A Streetcar Named Desire - 1951, directed by Elia Kazan

It took me years to fully appreciate everything this Tennessee Williams adaptation had to offer. The atmosphere is just dripping with "desire" and passion, the two forces that drive the characters' actions in the story. This is arguably the best acted movie of all-time, capturing the Oscars for 3 out of the 4 acting categories (Brando was bested by Humphrey Bogart's turn in The African Queen). From the start, director Elia Kazan brings it full force and doesn't let up until the final impassioned cry is uttered.

Vivien Leigh is Blanche DuBois, a troubled woman who comes to New Orleans unexpectedly to stay with her sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and brother-in-law Stanley (Marlon Brando). She tells them that she is looking to spend a few days with them and relax, but is really looking for a home after being ostracized from her hometown. Stella is excited about the arrival of her sister, but Stanley doesn't appreciate the imposition, and soon tries to find out Blanche's real motives.

As Stanley digs deeper and discovers more of the truth, Blanche meanwhile finds the perfect subject to get her out of her problems. She befriends Stanley's friend, the single, lonely and awkward Mitch, and passes herself onto him as a refined, elegant lady. Mitch immediately falls for her, and their relationship develops almost as quickly as Stanley pieces together the mystery of Blanche's disturbing past.

Stanley's inner desire for Blanche becomes more and more unbearable. And as he discovers what really led to her banishment, his desire develops into hatred and drives his actions accordingly. Blanche's exile, which was primarily due to her nymphomaniac behaviour... and ultimately her being caught with a 17-year old student of hers, was a result of her actions under a neurotic and disillusioned view of life after the death of her husband. The once loving sister that Stella had grown to love, was now a mental case on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

It's hard to single out the best performance, as all of them are equally good. Vivien Leigh is probably the most impressive, delivering what I consider one of the Top 5 female lead performances ever. And what may be the case of fiction mirroring reality, she captures every bit of Blanche's mental case and adds an over-the-top flair that only she could.

Marlon Brando is just as impressive as Stanley, delivering arguably his best performance (although I side with his interepretation of Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront). His unpredictable brutality and unbridled passion are hard to ignore. Kim Hunter is also memorable as the trusting and loving Stella, caught in the onslaught of Stanley and Blanche's ongoing tirade. Karl Malden, playing against type, gives what I consider one of the greatest of all supporting performances as Mitch. His awkwardness, loneliness, passion, and later bitter rage are all masterfully revealed.

The art direction and cinematography are all on display here as well. Elia Kazan, one of the most underrated directors in cinema history, is at his best. Of course, it probably helps to have some of the greatest actors to hit the screen in your corner. A Streetcar Named Desire is a film that I have seen countless times and never grown tired. There may not ever be a motion picture quite as passionate.

© 2007 Kim Bartlett