A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

**** (out of 4)

Diva Blanche DuBois (Vivian Leigh) moves to New Orleasns to live with her younger sister Stella (Kim Hunter) but it doesn't take long for the sister's husband Stanley (Marlon Brando) to aim his brutish ways on her.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE was a landmark play and it carried over to the big screen thanks in large part to the terrific performances as well as the frank sexuality. Some of the sexuality was edited out upon its original release but thankfully the footage was later restored. While the film doesn't contain the same power that it once had there's no question that it's still a refreshing slice of movie history.

The greatest thing going for the film is without question the performances from the four main actors. Leigh delivers the greatest performance of her career as the mentally-ill sister who just can't keep out of her fantasy world. The nervous tension that Leigh gives the character is something truly refreshing to watch. Both Hunter and Karl Malden seem to get overlooked whenever the film is discussed but it's just because they're the supporting players to the leads. Both of them do a wonderful job in their roles and both are given plenty of scenes to shine.

The real breakthrough is without question the work of Brando. Needless to say, he would go down in history as one of the greatest actors and in my opinion he is the greatest actor. The first time you see him here you can't help but feel as if a cold breeze just hit you because there really wasn't anything like him before. The method acting is spot=on perfect and there's just a certain rawness that jumps off the screen. This was all new at the time but even today you can't help but feel as if you're watching something original.

There's some terrific cinematography, a great jazz score and some really great drama that comes through via the acting. As I said, some of the drama has been watered down over time but that doesn't take away what makes the film great and that are the performances and the direction of Elia Kazan.