Recent Reviews for A Streetcar Named Desire
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MCT:September 2, 2008again. i liked it, but not as much as Tennessee Williams' Glass Menagerie or Baby Doll. I ought to do some living instead, but I wouldn't mind seeing this again.
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MCT:August 30, 2008one of my top 5 fav movies of all time, my first favof all time performance by an actor in a film ( brando) this film really is a classic. only brandos second film role although his most powerful performance by far of his career. fav scene the dinner scene the whole cast was perfect and they all recieved oscars except guess who the best actor in the film. thats right the academy snubbed brando. no oscar for what would become one of the greatest performances ever in a film
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MCT:August 29, 2008
May I speak plainly?... If you'll forgive me, he's common... He's like an animal. He has an animal's habits. There's even something subhuman about him. Thousands of years have passed him right by, and there he is. Stanley Kowalski, survivor of the Stone Age, bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle. And you - you here waiting for him. Maybe he'll strike you or maybe grunt and kiss you, that's if kisses have been discovered yet. His poker night you call it. This party of apes.
Directed by: Elia Kazan
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden, Ruby Bond.
Genre: Drama
Running time: 122 minutes
My review:
This is without a doubt my favourite Marlon Brando film and is my favourite performance from him and even one of my favourite performances by an actor in a leading role of all time. Marlon Brando was one of my favourite actors when I saw my first film from him The Godfather. I loved his performances in On The Waterfront and Apocalypse Now aswell. I have watched 4 of his films so far and not one has disappointed me yet. Marlon Brando portrays Stanley Kowalski so well because he acts like charming and nice looking guy as Marlon actually was at that age but he also acted like a slightly disturbed character with a lot of different problems. Marlon is good as portraying both heroes and villains. He was a good hero in On The Waterfront but he was a good villain in this aswell. I am unsure who is the real villain in this film between Stanley and Blanche because they are both very puzzling and mysterious characters to calculate. I think Stanley is more of the villain than Blanche is because Stanley has a short temper and gets aggressive really easily but Blanche is a confused and deranged aging woman. The quote Stanley speaks in this film Hey, Steeeeeeella! is a classic and a memorable quote aswell. Vivien Leigh delivers the best performance from the whole cast and in my opinion the greatest leading actress performance of all time. Vivien Leigh portrays a mysterious character who is starting to get old and she still likes fashion design. She goes to visit her sister and meets her husband and she moves in for months and this causes a real rivalry and confrontation between Blanche and Stanley and Blanches younger sister Stella is torn between the two of them. Kim Hunters performance was another outstanding one aswell because she easily showed her emotion towards this character and shows that she cant choose between her husband and her sister. Karl Malden does well aswell as Mitch. Mitch is a man who falls in love with Blanche and he doesnt know how old she is until near the end of the film. I think this film is the best film that I have seen where the entire cast have delivered the best performances. Vivien, Karl and Kim all earned Best Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress Oscars but Marlon was nominated but didnt win. I think that would have made history of two actors and two actresses winning all four Oscars for the same film which this film won 3 of the 4. I dont think a film has ever done that before. Marlon should have won though. His performance in this film is my number 5 Best Leading Actor performance of all time. This is definitely a masterpiece. This film begins with a collaboration between Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando. One of greatest films I have ever seen!!! -
MCT:August 26, 2008There is some drama in this movie. Some great acting for sure. Although.. it was hard for me to stomach the scenes with Karl Malden. I really don't care for him in most of the roles he has plays. Marlon Brando makes it all worth while though.
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MCT:August 17, 2008
Superb screen-adaptation of a play about the changing of times in American society. Blanche (Vivian Leigh) represents the old America, she expects to live like a queen and be waited on hand and foot. Stanley (Marlon Brando) represents the new America, the hard-working type. Both actors give brilliant performances, Brando in particular is gob smacking and shows that he was one of the greatest actors of all time.
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MCT:August 15, 2008Marlon Brando se avergonzaba d interpretar este papel... pro esa imagen d chuleria lo marco para siempre... nadie pronuncio mjor el nombre d Estela y supo herir a su ermana
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MCT:August 15, 2008
This movie is crazy good, minus the fact it is edited. I didn't get the jist of it all until the end, but its really deep and Tennessee Williams will trip you out.
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MCT:August 6, 2008
One of the most groundbreaking and controversial films of the 1950's.... the film that first introduced us to the wonderful Marlon Brando remains and enduring classic story filled with drama and mystery. Although Brando was the real star of the film, I think that Vivien Leigh was the one who really sttod out above the rest and gave the performance of a lifetime. Leigh's portral of the fragile southernbelle Blanche, is not onle fantastic but it makes the audience wanting more. The film also has a great supporting cast which includes Karl Malden and Kim Hunter. This is a definet must see for any movie lover
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MCT:August 5, 2008
A Streetcar Named Desire is a dramatic, fascinating and truly memorable cinematic experience. I could not take my eyes off the screen through out, I was completely engrossed by the sharp and edgy atmosphere and tense confrontations between the characters.
Elia Kazan did an excellent job of bringing to life Tennessee Williams's celebrated play.
