Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2970 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-10-02
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 119 minutes

Synopsis
Tennessee Williams based his screenplay on Oscar Saul's adaptation of Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning play set in a grimy New Orleans project. The story of the fragile sentimentalism of a former prostitute who visits her sister only to be taunted mercilessly by her childish brother-in-law. Academy Award Nominations: 12, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Screeplay. Academy Awards: 4, including Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter), and Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden).

Customer Reviews

Searingly seductive 'Streetcar'
Elia Kazan's adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' translates beautifully to the screen in this 1951 film version. Anchored primarily by screen giants Vivien Leigh (Blanche DuBois) and Marlon Brando (Stanley Kowalski), the film tells the story of a faded Southern Belle (Blanche) and her struggle to come to terms with her own existence in an increasingly faded world, and illustrates the dramatic conflict between Blanche and her brother-in-law Stanley, played by the sensual Brando.

Having directed the play just years earlier on the Broadway stage, Kazan was keen to put his own mark on this film translation, where there is an overwhelming sense of the steamy South, encapsulated and enclosed, literally, within the walls of the Kowalski apartment. Although Leigh holds her own against Method giant Brando, her performance ultimately pales into insignificance compared to Brando's revolutionary interpretation of Williams' sexually-charged hero. Not only did it signal the dawn of a style of acting unseen in film - paving the way for such performances of James Dean's Jim Stark and Paul Newman's Brick Pollitt - but represented an archtype in male sexuality and sensuality in post-war America. Wearing t-shirts that reveal rippling biceps, quite self-consciously on the part of Brando, and a body that reminds one of a modern-day Adonis, Brando stalks through Kazan's film. Certainly, it is Brando's Stanley, and not Leigh's Blanche, who becomes the eroticised object of the film, something that, it is worth noting, Williams' original play did not intend.

Through the use of lighting and sound, and through, of course, the magic of Leigh's performance, the film represents Blanche as a woman undone in the emotional and physical sense. The film tracks her emotional disintegration, choosing to use Williams' original sound effects (most notably with the Varsouviana when Blanche talks of her dead husband), and lighting and shading that come to represent the darker sides of her behaviour. Karl Malden as Mitch is also a casting masterstroke, and with Kim Hunter as Stella, the film fails not to impress with its delve into the dynamics of sexual desire and mental illness.

Brando, however, becomes the film's scene-stealer - something Williams did not originally intend in his play. Brando is just too good looking for us to perceive his character as a menace and a bully. Kazan's attempts to translate and open out Williams' play on the silver screen in a Hollywood riddled with industry censorship ultimately created a landmark in film-making. A recommended watch at the highest level!

Don't listen to the synopsis.
The synopsis for this prodoct is awful:

'The story of the fragile sentimentalism of a former prostitute who visits her sister only to be taunted mercilessly by her childish brother-in-law.'

First, the point of the play was that she wasn't meerly a prostitue- not to mention that we are never explicitly told that she is. Only that she slept around for shelter and food. This is not your average prostution as the synopsis makes out. Also, he brother-in-law isn't just 'childish'- what a stupid thing to say. He has been working class his whole life and is resentful that someone with an 'easy like' (in his opinion) is here lying to people and acting like she is better. He doesnt 'taunt' her like a child. He destroys her sanity further, purposly, sneekily- that is not childish but malicious.

The film is a fantastic adaption of Willliam's masterpeice- about class, and social status- homosexuality- intellect versus animalistic instinct- survival in a harsh world- relationships- society- sexuality- and much more.

The perforamnces of leigh as Blanche and Brando as Stanley are fantastic (leigh is better than Brando thoguh at portraying her character).

The only real flaw is the ending (which I will not spoil). The entire was play was meant to be about how the brutes survive in this world instead of those fragile ones who mean well. Yet the ending was changed completely- so you will not recieve the same message after watching this that was originally intended with the play. I reccomend buying the play and reading it before watching this. Though it is still great.

Streetcar
One of the best plays/ films ever and this version is a masterpiece!!

If you haven't seen this then miss it at your peril!