Customer Reviews

Streetcar Named Desire/Director's [VHS]

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The Director's Cut of "Streetcar" adds back little snippets (such as Brando's "Tiger, tiger, drop that bottle top") that were removed because of a strict Production Code.


A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE ran for two years on Broadway (855 performances). The only member of the opening night's main cast of 10 to not appear in the film was Jessica Tandy. She was replaced by Vivien Leigh to add "star power" to a company of relative unknowns.

It's said that John Garfield refused the role of Stanley as he didn't want to be outshone by the female lead. Marlon Brando proved that fear very wrong. He's just brilliant as the animalistic Kowalski. It's an overpowering and unforgettable performance. For Miss Leigh, playing Blanche was typecasting. The actress had bipolar disorder and years later fantasized that she really was the tragic DuBois.


SYNOPSIS--
When Stanley and Stella Kowalski's cramped tenement apartment is invaded by her much older and quite flaky sister Blanche, Stan does a not always slow burn that reaches flashpoint while Stella's giving birth in hospital. Although it isn't shown, we know what he does to Blanche. This violent act pushes her off the precipe of fantasy (where Blanche has been precariously hanging for perhaps many years) and right into full-blown insanity.

Adapted from Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama and directed by Elia Kazan, this is one of the greatest movies of the 1950s and just may be the finest play-on-film of all time.


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(8.1) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) - Marlon Brando/Vivien Leigh/Kim Hunter/Karl Malden