A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Director: Elia Kazan
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter

Synopsis:
A woman's mentally unstable sister moves in and clashes with her loutish husband.

Impressions:
I'll admit to having mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it's an interesting character study with some strong performances, especially by Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, but the characters that are so interesting are also so reprehensible that watching them is uncomfortable. Now, I'm not one who believes that media has to always be comforting, but some experiences just trigger the flight response. Blanche is that special brand of crazy you want to get away from as quickly as you can and Stanley is the kind of creepo you want to avoid whenever possible. Interesting characters but terrible human beings. If that doesn't strike you as a bar for entry and/or you're a Tennessee Williams fan, give this one a watch. It may not be exactly your cup of tea, but it's a culturally significant film that's worth a viewing.

Rating:
Watch It