Category: A Streetcar Named Desire

Streetcar Named Desire

Streetcar Named Desire is based on the play by the same name written by Tennessee Williams. The movie is as tensed as the play. It is necessary to note that the movie is famous for its cast performance. Marlon Brando’s acting is astounding as he manages to create a character that is full of passion and life. Vivien Leigh and Kim Hunter also manage to create lively characters. The two sisters embody all joys and sorrows of females who lived at that time. It is possible to state that acting is exemplary in this movie.

As for technology, it is possible to note that it is also remarkable. The filmmakers managed to create a combination of theatrical art, cinematography, and real life. The setting is limited to Kowalski’s house, but there is still an illusion of space. There is a great variety of different shots (e.g. wide shots, close-ups, cut-ins, over-the-shoulder, etc.). This creates a feeling of participation as if the viewer is an unseen witness. The sound is also very good as the music creates the necessary atmosphere. It is also necessary to add that sophisticated make-up adds reality to the movie.

I love the movie as it is a great mix of a theatrical performance and a good movie. The story itself is appealing, and it required a lot of effort, but the filmmakers managed to tell the story perfectly well. I love theatre, but some people fail to understand the value of a play as they do not pay attention to meaningful details. In the film, the director draws the viewers’ attention to the necessary details. Of course, I prefer searching for the details and clues by myself. However, in this case, my vision coincides with the directors. Therefore, I love the film, and I think this is one of the best screenings of a play.

Cyrano De Bergerac

This movie is a good taped version of the famous play. As far as acting is concerned, it is rather good. However, actors sometimes overact. This can be due to the format, as there are main stage laws. Thus, actors have to speak loudly and distinctly. They also have to ‘interact’ with the viewer. It is also necessary to add that Kevin Kline’s performance is outstanding. He manages to reveal the deepest emotions of his character.

At the same time, there are certain flaws when it comes to technology. For example, the make-up is not very good. The significant characteristic feature of Cyrano De Bergerac, his nose, looks very unnatural. The scenery could also be better. Though, it is acceptable for a play. As far as the advantages of the production, the light is used properly, and the most important things are highlighted. The costumes correspond to the epoch when the story is set. The sound is also good. Nonetheless, the flaws of make-up are rather frustrating and outweigh the advantages.

Irrespective of the downsides of the play, I loved it. I believe Kline’s performance makes it remarkable. Amazingly, an actor can reveal those emotions. I lost the sense of reality when watching his acting. My overall impression is quite positive, but I think the movie could be much better. Though, the movie can be a good supplementary material for those who want to know more about theatrical art.

The juxtaposition of the abundance associated with city life and the simplicity that living in a county typically symbolizes is represented quite vividly in Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire” and the corresponding 1951 movie. The specified concept is represented particularly thoroughly in the scene of Blanche and Stanley meeting for the first time. The contrast between the costumes of the characters, namely, Blanche’s stylist dress with multiple decorations and Stanley’s simplistic clothing, sets a distinctively felt boundary between them, making the audience acknowledge that the specified scene means not only two characters meeting, but also two alien worlds colliding.

Although Blanche’s and Stanley’s clothes belong to the same time period and, therefore, allow the characters to coexist within the same reality and interact naturally, the differences in the details and the style serve more than merely representing them as different characters. The urban style of Blanche’s dress implies that her costume serves a uniquely different purpose from the practical one of Stanley’s. Namely, it serves to emphasize her status and background. For instance, the dainty and elegant nature of the dress and the silhouette that it creates is contrasted sharply with the rough and even coarse impression that Stanley’s costume has. As a result, Blanche’s middle-class background clashes with Stanley’s working-class one before they are properly introduced to the audience. Thus, the premise for further conflict within the play and the tension between the two characters is established.

Furthermore, the costumes of Blanche and Stanley serve as a shorthand to outline the differences in their personalities. The roughness and coarseness of Stanley’s character echoe a range of his personality traits, such as his straightforwardness. In the scene in question, the specified characteristic of his shines particularly brightly as he talks to Blanche directly and without any embellishments. Specifically, he clarifies that he does not seek an idle conversation and does not intend to waste his time on it: “Oh, hiya. Yeah, where’s the little woman?” (“A Streetcar Named Desire” 00:12:34). The specified exchange is quite awkward and short, with the characters’ key traits being established carefully though briefly. Due to the limitation in time that the short dialogue sets, the characters and their personalities must be introduced promptly so that the audience could identify their dynamics immediately. In turn, the costumes perform the specified function impeccably, setting the tone and the dynamics in Blanche’s and Stanley’s interactions.

Remarkably, even the small nuances of the characters’ personalities are reflected in the costumes that they wear. For instance, Blanche’s initial timidity and daintiness that her urban lifestyle and the job of an actress made her develop are reflected in the details of her dress. From delicate frills to the thin material to the decoration on her shoulder that does not serve any purpose outside of an aesthetic one, her costume embodies the quintessence of stereotypical femininity. In contrast, Stanley’s costume, particularly, the roughly cut trousers and the shirt, signify his masculinity: “Mind if I make myself comfortable?” (“A Streetcar Named Desire” 00:13:09). Thus, the costumes outline the nuances of the characters’ personality and forecast the further dynamics between them. Thus, the theme of the juxtaposition of masculinity and femininity, as well as the questioning of these concepts’ rigidity, is once again raised with the help of the details in the costumes of the characters.

Finally, the manner in which the characters wear their costumes discloses a significant amount of information about them and their key traits. Specifically, as Stanley takes off his jacket, his shirt is revealed to be quite sweaty. The specified characteristic is juxtaposed to Blanche’s well-kempt and neat dress. While clearly signifying their class differences, namely, Blanche belonging to the middle-class caste, whereas Stanley being of the working class origin, the described characteristic also reflects the contrast between the traditional notion of masculinity and femininity. Namely, Stanley’s sweaty shirt signals his masculine nature, whereas Blanche’s tidy and neat dress represents her behavior and character, which are feminine to the point of a cliché, especially in her initial politeness and compliance: “Please do” (00:13:12). The described difference creates a menacing feeling that foreshadows the tragic climax of the story, which is why the clothing choice made in the movie is central to the further portrayal of the relationships between the characters. The specified choice of clothing helps set the tone and the character dynamics, thus, making their further relationships and the conflict between them believable.

By utilizing costumes carefully as a means of representing the characters’ backgrounds and social positions, the 1951 movie version of “A Streetcar Named Desire” draws a clear line between Blanche’s world of urbanism and Stanley’s realm of practicality and simplicity. As a result, the clothes used for the movie and described in the play serve a clear purpose of distancing the characters from one another, thus, establishing an evident motive for a conflict. The striking difference between the costumes, namely, the style and the function thereof, helps reinforce the concept that Stanley and Blanche represent two entirely different worlds, which creates premises for the main conflict within the narrative.

Work Cited

A Streetcar Named Desire. Directed by Ella Kazan, performances by Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1951.