennessee Williams himself wrote of Vivien Leigh"s performance in "Streetcar Named Desire": "She brought everything I intended to the role and even much more than I had dared dream of".

Brando is wonderful as Stanley Kowalski, but the new viewers to the film seem to come away with the haunting greatness of Vivien Leigh in what is one of the most harrowing and shattering pieces of acting ever committed to film.

Although some have expressed regret that Jessica Tandy did not repeat her stage performance, it is probably good to note that her husband Hume Cronyn and Elia Kazan (the director of the film and play) both never felt that Tandy quite got the character right. If you listen to the radio performance of extracted scenes that Tandy gave on the occasion of the Pulitzer Prize award, it will reenforce the perfection of Leigh's inflections and innate understanding of the role. This inner and complete understanding is what Brando praises Leigh for in his autobiography. He agrees that she plays this Hamlet of female roles better than anyone because he felt she was quite like the character...sadly.

If anyone is interested in great acting check out "Streetcar" for Vivien Leigh's Academy Award winning performance. The supporting cast is outstanding from Kim Hunter and Karl Malden (both Oscar winners for the film)to, of course, the iconographic T-shirt-torn Brando.

weird movie

[paulglitsch · 6/10 · 25 February 2005]

This movie was really weird. First of all, it's almost impossible to understand what the heck Marlon Brando is saying half the time. He talks like he has marbles in his mouth. I don't know if he's "acting" drunk or if he has a speech impediment, but it is annoying.

The movie is mainly about some lady who is all washed up, so she goes to live with her sister and brother in law in a dinky apartment. She brings along a lot of baggage and the plot reveals how she came to be in this desperate state.

How this movie got an 8.1 overall rating, I don't know, I'd say it's a 6 at best. The plot and acting were very good, but kind of left me feeling cheated out of two hours of my life by the end of the movie. However, if you are the kind of person goes in for all the dramatic psychological bull, you'll probably love this movie.

Sexy, Brutal, and Endlessly Fascinating

[Rathko · 10/10 · 12 July 2005]

There is little to be said about this movie that thousands of critics have not stated already. It is a magnificent piece of cinema, with an intricate script delivered by actors at the peak of their talents. Leigh is unbearably brittle and fragile and she dances precariously on the edge of sanity. Marlon Brando embodies a sense of brooding masculinity that other men can only dream of attaining, while creating an enduring cinema icon and delivering one of the all-time great movie lines. From the raucous jazz score to the sleazy production design bathed in smoldering grey, 'Streetcar' is a class-act from beginning to end; sexy, brutal, and endlessly fascinating.

Not That Impressed

[dispet · 6/10 · 20 May 2001]

i recently read the original play and was amazed at it's power, the raw emotion and the realism of every scene. i became lost in it, the characters are wonderful, the setting is perfect, one of the best things i have ever read. so then i watched the movie. ok, i understand that they had to tone it down back in the 50s, but why did they have to screw it around so much? the music was annoying as all hell for the most part, it should have stayed like the play in that respect, with only faint jazz music in the background and the music in blanche's past swimming back to engulf her. the new music just got in the way. the new scenes that were tacked on to make it easier to understand and less like a play also helped to tear the story up. marlon brando however was excellent, he was ripped off at the oscars.

i gave this a 6 out of 10. it is good, but really only because of the parts of the play left intact and the wonderful acting. just did nothing for me whereas the original did everything for me.

If great performances is what you desire, hop on this streetcar.

[fatleprechan · 10/10 · 18 June 2005]

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tennessee Williams, 'A Streetcar Named desire' is set in post World War II New Orleans and centers around a young married couple attempting to keep their bond despite a noted class distinction. Stanley Kowalski, played by Marlon Brando in perhaps one of the greatest performances ever to project off the big screen, is a young Polish American living in a cozy apartment with his quasi-newlywed bride. Stella, a magnolia fresh off a Southern plantation, portrayed with equal panache by Kim Hunter. Things seem to be going along pretty well until Stella's older sister shows up on the doorstep. Blanche Dubois, ( Vivian Leigh ) is a figure as obnoxious as she is tragic, and almost from the very start she is despised by her Polish brother-in-law. Kowalski suddenly discovers that his middle class roots, which hadn't seemed like a much of a point of contention with his new wife, are the subject of snide insinuations and clandestine conversations rolling off the tongue of his sister-in-law. Who, it turns out, is not without considerable baggage herself. That's when the once toasty love nest ( Complete with the memory of twinkling Christmas lights ) turns into a war zone. Things are further complicated when Stanley's Army/factory buddy, brilliantly portrayed by Karl Malden, suddenly takes a shine to Miss Dubois, The incredible thing about 'Streetcar' is not just the quality of the acting, but the way the actors approach the complex and beautiful dialog. Brando combines dynamic sexual magnetism with passionate anger, possessive love and cynicism. Vivian Leigh's tragic character perhaps mirroring the insanity she suffered through in her own life, is portrayed with raving vanity one minute and fleeting youth the next. As she often hears and sees flashbacks which the audience does not. William's dialogue manages to do the impossible, that is to blend in poetic imagery with normal conversation, while not sounding sickly sentimental or downright ridiculous. This is as much a credit to the actors themselves, especially Leigh, who really had to do the bulk of the tough solo