Never before have I witnessed acting so good from all of the leads. Vivien Leigh shines as the disturbed and confused Blanche, drifting between fantasy and reality. Marlon Brando, wow. He gives an immaculate performance of the rude and brutal Stanley, definitely up with the best of his career, maybe even THE best. Karl Malden and Kim Hunter both give incredible supporting performances.
A Streetcar Named Desire is an emotive, intelligent, thought-provoking piece of film-making. A true example of a classic. -
MCT:August 3, 2008
Much praised film indeed, which is why I approached it with usual skepticism. It, of course, did not disappoint. With such a fine source material as is Tennessee Williams, whose plays I always enjoy reading, and with Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, it was difficult to fail.
The highlight is the performance, both Brando's and Leigh's, but there's something to be said for the direction too: inobtrusive, straight to the point, not experimental, not symbolist, just a plain good delivery of the story and a close faithfulness to the originality of the script.
Marlon Brando is stunning. He becomes the quintessential macho, although one with internal weaknesses and insecurities. There are few scenes in the history of cinema as unforgettable as Brando standing on the street, crying and yelling for his wife, Stella. He is, to put it simply, powerful, and dominates the screen at all times, towering over Leigh both physically and metaphorically. This is a milestone in the history of acting, and now that I've seen it I realize how many later performances drew their essence from this one.
Vivien Leigh is also fantastic as Brando's unstable sister-in-law. Worn down by financial and emotional crisis, probably broke, capricious, and hypocritical, she is a disturbing, mortifying figure lurking throughout the film, intermittently taking the spotlight, thrashing the place, and receding. She makes us feel sorry for her and hate her, and vice versa, for 2 hours straight.
With that said, it's difficult to state anything previously unknown about this classic. Except perhaps "Watch it!", because it's a pleasure to witness such a display of virtuosism. -
MCT:July 28, 2008
Based on Tennesse William's play of the same name, "Streetcar" is one of the best American movies ever made. The whole cast gives stellar performances, especially Marlon Brando, and the story and script are excellently written. This was the movie that really got me into old movies...I have never been the same since.
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MCT:July 22, 2008
One-Sentence Review:
"A Masterful Adaptation of an American Classic"
(The landmark performance of Marlon Brando blew me away.) -
MCT:July 10, 2008
Ture story. This flick was filmed in an area of the South where the word "desire" was pronounced "deseray" is really how the play should have been pronounced, and thus the film. This brooding Marlon Brando epic is a steamy apartment based romantic drama. Now take in mind it was 1951 and back their the idea of suspense and suggesting raw sexuality was not just a roll on the bed, but rather to swoon and shout if need be, before disappearing behind a door. Brando is riviting when he shouts "Stella!" into the air. Based on the Tennessee Williams play.
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MCT:July 8, 2008
One of the best movies ever, evryone in it is at their best, every single line of the screenplay is a thing of genius, I could watch it everyday... what else can I say that hasn't been said?
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MCT:July 5, 2008
this movie made a great impact on my mind confusing me about all the differences between reality and the world we see,between people and about the life itself. one can never symphatise with reality or realistic people once they see the movie or read the novel.dark past can be seen more beareble to blanche when she break her links to reality but the actual facts could still bother her through kowalsky i guess. i cant help hating kowalsky for being this much cruel but i can see the fact that he is a simple man and he has everysense to survive and these make him this much inhuman.again it is a masterpiece both novel and the movie .
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MCT:June 18, 2008
I find it highly ironic that Vivien Leigh, an English rose if there ever was one, had her most critically successful and famous performances as southern belles. Marlon Brando is at his sexiest in this film playing the hyper-masculine, raging, and child-like Stanley. Who can blame Kim Hunter's character for describing his tirades and forceful lovemaking as being terribly thrilling? Lord knows I wouldn't, but it would get old very quickly. And, as proven in the film, it would get very dangerous to everyone involved with him. Tennessee Willaims wrote some of the most complicated, self-destructive, needy, delusional characters ever, and got some of the most fabulous performances out of some of the greatest female actors of several generations. It's hard to imagine anyone but Leigh as Blanche though. Same goes for the rest of the cast.
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MCT:June 13, 2008
So here's the deal: Blanche is a bit odd. After sleeping with a student (she's an English teacher), she decides to pay a visit to Stella, her sister. Stella is married to the boorish Stanley (played by Marlon Brando, who was not yet 30 at the time. Ladies, please), who is mildly irritated when Blanche arrives, but soon begins to show signs of loathing, held at bay by a discreet desire he is far from eager to display.
The story is great, and most of the acting is considered fantastic by the standards of the period (that is to say, overacting was fashionable). But the film tends to play on your nerves, and you'll press 'Stop' feeling thoughtful. -
MCT:June 12, 2008
Super sexy 27 year-old Marlon Brando, in his second screen role (after his first appearance in Fred Zinnemann's The Men (1950)) and recreating his 1947 Broadway role (it premiered on December 3, 1947), delivered an overpowering, memorable, and raw naturalistic performance as a sexually-powerful, animalistic, brooding primal brute - Stanley Kowalski, Blanche's brother-in-law ...
