Enter the 1950’s; we are now beyond the classic Hollywood Era and ready to explore some different kinds of film making. Alfred Hitchcock and Elia Kazan are two directors who rose to prominence in this era. Hitchcock pioneered the “suspense thriller” and is notable for many popular 1950’s films, including Vertigo, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, and North by Northwest. He rose to prominence as a public figure; often his name was a big draw for viewers rather than just the actors. That’s not to discount the actors that starred in his films, though – he frequently teamed up with legends such as Jimmy Stewart (Rear Window, Vertigo), Cary Grant (North by Northwest), and Grace Kelly (Dial M for Murder, Rear Window). Another influential filmmaker was Elia Kazan, who is often associated with method acting. I had previously seen one of his less known films, A Face in the Crowd, in a class and enjoyed it, so I chose to give another of his films a try. Knowing little about its plot, I decided on A Streetcar Named Desire, which stars Vivien Leigh, the actress who portrayed Scarlett O’hara in Gone with the Wind, and Marlon Brando, who goes on to act in The Godfather. This 1951 film was the one that catapulted Brando into stardom.
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The film, adapted from a stage play, centers around an aging Southern Belle who finds herself at her sister’s doorstep asking for a place to stay. Blanche’s pretentious and fragile personality clashes with her sister Stella’s unrefined and unpredictable husband, Stanley. The tension between Blanche and Stanley grows as the trio live in the small apartment for months, and eventually Blanche’s real troubles that brought her to her sister’s place in New Orleans are revealed.
I was surprised by how daring and ahead of its time the film was with its major themes. The film boldly tackles mental illness by focusing on Blanche’s growing mental instability, even playing sounds and music to capture what is going on in her head. The film raises awareness of mental illness and its potential need to be treated. Also, domestic violence / abuse is a very important issue in this film. Ultimately, one could argue that it sends a message of empowerment to leave an abusive relationship, but not before exploring the role of desire, hence the name of the film. At the time, Streetcar ran into trouble with the Production Code’s censors for some of its controversial subjects, which resulted in some cuts before its release, but not before it pushed at the boundaries of film at the time.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the film. At times I thought the acting seemed a bit over-the-top, but I still thought that it was very well-cast and intriguing. This film won four Oscars and has earned a place in the American film canon. It is the source of some iconic movie quotes, including, “Stellaaa! Hey Stella!”, shouted by Marlon Brando in perhaps the film’s most famous scene. Additionally, the American Film Institute recognizes one of Vivien Leigh’s lines, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” among top movie quotes as well. I believe Streetcar‘s compelling and complex themes and its illustrious cast make it worth the watch!
During highschool Streetcare was required reading, and we actually watched the movie alongside our reading. I thought the movie was really well done for its time, and while there was really only one set it was extremely detailed. I think the play was very ahead of its times with some of the topics discussed, like mental illness, and even homosexuality.