scenes in which Blanche begins to lose her mind for good. But Brando is simply too hard to beat. Stanley Kowalski is fully rounded in every sense when this great American actor delivers his lines. Perhaps the only injustice is that Brando did not receive the Oscar for this film, while his costars Hunter, Leigh and Malden all did. Numerous attempts have been made to remake this film, both on the stage and for television. But no one has been able to execute the premise like this wonderful quartet. A fantastic and moving American classic. 10 out of a possible 10 T.H.

Welcome To The "Tarantula Arms" Hotel

[strong-122-478885 · 7/10 · 7 May 2015]

Favorite movie-quote - (Blanche speaking to Stella behind Stanley's back) - "There's even something subhuman about him."

Now, I would never, ever say that A Streetcar Named Desire is a film that can be appreciated by everyone, but, regardless, it is still certainly well-worth a view for anyone who's at all interested in seeing top-notch film-making, early 1950's-style.

If you ask me - This film is the absolute epitome of powerhouse movie-making from a very specific era in Hollywood history.

Being someone, like myself, who can often be quite bluntly critical about films, I'm really very surprised and, yes, quite pleased to see how well this film actually holds up today, 64 years later.

Containing some very well-defined characters - A Streetcar Named Desire certainly delivers, in aces, equal helpings of insensitive brutality, heartless viciousness, and despairing mental instability. Believe me, this is not a happy story.

When it comes to that old, familiar saying - "They don't make movies like this anymore." - A Streetcar Named Desire certainly packs a powerful punch and lives up to its stellar reputation very satisfactorily.

Interesting themes, but an overrated melodrama

[Wuchakk · 4/10 · 10 March 2017]

Released in late 1951 and directed by Elia Kazan based on Tennessee Williams play, "A Streetcar Named Desire" stars Vivien Leigh as the neurotic Blanche DuBois, who moves in with her sister (Kim Hunter) in the French Quarter of New Orleans where she is antagonized by her brutish brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando). As she seeks a relationship with one of Stanley's friends (Karl Malden) her reality crumbles around her.

The story is thematically rich and I enjoy evaluating and interpreting it. For instance, Blanche represents the dying Southern aristocracy, its airs of sophistication, its morality and delusions of superiority, whereas Stanley Kowalski represents the simple primal world of working class immigrants and the moral decay of modern society or, at least, its veneer of morality (which is the root of legalism). But the way the conflict between Blanche and Stanley plays out shows that Williams doesn't advocate either side, which leaves the audience uncertain on who to support. While Blanche's initial arrogance shouldn't be condoned and deserved rebuked, I squarely side with Blanche as Stanley's ongoing (and increasing) assaults become less and less justifiable.

What Blanche did or didn't do with the Dubois estate is a legitimate issue of contention and the truth needed to be pursued, aggressively if necessary; but most of the other issues Stanley has with Blanche are basically none of his business. After all, everyone has shameful skeletons in their closets, even Stanley, but he's too oafish to likely ever admit it. One critic erroneously criticized Blanche for being a "pedophile," but he obviously doesn't know the definition of the word. Pedophilia refers to a persistent sexual fascination with pre-pubescent kids. The worst Blanche can be accused of is ephebophilia, which is an attraction to those in their later teens, 17 and up. This condition is balanced out by her serious romantic interest in Mitch (Malden).

