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 A Streetcar Named Desire 

What grade would you give this film?
A 71%  71%  [ 5 ]
B 14%  14%  [ 1 ]
C 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
D 14%  14%  [ 1 ]
F 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 7

 A Streetcar Named Desire 
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Post A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire

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A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1951 American romantic drama film adaptation of the 1947 play of the same name by Tennessee Williams, who also wrote the screenplay with Oscar Saul. It was directed by Elia Kazan, who had also directed the original stage production, and stars Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden; all but Leigh were chosen from the Broadway cast of the play, while Leigh had starred in the London West End production. It was produced by talent agent and lawyer Charles K. Feldman, and released by Warner Bros. The film had many revisions to remove references to homosexuality, among other things.

A Streetcar Named Desire marked as the first film ever to win three out of four acting categories at Academy Award, including Best Actress for Leigh, Best Supporting Actor for Malden, and Best Supporting Actress for Hunter. Only Brando's performance as Stanley Kowalski did not win the Oscar. The film is also marked as the first film ever to have won both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.


Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:56 am
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A

I feel On the Waterfront is a more fun and entertaining film, but it is Steetcar that is Elia Kazan's masterpiece... It is a much stronger creation and film accomplishment overall, a masterful clinic of characterization downward spirals and acting bliss. With the way it dominated the Oscars that year, I expect it was a huge surprise to see it lose.

While the character work is brilliant, it is the acting that solidifies its greatness. Brando is of course beyond awesome, and matching him is Vivien Leigh, of whom I'm convinced if she acted in more movies(She only made 5 movies between 1939's GWTW and 1951's Streetcar), could've easily been up there to this day with Hepburn and Davis in terms of nominations, wins, and status as one of the best ever. Haven't seen Sunset Blvd. yet, but as it stands this is the best insane woman performance that I've seen.

Other than those 2, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter are good, but they didn't deserve to win Oscars... I can't believe Hunter did, this win was actually less deserving than Marie Saint for Waterfront, Stella just didn't do much in the movie at all. Though then again, maybe she would've stood out more if she wasn't a mortal walking among two acting gods. It's funny that there were really only 4 actors in this film, and every one of them won except Brando. He would've gotten it if not for Bogart's overdue sympathy Oscar though. I expect this movie overall was a few votes away in Picture, Director, and Actor, from being the most dominant Oscar film ever, it could've easiliy swept the top 6 major categories.

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Tue Apr 17, 2007 3:09 pm
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I couln't watch this without thinking of that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine takes too many muscle relaxers and yells "Steeeelllaaaaaaa!".

Seriously, it's a great movie. I'll have to disagree with Shack. I thought Kim Hunter and Karl Malden were really deserving of their awards. Brando should have won of course. He's fantastic, much better than Vivien Leigh who I actually think gives a performance that is a bit overrated. Still, it deserves an A/A-.


Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:14 pm
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Post Re: A Streetcar Nemed Desire
Beyond awesome. I feel like this is Brando's best performance and he really should have won the Oscar...that would have crazy, four acting wins from one film. While Brando is indeed excellent and both Karl Malden and Kim Hunter deliver fine performances, it's Vivien Leigh who shines above the rest. She was extraordinary. And of course, there's the famous line (which I am ashamed to say I did not know was from this movie).

A


Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:32 pm
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Post Re: A Streetcar Nemed Desire
Nemed eh... for shame Nebs, for shame

I think this is one of my favorite black and white films.

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Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:41 am
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Post Re: A Streetcar Nemed Desire
when the best actor nominees of that year included marlon brando, Humphrey bogart, and my personal favorite Montgomery Clift among others, it was bound to be a tough close call.

Anyway yeah this movie is just a master class in acting. Not my favorite Tennessee Williams play or adaptation of his play but an exhilirating watch nonetheless.

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Wed Aug 29, 2007 9:53 pm
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Post Re:
Shack wrote:
A

Haven't seen Sunset Blvd. yet, but as it stands this is the best insane woman performance that I've seen. .


I'd say it's a toss-up between Vivien Leigh here and Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. Both are in the top 15 female performances ever, imo.


Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:07 pm
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Post Re: A Streetcar Named Desire
While I personally like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof better, this is no doubt the better film. Although I do feel, unlike with Cat, the changes made from the original play under the hollywood code really do hurt the film here.
The film is strange: it looks and feels older than it is, despite Brando's very modern performance and fairly risque subject matter. The script never goes out of its way to be clever, except for maybe that last line, and is completely dedicated to its character, not its writer [Williams did the adapted version as well, I think]. Out of the great Hollywood stage movies, it probably makes the least effort to distinguish itself as part of the film medium, containing itself into one small, three-walled set for 95% of the film, and just really appearing to take place in a theater rather than in the everyday world, and lends itself to really being nothing more than an actors' showcase with great source material. And man, does it succeed, as Leigh, Brando, and the supporting cast all give iconic performances. Brando and Leigh are both so far over-the-top, but in completely different ways, as Brando goes for hyper-realism, and Leigh sticks with more traditional Hollywood acting, but at a level that is completely on par with Brando. The scenes between them are some of the most interesting, dynamically tense on film not just because of the literal narrative tensions between them, but in the different types acting methods and charisma that are showcased as well.
And I completely disagree with Shack that Kim Hunter isn't Oscar worthy here: her character is really, really difficult, but she seamlessly links the two fighting poles of the movie as their common ground without one hint of artifice. Malden is good as well, nothing astonishing, but good enough.

Oh, and the scene that takes place on the little dock/gazebo-thing on the water is fucking beautiful set design. And the score is fantastic.


Thu Nov 27, 2008 7:40 am
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Post Re: A Streetcar Named Desire
I'm really not sure what people saw in this back then and are surprised this seems to be still quite liked now. I thought it was quite the bore, it's slow paced and the story of a delusional woman living her life with some close ones coping with her just didn't get to me at all. Brando is a positive take away though, he has a charismatic screen presence and I could see the appeal he must have had back then. But the film feels mostly as just a waste of time.

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Sat Jun 27, 2020 6:45 am
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