Year of Release: 1951Country of Origin: USA
Director: Elia Kazan
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden
Plot outline: A fading southern belle tries to build a new life with her sister in French quarter in New Orleans (IMDb).
Based on the play of the same name by Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire is a superbly crafted drama. Vivien Leigh gives the penultimate performance of her career, ironically as another southern belle. In this movie, however, she is far more tragic. While Marlon Brando gives the most intensely riveting, sexually explosive performance in movie history. The line most vividly remembered is screamed by Brando: "Stellaaaaa ... !!! ", but the best line is spoken by Leigh - as she is taken to a rest home: "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." Still this brilliant movie belongs to Brando. He received the first of four consecutive Best Actor nominations and became an instant international sensation. Along with Montgomery Clift and James Dean, Brando completely revolutionized American movie acting. The term 'method' became a part of the language of cinema. Elia Kazan directs with purpose and authority. He wound up with a movie that raised the ante on the level of naturalistic acting in film. The movie is highly verbal and is paced leisurely, but for the patient viewers the payoff is huge! (P)
My judgement: **** out of 4 stars
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