People rave about Brando's acting in "Streetcar," but there are far better examples of his genius, such as "The Young Lions" (1958), "One-Eyed Jacks" (1961), "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1962), "The Missouri Breaks" (1976) and "Apocalypse Now" (1979), to name a handful. Marlon's portrayal of Kowalski is undermined by the needlessly antagonistic nature of the character. In other words, the performance might be excellent, but the character is so distasteful it's hard to appreciate it.

This is one of the main eye-rolling problems with the story and the movie: The characters are too one-dimensional and unbelievable. Blanche is the drama mama with airs of sophistication, Stanley is the animalistic brute, Stella is the blindly loyal wife and Mitch is the infatuated dumbaxx. Leigh's depiction of Blanche is so over-the-top and artificial it would've received a Razzie if the film were released a mere decade later. And I'm not blaming Vivien; she did the best she could with the melodramatic script.

Even worse, you have ridiculous elements, like the idea that Mitch was never able to see Blanche in the full light of day, so to speak, even though he took her on a date to the pier. The whole "dimming the lights" component is absurd and poorly executed, especially in light of Vivien's obvious beauty, whatever her age. In reality, Mitch would (and should) be worshipping at her feet for eternity, regardless of any skeletons of her past.

Then there's the preposterous explanation of the suicide of an off-screen character. In the play the reason was that he was caught in a homosexual affair, which is interesting and works (particularly considering the time period), but they changed this for the movie due to the moral codes and they failed to pull it off, to be nice.

BOTTOM LINE: The movie is thematically rich and has a great cast, but the execution is seriously problematic. The story's not compelling, the characters are aggravatingly one-dimensional and there are too many eye-rolling elements. If you want to see a good Tennessee Williams movie check out 1964's "The Night of the Iguana" or even 1960's "The Fugitive Kind" (the latter has its problems, but it's better than this). The ongoing praise of "A Streetcar Named Desire" is a good example of the emperor having no clothes.

The movie runs 122 minutes (125 minutes re-release) and was shot at Warner Brothers Burbank Studios in California, with the bowling scene done in Los Angeles and the opening railway station filmed in New Orleans.

GRADE: C-

Antebellum Delusions

[Lechuguilla · 16 October 2005]

Blanche DuBois reminds me of Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. (1950). Both characters succumb to their alter egos, and descend into their own worlds of fantasy and half-truths.

In "A Streetcar Named Desire", Blanche travels from her antebellum roots in Mississippi to New Orleans, to see her sister Stella. But, upon arriving in the Big Easy, Blanche must confront Stella's husband Stanley, a greasy, poker-playing neanderthal lout who knows a thing or two about reality. It's the clash between Blanche's stately delusions and Stanley's gritty realism that soups up the drama in this Tennessee Williams play, converted to film classic by director Elia Kazan.

The drama is absorbing. But the performances of Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, as Stanley and Blanche, are what make the film the cinematic powerhouse that it is. Excellent B&W lighting and jazzy background music amplify the seedy, sleazy atmosphere, which adds depth and texture to the story and the acting. And, of course, the claustrophobic, steamy French Quarter makes a perfect setting.

As one would expect for a film derived from a play, "A Streetcar Named Desire" is very talky. Generally, I don't care for films burdened with a ten thousand page script. But this talk-fest is an exception. Overwhelming what I would otherwise consider a weakness, the acting of Brando and Leigh alone are enough to justify a two hour investment, and render an enjoyable and memorable cinematic experience.

"I've Always Depended On The Kindness Of Strangers."

[bkoganbing · 10/10 · 20 October 2006]

When the history of American theater is written for the 20th Century the two most prominent names will be Eugene O'Neill and Tennessee Williams. Both men pushed the exploration of the human soul to the very limit in their work. Writing drama will never be the same because of the work of these two men.

Williams's masterpiece is A Streetcar Named Desire which ran over 860 performances in three years. When Warner Brothers bought the film rights, they did the highly unusual thing of bringing almost the entire Broadway cast over. That included Marlon Brando for whom this was his second film. Brando was not a movie name yet and the decision was made to recast the female lead with Vivien Leigh instead of Jessica Tandy who played Blanche Dubois on Broadway.

In doing so this gave Vivien Leigh the very unique position of having played opposite the two men who are held up as male acting icons for the last century, Marlon Brando and Leigh's husband at the time Laurence Olivier. Certainly Blanche Dubois was unlike anything she ever did opposite Olivier.

In fact Blanche is opposite that other southern belle that Leigh got her first Oscar for, Scarlett O'Hara. Scarlett may come on like a spoiled brat at first, but she turns out to be made of some real stern stuff when the chips are down.

