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A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Certificate 15

A Streetcar Named Desire

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Rated 4.0 stars
Average rating
(75%)
 
Starring: Vivien Leigh | Marlon Brando | Kim Hunter | Karl Malden | Wright King | Rudy Bond | Nick Dennis | Richard Garrick
Director: Elia Kazan
Studio: WARNER HOME VIDEO
Run time: 119 mins
Genres: Drama
Languages: English
Subtitles: English, Czech, German, Dutch, Spanish, Greek, Polish
Released: May 08, 2006

In the classic play by Tennessee Williams, brought to the screen by Elia Kazan, faded Southern belle Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) comes to visit her pregnant sister, Stella (Kim Hunter), in a seedy section of New Orleans. Stella's boorish husband, Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando), not only regards Blanche's aristocratic affectations as a royal pain but also thinks she's holding out on inheritance money that rightfully belongs to Stella. On the fringes of sanity, Blanche is trying to forget her checkered past and start life anew. Attracted to Stanley's friend Mitch (Karl Malden), she glosses over the less savory incidents in her past, but she soon discovers that she cannot outrun that past, and the stage is set for her final, brutal confrontation with her brother-in-law. Brando, Hunter, and Malden had all starred in the original Broadway version of Streetcar, although the original Blanche had been Jessica Tandy. Brando lost out to Humphrey Bogart for the 1951 Best Actor Oscar, but Leigh, Hunter, and Malden all won Oscars.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Highest rated reviews

16 out of 22 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 2.0 stars
Desireless

Francis Houseman from Autumn Falls, England, 29th September, 2005

I watched this thinking I'd love it, but i watched it hoping it would hurry up and end. It all seemed a bit wooden, although Marlon Brandon did look wonderful in it(!)

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9 out of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars
Brando in his spectacular role as the dashing and brutal Stanley Kowalski

Irfan Lamba from England, Reading, 2nd December, 2004

Marlon Brando sets the standards for future actors in his role as Stanley Kowalski. Although there have been many more film adaptations after this one, no other actor has been able to match, or even come close to Brando's performance in this masterpiece directed by Elia Kazan.

What I mainly love about this film is Brando's peformance. He is amazing. His ability to superb ability to improvise is clearly evident and is part of what makes this film so great.

Vivien Leigh is also magnificent in her Oscar Winning Performance as Blance Dubois. This film is well worth watching and I'd recommend it to anyone.

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5 out of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars
Unmissable

RJNeb2 from , 20th August, 2006

Searing adaptation of one of Tennessee Williams' finest plays, this boasts extraordinary performances all round as fading, neurotic Southern belle Blanche DuBois sweats it out in her sister's tiny New Orleans apartment, all the while circling round her feral, brutish brother-in-law. Hunter and Malden deservedly won Oscars for their supporting performances, and Leigh really gets under the brittle, terrified skin of the vaguely nymphomaniac Blanche. But it's Brando you have to watch - you have no choice. His star-making performance is sheer electricity. Wisely, director Elia Kazan avoids any gimmicks and just lets his amazing ensemble of actors get on with it, backed up with deeply shadowy cinematography and a sensual jazz score.

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3 out of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 2.0 stars
Good in it's Day

John Wilson from Aberdeenshire Scotland, 14th June, 2006

Fantastic acting if they were on stage. The cast in this film says - this will be good, but for modern eyes it looks like a bit of adult panto. The film would do well with a modern remake using actors who are a bit less used to being on the stage, and more on the screen. Over sized gestures and eye movments are a bit passe nowadays. Took too long - a bit of a dissapointment

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Most recent reviews

Rated 5.0 stars
Fantastic Old School Film

A Customer from Wales, 7th January, 2010

They just don't make them like this any more!! Brilliant plot, brilliant actors with the fabulous vivien Leigh on top form and Brando was marvelous as ever. I loved this film and would recommend it to all Viven Leigh fans, you forget about Scarlet O'Hara when you see her in this role as her acting skills really come across. Simply wonderful film!!

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Rated 2.0 stars
A lost opportunity

Zamy from , 2nd March, 2009

Re-viewing this film after a long gap I have to say that it does not really impress. Mainly this is down to director Kazan who waters down the best bits of Williams plot and dialogue. Even worse he presides over a clearly mismatched 'method' performance from Marlon Brando and a cringe inducing mannered theatrical performance from Vivien Leigh. Still worth watching for Brando - just.

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Rated 5.0 stars
excellent

A Customer from Birkenhead, 29th January, 2009

excellent sunday afternoon film, great performance from Brando, good story, also funny with being an older film the things they said and did!!! Well worth a watch if you like old genre films.

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Rated 4.0 stars
Where are the songs!

A Customer from Edinburgh, 18th January, 2009

Damn you Simpsons! The whole way through this I couldn't stop thinking about Streetcar: The Musical. When Steve the paper boy came collecting but didn't use the word 'losee' - I was a bit disappointed. Still, it gave me even more respect for that classic episode. Anyway - in terms of a real critique this movie was pretty darn good. Everything looked classic in its brooding black and white and Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando were both excellent in that 50's-cinema overacting kind of way. What else is there to say. Another classic which does indeed live up to its rep.

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