A Streetcar Named Desire

This is mostly a fine production of the venerable Tennessee Williams classic. Baldwin relies a bit too heavily on Brando portrayal but Lange finds her own way. She gives the doomed, fragile Blanche an inner strength that most other interpretors do not. Lane and Goodman are fine, as well.

Wow. Still reeling from this one several hours later. What a true and deep and affecting performance from Jessica Lange plus the usual intelligent and imaginative choices from Alec Baldwin. I've seen a few productions of this, plus the Brando movie. I have never before been left with such depth of feeling for ALL of those characters trying to find their feet again in the conflicts and complexities of that post World War 2 society.

Tennessee Williams is a legend. This play is a true masterpiece. So it's worth watching it no matter how the actors do. And they do pretty well. Alec Baldwin gives us possibly his best acting, but possibly Jessica Lange doesn't reach this level, while having a role most actresses would beg for years to have. John Goodman is fine and gives a perspective of Mitch I hadn't in mind but he's a bit characterized as a comedy type and possibly that creates problems. Diane Lane is ok but nothing special (it's the less demanding role anyway). The scenery is better than the original film but the film has been PC transformed. Too mild for what Williams wanted to show.

If you are a major fan of Jessica Lange then I would rent this, otherwise stay away! While Ms. Lange's portrayal is interesting, I'm not sure it is the Blanche, that Tennessee Williams envisioned. At times her slyness distorts the character of Blanche's and gives her the appearance of being nothing more than a manipulative, self-centered woman. Blanche is a woman holding onto her sanity by the skin of her delicate fingernails. Her lies and illusions are her retreat from the cold reality of life and the bad hands of cards she has been dealt. "Streetcar" is a series of encounters between the Kowalski world and the Blanche DuBois world. Each of these encounters will intensify with each subsequent meeting. The conflict is between the oversensitive aristocratic world of Blanche and the brutal, realistic, present-day world represented by Stanley. But as an afternote, it should be added that Stanley is the type of person who likes his "cards on the table." He doesn't go in for subtleties and deception that Blanche has created to survive. As for the rest of the cast, ugh. Diane Lane is adequate at best, she can read lines but she's nothing to telegram home about. John Goodman is all wrong with to start with and he only gets worse as the film goes on. At times I felt like I was watching one of the "dramatic" episodes of Roseanne, which were always self-serving and preachy. I've seen better acting in high schools. This leaves Alec Baldwin who can be summed up with one word - why? His acting is so pedestrian; it's amazing he even works. He is horrible in this production; I now can understand why his performance in this role on Broadway elicited belly laughs. The audience wasn't laughing with him they were laughing at him. He preens and over-emotes, uses an accent (? Strange yet geographically untraceable) then changes it mid-sentnce. One of the most challenging roles in the theater due to its predecessor and the demand of acting with the fullness and variety of a brash jazz band, Baldwin's register is that of a kazoo. He prisses about and poses then delivers lines as though he's reading them for the first time. At times it seemed as though Blanche wasn't physically afraid of him, but more afraid that he was going to go into her trunk and start parading around the apartment in her wardrobe and "tributes from an admirer". If anyone doubts his abilities, this performance will confirm all your suspicions. Save for Ms. Lange's performance this "Streetcar" belongs on Mystery Science Theater 3000. It is almost like a work of science fiction. It is that jaw-droppingly bad. While the 1951 version certainly has superior actors, the Ann-Margaret-Treat William's "Streetcar" is a true ensemble production in which all four principals shine. This production is truer to the theme of the play of the artist (Blanche) ultimately being destroyed by realism and the harsh realities of a world that does not understand her (represented by Stanley).

'A Streetcar Named Desire' is for me one of the best works of one of the great playwrights of the 20th century Tennessee Williams, it's wordy (then again that's the case with all Williams, some so more than others though) but is full of passion and emotion. When it's performed well, it really does sizzle. Sizzle it did with the 1951 Elia Kazan classic with Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, regardless of it not being entirely faithful to the play the direction, emotional power and incredible performances makes one forget that.

There may be those that question the point of this made for television version, and generally because the film is so good and it would be difficult to equal or better it. Personally don't think that should be the case, it's just another version of the play and plays, of all different types of qualities (even some of lesser Shakespeare has more than one version available), often have more than one adaptation/production. Williams' work is no exception, well his best anyhow, so the likes of 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof', 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'The Glass Menagerie'.

Do prefer the film version on its own terms, but on the most part 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is a worthy version. It is truer to the source material, with what was omitted in the film (now with censorship not getting in the way this time), intact, same with every location, every line, every one of the play's bold themes and the character writing deeper. It is faithful but not too faithful.

Where the film scores over this version though is that to me it had more of the smoldering passion that is a little lacking here and this didn't leave me as moved. The direction, while always thoughtful and never distasteful, isn't as pulling no punches as Kazan's and while the performances are very good, even great, here from personal opinion none reach the same iconic level. While details wise it is more faithful, which is to be lauded as the play is one of Williams' best, to me the film captured the spirit of the play more.

Judging it on its own, there isn't anything done disastrously. There are a few repetitive shots that make us aware of the camera and do agree that the attitudes of Blanche and Stella to Stanley's rape do not ring true, something that should have hurt and anger pouring out but treated with indifference.

For those short-comings though, there are also a good number of virtues. The production values are pleasing on the eyes, the locations having surprising authenticity and the camera work is mostly fluid, the odd bit of repetition aside. Williams' dialogue is intelligent and poignant, wordy but that is a hardly a fault with the production and have never considered it a short-coming with the play either (with lesser Williams plays like 'Orpheus Descending' it is more noticeable and less forgivable). The storytelling may not have the same amount of impact but the faithfulness is not something that works against the production, although the film smolders more there is hardly a shortage of tension and emotion. The climax is quite powerful.

None of the performances are on the same level as the iconic performances of the film, but they are very strong in their own way. Jessica Lange is a remarkably nuanced if perhaps not frail enough Blanche, while not overdoing too much the manipulation, and Diane Lane, at times telling a lot through her face, is heart-wrenching as Stella, one can really feel the character's conflict. John Goodman does an admirable job in trying to break away from the comedic work he was famous for at the time (which must have been very difficult to do), and does so sympathetically if perhaps a touch too soft at times. Which brings me to Alec Baldwin, was worried that he would be a disaster having read some of the reviews, but did appreciate that his interpretation was different from Brando's and not an imitation, he doesn't smolder as much and isn't as brutish but the more human approach that he brought to this difficult role was interesting and he did it well from personal view.

On the whole, worth a watch. 7/10