Blanche Dubois however retreats into her own fantasies when trouble brews. She's left the plantation home in a small Mississippi town where she doubles as an English teacher and comes to live with her sister Stella and her husband Stanley Kowalski.

Brando is Kowalski and for years impressionists did him by yelling from the pit of their abdomens, "STELLA, STELLA." That is until The Godfather and then they stuffed their cheeks and said how one day a favor would be asked in return.

But impressionists only make a living because of the impressions made by the players. On Broadway and Hollywood, Stanley Kowalski made Marlon Brando a superstar and an icon for a couple of generations. Kowalski as done by Brando is a force of nature, primeval impulses that bubble to the surface in all of us sometimes.

Kim Hunter as Stella Kowalski and Karl Malden as Mitch Mitchell also won Oscars in the Supporting categories to go with Leigh's. Hunter is a torn women fighting both suspicions about her husband and her sister. The real reason why Blanche has come to live with them and the affect her silly flirtations are having on her husband and their marriage.

Malden as Mitchell starts out as passive and as nice as Jim Connor, the gentleman caller from that other Tennessee Williams masterpiece, A Glass Menagerie. But he proves to be something less than meets the eye in his dealings with Leigh.

A Streetcar Named Desire won all kinds of Awards, the three acting Oscars, one for Elia Kazan as Best Director and a whole bunch of technical ones. But An American In Paris won for Best Picture and Hollywood decided young Brando could wait for his and they gave it that year to Humphrey Bogart for The African Queen.

This film is still the best adaption to the screen of a Tennessee Williams play and is an absolute must to see.

A true milestone in cinema history

[CineMan-8 · 10/10 · 8 December 1998]

"A Streetcar Named Desire" is along with "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" the best movies adapted from a play ever. Vivien Leigh is excellent in the most difficult role of the world theatre and far more impressive here than in "Gone With the Wind". With the performance she gives she proves what a great actress really means. Marlon Brando is equally impressive in a role that made him a star. He gives a different dimension to Stanley and introduces method acting to Hollywood. This role that deserved an Oscar is maybe the best of his career. Kim Hunter and Karl Malden are ideal in the supporting roles. The scene that Stanley and Stella are reconciled after a fight they have is full of passion and desire and is now regarded a classic. But the person that created the atmosphere and helped the actors create their roles is Elia Kazan (to me he is the best director ever lived). Kazan manages to create a great atmosphere and make the movie not be just another stagy play. "A Streetcar Nemed Desire" is undoubtedly a milestone in cinema's history that nobody should miss.

Now this is Almost Perfect

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 24 February 2001]

Elia Kazan's second best film A Streetcar Named Desire is a film with plenty of passion and fire and is definately a must see drama. The story has a woman, Blanche DuBois, played by Vivien Leigh, who moves in with her sister, played by Kim Hunter, and her brother in law, Marlon Brando. Then the events start to unfold in a tale of a animal, the depending woman, and even her admirer, played by Karl Malden. Absolutely acted to perfection by everyone (Liegh, Malden and Hunter got richly deserved Oscars), however it is the breakthrough by Brando in one of his best roles, that steals the show. Crafted just like the play, except for one almost fatal flaw, the last scene of the movie is hollywooded up and if you read the play, that ending might be better for you. Otherwise, a must see. Magnificent jazz music by Alex North. A

9.1/10. Masterpiece

[athanasiosze · 9/10 · 3 October 2023]

I thought i was a cinephile because i had watched thousands of movies. I was wrong. You can't call yourself a "cinephile" if you have not watched some particular movies. For example, you don't know anything about cinema if you have not watched CASABLANCA (1942), and i watched it a few days ago. That's exactly the case with A STREETCAR too. You are basic, cinema wise, if you haven't watched this.

Watching this is like travelling to a distant world/another reality. There is magic in the air, i can't describe it, but i felt like watching demigods on the screen. Leigh and Brado are giving glorious performances. Leigh's acting is outdated of course, and that shows how unbelieavable she was: Whereas her acting is indeed outdated, she still shines and viewer have no choice but consider it among the greatest acting performances of all time.

Brando is, lol, of course there are no words for his performance. He seems like he came from the future, the way he talks, the way he moves, his grimaces. It's like he is not an actor from this era. Like his acting method is 20-30 years ahead of his time.

