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Quote: "A Literary Masterpiece on Film"
- Brent Taft
The basic story involves the volatile relationship
between a violent man , his pregnant wife and unbalanced sister-in-law,
in a run down tenement apartment, located in the colorful French
Quarter of New Orleans.
A nervous and mentally fragile woman, Blanche
Dubois (Vivien Leigh) with no where else to go, winds up on
the seedy doorstep of her pregnant sister, Stella (Kim Hunter),
and her brutish, hostile husband, Stanley (Marlon Brando) claiming
nervous exhaustion due to financial difficulties, which resulted
in the selling of the family plantation, Belle Rive. Stanley
doesn't like the devious Blanche or trust her a bit, and the
two are at odds with each other, putting Stella (Kim Hunter)
in the middle. Stanley and Stella truly love each other, and
need each other. Despite his "macho swagger," Stanley
is emotionally dependent on Stella, and Stella dearly loves
Stanley, despite his obvious warts, faults, and weaknesses.
Deep down Stanley is a good guy. But, is that enough?
Blanche, a lonely, tortured woman, who is on
the edge of loosing her mind, tries to put herself between them
in various ways, causing trouble. What a lovely situation for
a pregnant woman and her volatile husband! Blanche looks down
on her sister for marrying such a man, and does her best to
influence her sister. Both Blanche and Stella, in a united front,
harshly shame Stanley for his "crude Polack behavior,"
throughout the story, causing more friction build up.
Blanche also gives seductive signals to Stanley.
The sexual vibes between Blanche and Stanley were detectable
in several scenes, despite 1951 censor standards. As Blanche
may be a victim, she is not an innocent, and uses promiscuity
to express her emotional neediness, and escape from her loneliness.
This "nymphomaniac" behavior has gotten her in trouble,
and stems from a traumatic event in her teen years.
Stanley does some investigating and finds out
that Blanche has been lying to them. Blanche mortgaged the plantation
and spent all the money. It also comes to light the reason why
Blanche had to leave her home in Ms., as her past catches up
to her. She was exiled from her home town of Laurel, Mississippi
because she seduced a 17 year old male student in her high school
English class. It looks like Blanche has found a way out of
her predicament, when one of Stanley's friends, Mitch (Karl
Malden) falls for her, thinking that she is a refined southern
lady. Stanley tells him the truth about Blanche, which stops
that possibility, and puts Blanche a step closer to complete
insanity.
When Stella goes to the hospital to have the
baby, Stanley and Blanche are left alone in the house. Stanley
sexually assaults Blanche, sending her over the edge into madness,
which doesn't improve this family's troubles, to say the least.
True to the spirit of William's play, this intelligent
and thought-provoking screenplay, by Tennessee Williams and
Oscar Saul, explores the weaknesses of the human condition,
as it shows us the story of yet another dysfunctional southern
family, filled with flawed but human people, making bad choices,
winding up in messes, and finding tragic ways to survive the
resulting pain and havoc. The greatness of this screenplay relies
not on action, but what is said between characters, and the
build up of emotional reactions that result, as characters slowly
loose control. By listening to the dialog between the characters,
and putting two and two together, Williams gives the audience
the opportunity to decide for themselves the truth about the
characters, making this film a psychological puzzle of sorts,
which requires the audience to think in order to get
the most out of this film.
Marlon Brando's snarling, mumbling, violent
Stanley Kowalski explodes from the screen with raw naturalism.
Movie acting would never be the same after his intense, Method
Acting portrayal. While not all critics appreciated it at the
time, the movie audiences were knocked out by Brando, particularly
the young, for whom he represented a spokesman for the inarticulate.
A favorite scene takes place outside Brando's
home at night. Sweating, with his ever present ripped t-shirt,
he cries out, "Stella!" in anguish, seeking his wife.
Sounding more like a wounded animal than a civilized man, Brando
vividly portrays the vulnerability inside the animalistic man.
Vivien Leigh, as Blanche, gives one of her finest performances.
Leigh, who had a personal history of mental disorders, is very
convincing as the emotionally wounded, delusional sister-in-law,
Blanche, who, in her words, has, "...always relied on the
kindness of strangers."
A favorite scene with Vivien Leigh is her final
harrowing, pitiful descent into absolute madness, a radiant,
wrenching performance.
Kim Hunter, as Stella, does a wonderful job
as the most stable character in the screenplay who carries the
burdens put on her by her life, her husband, Stanley, her sister,
and her pregnancy, like a trooper, always in control of her
feelings, and holds everything together for awhile, despite
being between two clashing worlds of the volatile and the insane.
The film is a classic because of the powerful,
emotionally fiery screenplay, gifted direction, by Elia Kazan,
and the powerhouse acting, particularly the brilliant Brando,
and Vivien Leigh. Oscars went to Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, and
Karl Malden. Brando, who more than deserved it, didn't get one.
The film also won Oscars for the art direction-set decoration.
If you enjoyed A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, you
may like ON THE WATERFRONT, THE BIG EASY,
THE SNAKE PIT, ORDINARY PEOPLE, SWEET BIRD
OF YOUTH, and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.
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