A recurring theme found in A Streetcar Named Desire is a constant conflict between reality and fantasy, actual and ideal. Blanche says "I don't want realism, I want magic."
Plot: Disturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her ... when she got there she met the brute Stan, and the side of New Orleans she hardly knew existed. -
MCT:June 9, 2008
Marlon Brando in a genius acting role.Anyone else would be deficient!HE IS KOWALSKI!Elia Kazan's greatest work too!
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MCT:June 7, 2008
Marlon Brando is incredible in this role. I recently watched this for the first time and I had to put down what I was doing as soon as he stepped into frame.
Vivian Leigh was also absolutely genuine in her portrayal of Miss DuBois.
This film is something that I wouldn't mind watching again for the sole purpose of watching Marlon Brando put on an acting clinic.
This definitely moves into my top acting performances I have ever seen. -
MCT:May 28, 2008
Marlon Brando is sex. And I hate that I love him in this when he's so evil. I don't wonder that Kim Hunter keeps going back to him.
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MCT:May 27, 2008
"You know what luck is? Luck is believing you're lucky, that's all... To hold a front position in this rat-race, you've got to believe you are lucky."
A Streetcar Named Desire is a compelling, mesmerising drama that exhibits a benchmark in revolutionary screen performances. This formidable tour de force hasn't dated one iota: even after several decades the film's prominent themes and potent nature are still convincingly evident. This is an example of filmmaking from Hollywood's golden age. The magic of these classics will never be recaptured by any modern filmmakers.
Based on a successful play by Tennessee Williams, we follow Blanche DuBois (Leigh) as she arrives in New Orleans suffering from a condition of psychological apprehension attributed to a number of financial difficulties. Blanche comes to New Orleans to visit her sister Stella (Hunter) who had recently gotten married to the authoritative Stanley Kowalski (Brando). The lives of Stella and Stanley are overturned by the arrival of Blanche: a sexual disturbed, delicate and neurotic woman on a frantic prowl for someplace in the world to call her own. Blanche is in a world of illusion as she is immediately drawn into a battle of wills with her intimidating brother-in-law who lacks in refinement. With the brutal, terrestrial Stanley in her life, Blanche's world begins to crumble as she slowly finds her circumstances unbearable.
This is the essential performance from Marlon Brando: a truly electrifying piece of acting that earned him an Oscar nomination (he ultimately lost to Humphrey Bogart). Stanley Kowalski is an animalistic individual brilliantly captured in two different styles by actor Brando. Many of his lines are absolutely unforgettable. (The most notable line of Brando's is his much imitated, much parodied line "Hey, Stellaaaaaaa!")
Brando is not the only stand out in the cast: we also have an outstanding performance from Vivien Leigh in the title role. Leigh earned herself an Oscar with this astonishingly realistic, haunting, stimulating and extraordinary performance. Leigh's portrayal is one of the finest screen performances in cinematic history. She never strikes a false note and always keeps the audience enthralled throughout the film's duration. As questions regarding her sanity arise, Leigh always remains 100% focused. An Oscar was also awarded to Kim Hunter whose performance is incredibly unforgettable.
I can't stress this enough: the central three protagonists are flawless in every respect. This high level of determination is a rarity in modern cinema. The film was also awarded with an Oscar for actor Karl Malden in addition to an Oscar for the film's elegant art direction and set decoration. There were several other nominations, including Best Picture, Best Music and Best Director.
A Streetcar Named Desire features an undeniably stunning, spellbinding score. This jazzy music was highly influential at the time of release. Even now the music is disturbing and haunting. This music sets the mood amazingly, and is complimented with the stylish directing and incredible black & white photography.
A Streetcar Named Desire is a classic production that welcomed a new era of filmmaking. This will always be one for the history books: a timeless movie that exhibits magnificent performances and persuasive themes. Marred only marginally by its slow pacing during the middle section.
When the film was initially released the censorship board removed a few minutes of the film that underscored the sexual tension between the central characters. These few minutes were eventually restored back into the movie. -
MCT:April 21, 2008Okay, we all know that Vivien Leigh and Brando are brilliant here. But I just don't like the pathological plot.
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MCT:April 20, 2008simply one of the most overrated films in the history of the world. the only bright spot was another solid performance by brando, and even he had moments of incoherence and sillyness. the downsides to this film are numerous. tennessee williams script was the biggest culprit, as it was pretentious, sterile, bland, and down right silly. the art direction was lifeless, the cinematography too simple for such a dry script, and the rest of the acting aside from brando was over dramatic and painful to watch. the ending was the worst part, leaving us with nothing of consequence to reflect on. a huge waste of time despite the great critical acclaim this film recieves.
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MCT:April 16, 2008Marlon Brando's acting was awesome in this film. It was easier to see just what an original method of acting he used when compared to the rest of the cast. Today it's hard to tell because most actors seem to try and use the Brando style of acting rather than the dramatized versions you got in these old movies. Leigh's role meant she had to be over dramatic where as Brando just seemed like a regular person. I thought the story was alright as it allowed the actor to act, but the over dramatization bugged me a little because it went on throughout the whole film. I understand that was how the character should be played, but I guess it wasn't my favourite type of movie.