Still, Leigh steals the show. Is her character the richest/more complex/more multilayered character of all time? Possible. There were moments i didn't like her at all, but in the end, i almost cried. She touched my soul. People like her should be protected at all costs. Her fate shattered me.

There was only one thing that bothered me, and i will tell it, even if that makes me an ignorant and sacrilegious moviegoer: The hideous things Kowalsky did in the end of the movie were out of character. I never viewed him as a monster during the first 115 minutes of it. Yes, he was some kind of villain but there were redeeming qualities of his, considering his time era and the cultural oppression of women. I mean, too many men were monsters back then. During the first 115 minutes of it, i never thought he is a monster. So, the final minutes confused me. Because he act like one.

Probably it's my fault and not Tenesse's Williams i guess, that i didn't understand Kowalsky entirely, lol. But still, i can't explain the rape. He loved his wife. He just had a baby. Blanche would soon leave. There is absolute no reason he sexually abuses her, considering that he hadn't shown any flashes before, at all.

In any case, this is a masterpiece. Go watch it.

Good drama with outstanding acting. Very worthwhile classic

[GTeixeira · 7/10 · 22 January 2014]

Based on a classical Tennessee Williams play, 'A Streetcar Named Desire' follows Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh), an emotionally frail and disturbed woman, who goes to live with her pregnant sister Stella (Kim Hunter). Her continuing presence leads to confrontations with Stella's brute husband Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando), as her situation continues to deteriorate.

I have seen this story a few times before, both in plays and in cinema, and while it always struck me as interesting enough it never truly managed to impress me and even seemed a bit too dated. That is, before this one.

This is a drama at its most defining. There is a few light-hearted conversations here and there, but overall the tone set is that of conflict; director Elia Kazan makes a particularly good job at keeping it realistic and avoiding a melodramatic outcome, while creating just the right mood.

The acting is absolutely brilliant. Marlon Brando (in his breakthrough performance, and still one of his best) and Vivien Leigh (as good as, if not better than in 'Gone with the Wind') are perfect in their roles, truly making their characters real and making it impossible not to feel towards them; maybe that is what was missing from the other versions I watched. Likewise, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter are excellent, and won well-deserved Oscars for their work here.

The film greatly suffers from the time's censorship, which include a new (but still good) ending; however, the main problem it brings is the diminished intensity in some scenes, the climatic confrontation in special, which makes it lack the more powerful shocking value the story seemed aiming for. Today's viewers, in special, will probably find the film far too much tame and somewhat dated.

Another thing I disliked was the deliberately slow pace of some scenes, which makes them somewhat boring at some points. But them again, that is a problem I usually have with theater productions, and not a specific criticism to 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. This is still a film that deserves its status as a classic.

A play which simmers with sexual tension.

[alexanderdavies-99382 · 10/10 · 23 August 2017]

It has become rather difficult in comparing this 1951 film version of the award winning play "A Streetcar Named Desire" with the original stage production as no one in today's world is old enough to recall it. Various people from film historians to the director himself Elia Kazan have debated over who gave the definitive interpretation of Blanche, Jessica Tandy or Vivien Leigh. Most viewers enjoy the performance of the latter that much, that the performance of the former has been overshadowed somewhat. There is no doubt that Vivien Leigh gives a haunting and powerful performance as the mentally fragile Blanche but I can't comment upon Jessica Tandy's effort. Marlon Brando is giving a fine example of the kind of actor he was when given a film that was worthy of his talent. He is to cinema what Laurence Olivier is to the theatre. Judging by Brando's performance in the film version, he must have gone down just as well when he was cast as the bullying, controlling, vulgar and brutal Stanley Kowalski in the theatre production that ran on Broadway for something like 2 years. He proved that his kind of acting represented something quite different and fresh. Kim Hunter and Karl Malden give excellent support as Stella Kowalski and Mitch respectively. They both deserved their victories at the Oscars, as did Vivien Leigh. It is rather a pity that Marlon Brando didn't win the Oscar for Best Actor. Karl Malden said it was an absolute joy in working with Brando. They maintained a close friendship that lasted until the time Brando passed away. The play crackles and simmers with sexual tension as Blanche and Stanley engage in their psychological battle of one trying to gain the advantage over the other. Their verbal sparring lights up the screen and both actors compliment each other well. The crude qualities in Stanley which attracted Stella to him in the first place, are the same character traits that deep down, Blanche would wish to be aroused by. In Mitch, Blanche spots an opportunity for happiness. Sadly, this will not bear fruition. A wedge is driven between sisters Stella and Blanche over Stanley until the play reaches its shattering climax. Kim Hunter stated how during all the time it took in setting up the cameras and the lighting, Elia Kazan was always taking the time to rehearse for an upcoming scene and to help sustain the momentum of his actors. This made the filming process a lot more fun and stimulating. Brando was once quoted as saying that he partly based the way he played Stanley on his own father. The sets are quite basic as I would expect from a theatrical film but they serve their purpose very effectively. The film is given a slightly unreal or off centre kind of look because of the sets. The acting, the writing and the direction are all top notch. For me, it begs the question: when do we ever see anything of this quality nowadays?

