#60 - A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Here's another classic. I know I've been hinting Gone with the Wind a dozen times already, but it's three and a half hours long and I'm a lazy shit. Nevertheless, I am more than satisfied with this one. A Streetcar Named Desire is an extremely influential film that holds up to this day as a great film to watch.

Vivien Leigh stars as Blanche Dubois, a rich lady that has to move into her sister Stella's apartment since the family estate has apparently been "lost", much to the intrigue of her sister. Stella lives in a blue collar neighbourhood in New Orleands with her abusive husband, Stanley (Marlon Brando). Blanche meets one of Stanley's friends, Mitch, who slowly starts to figure out her past. And tension keeps growing between Blanche and Stanley, as her presence disrupts his life with Stella.

  

Yay for domestic violence.

The film has plenty of interesting subplots, all of them handled perfectly. Er, ok, maybe the credit should go to the original writer, Tennessee Williams, but the adapted screenplay and perfect cast deserve just as much praise. Stella and Stanley's odd relationship, for instance, is incredibly interesting, with Stella giving up her social status and marrying an abusive husband just for the sex, and apparently it seems to work until Blanche comes in and ruins that balance. Blanche's true past, the way she tries to hide it, and how it is revealed; Stanley's wilderness and how he reacts to Blanche's presence and pretentiousness... it is all really well handled.

And of course none of it would be half as good if it weren't for the cast. Vivien Liegh's performance is perfect, always sounding convincing no matter how melodramatic the situation gets. Stella, played by Kim Hunter, is a surprisingly interesting character, torn between her sister and her upbringing, and her husband and her new lifestyle. But Marlon Brando, of course, steals the show as Stanley. His performance, in fact, is a freaking milestone in filmmaking history. Before this film, there were rude or cynical characters, of course, but they still showed some signs of politeness or charm. Stanley is raw, unkempt, even animalistic.

  

While many moments stand out, the drunk Stanley screaming for Stella is the most memorable.

So, if you think about it, that is the film's biggest achievement.  Everything I mentioned, Stella and Stanley's relationship, Blanche's promiscuous character, the animalistic attraction Stella feels for Stanley and, well, Stanley himself; all lead towards one common theme: lust. This is one of the first films to have the balls to adress the then-controversial topic so directly. Not to mention all the domestic violence.

A Streetcar Named Desire is an extremely influential and transgressive movie, and it's a crime to overlook it. I can't pinpoint anything it does wrong: the characters and performances are fantastic, the themes and the plot are only heightened by the audacity of the filmmakers. This 60 year old film has aged wonderfully and is still very worth watching.