Vintage Brando

[chucknorrisfacts · 7/10 · 11 June 2010]

I decided to watch "A Streetcar Named Desire" in order to see some of Marlon Brando's earliest film work.

While "Streetcar" certainly features Brando, he's not the star of the film. That title goes to Vivien Leigh, although Brando receives equal billing.

I believe the cover art is a tad misleading as it shows only Brando in all his muscled, ripped t-shirt wearing glory. One could easily expect Brando to have more screen time based off this alone and might be disappointed to discover he doesn't.

Overall, I'd say the movie is very slow-paced but enjoyable. I'd recommend it to older audiences, as sadly I think much of its appeal would be lost on today's youth. I don't think this necessarily speaks ill of the movie but rather the short attention span of younger generations. Admittedly, even though I don't think it's a bad film by any means, I'd feel comfortable in saying I think one viewing is enough.

"Streetcar" is one of those movies you hear everyone talk about and for that reason I think it's important to be able to say you've seen it.

one of my favorite plays

[blanche-2 · 10/10 · 28 March 2016]

"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.

A Juggernaut Named Brando

[dunmore_ego · 6/10 · 5 October 2005]

There are three reasons for watching "A Streetcar Named Desire": Brando. Brando. Brando.

Marlon Brando's bestial heat still flares off that black and white celluloid like the flashpots from the third row of a KISS concert. It is obvious why his work in this movie has been lauded, critiqued, dissected, imitated, codified and ultimately iconicized - it's absolutely astounding! To this day, few have captured that feral rawness and "natural-ness" that he exuded; an actor boldly pioneering a new style, a bravura "Method". The viewing medium becomes all too two-dimensional when he is not on screen.

On the other hand, Vivien Leigh's acting style, though lauded by film aficionados as a symbiotic, diametric marriage of intensity with Brando's, is just plain hard to watch and truthfully quite embarrassing at points.

For modern viewers, she cannot seem to "convince" with her old-school Presentational/Theatrical style, clashing irreconcilably with Brando's Method.

The icy romance between Leigh and Karl Malden's character only serves to pound home the truth that sexual morés have moved too far from filmic 50s etiquette, to be in any way considered vital or even interesting to modern viewers, even though, for its day, much censorship was brought down upon "Streetcar". So we are left with an inordinate amount of yapping that Leigh inflicts on Malden; enough to make any man turn to drink, drugs, other women, other men, football, synchronized swimming or forsaking humanity and leaving for outer space like Chuck Heston in "Planet Of The Apes".

During Leigh's incessant rambles, strewn passim to illustrate her neuroticism, one continually wonders whether one is missing innuendo which was considered innuendo Back Then but which is now simply naiveté, or whether there was any innuendo courted at all and it was as innocent and puling as it sounded. Ultimately, it is too taxing to pretend filmic sophistication and dissect character motivation - on a pure enjoyment level, Leigh delivers only to historians and Serious Critics.

Surely, 'The Play's The Thing' and the story is as vital now as it was then (that of the estranged sister - Leigh - with the profligate and promiscuous past attempting to excise her demons by immersing herself in a new life with her sister and brother-in-law - Kim Hunter and Brando), but the manner in which this tale is purveyed has dated, the only vital remaining aspect being Brando.

Brando.

Brando.

(Movie Maniacs, visit: www.poffysmoviemania.com)

Lots of Yelling

[soilmanted · 5/10 · 15 April 2017]

Blanche is no more neurotic than the rest of the mumbling characters, but the most vulnerable (not having enough income to be able to get her own apartment), so it is she that gets marked to be the scapegoat, and gets carted off to a "mental hospital" at the end.

Before that climax, you see a troop of impossibly over-emotional people yelling and throwing things. I thought I was watching a nature film about chimpanzees.