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Streetcar Named Desire Play Vs Movie Essay

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Recommended: A Streetcar Named Desire Critical Analysis

In the film portrayal of the play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, the director Elia Kazan brings the play to life. Even though some of the original content in the play needed to be slightly modified due to taboos that existed during the time period that the movie was released, Streetcar is brought to life in this black and white film. Viewers who may have previously read the original play by Tennessee Williams will find the movie not only pleasant to watch but also true to the ideals and characters that Williams wrote about in the original text.
In the play, many important themes exist and can easily be identified throughout all 11 scenes of the play. The theme of female dependence on men is time and time seen throughout the …show more content…

His flirtatious nature toward women other than his wife is shown by the taking off of his shirt in the movie and by saying that “[his] motto is being comfortable”. Brando’s acting in this scene conveys that Stanley is aware that he has a muscular upper body that initially impresses Blanche. He is proud of his physical appearance; even though that is the very thing he ridicules Blanche about on numerous occasions. Additionally, his loyalties to Mitch are shown in the film, instead of just being mentioned which occurs in the play. Kazan makes the decision to show the chaos that erupts at the plant where the two work after Stanley exposes the truth about Blanche’s past. The showing of this in the film shows that despite Stanley’s tough exterior and tough-guy persona, he genuinely cares about the well-being of his friends. Furthermore, by Kazan showing this scene, a previous reader can see that there is some truth to Mitch’s line on page 117 when he says “I called him a liar at first”. Finally, in the play, while Stanley’s power over Stella may have been present for the entirety of the play, this is not the case in the film. His powers over Stella end when she decides to run to Eunice’s and to not ever return to the apartment ever again after Blanche leaves for the mental

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Stanley is a blunt, practical, and animalistic man who has no patience for subtleties and refinement. His animalistic character shows the moment he meets Blanche, when he, moving with “animalistic joy” (24), “sizes” Blanche up with “sexual classifications” and “crude image” in his mind (25). Under his stare, Blanche draws “involuntarily back” (25), a movement that foreshadows their later conflict and her subsequent demise. His practical and straightforward side shows when he interrogates Blanche about the sale of Belle Reve to make sure that his wife is not swindled. His straightforward, practical nature makes him “boom” out of impatience (46) and demands Blanche to cut straight to the point when she tries to talk in an indirect, subtle manner as befit a Southern gentlewoman.

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In 1951, the play was change into a movie by Elia Kazan. After reading and watching Streetcar Named Desire/Streetcar, I noticed there was some similarities and differences. Two similarities I will develop a thought on will be, the plot and setting. There were also some differences in the setting. Some aspects were emphasized more than other or even deleted.

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Film Analysis: A Streetcar Named Desire

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In 1951, Elia Kazan created a movie version of Tennessee Williams Street Car Named Desire. The play and movie both share the same characters and story. The plot was not changed except for the opening scene and the ending. The movie showed that Blanche took different street cars in the area surrounding where Stanley and Stella lived and the viewer could imagine how difficult it was for Blanche to adjust. There are only a few changes in dialogue for Blanche.

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He is what you call "the gaudy seed-bearer," a man who takes pleasure in being man. With the presence of Blanche, Stanley feels an awkward risk to those things that are his which makes his man senses tingling, Blanche turns into a bacteria towards his lifestyle he feels that she is an infection to his marriage. It was a big fight between him and stella after the poker game He realizes the after with stella would have never happened if Blanche had not been around. He feels that it is her causing the tension between him and his better half.

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After having been performed at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in 1946, A Streetcar Named Desire brought about much controversy. At first it seemed that much of the controversy stemmed from the unpleasantness with which the subject was presented, such as the vulgar, unprecedented topics acted out on stage. George Jean Nathan, an original critic of the play, touched upon the vulgar manner of the drama, calling it “The Glands Menagerie.” (Bak, “Criticism on a Streetcar Named Desire”) Perhaps the more pressing reason as to why this play was received controversially, however, is a result of its cynical nature.

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He desires a normal life with Stella, without Blanche in the picture. As told in A Streetcar Named Desire--Psychoanalytic Perspectives, “After exposing all of Blanches shameful secrets and destroying her plans to marry Mitch, Stanley completes her violation and subjugation by raping her, which drives her to insanity” (A Streetcar Named Desire--Psychoanalytic Perspectives, Silvio). Stanley desires a normal life without Blanche so bad, that he completely broke her to get it. Stanley also wants to be desired.

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In A Streetcar Named Desire, there is an ongoing power struggle between Stanley and Blanche, which propels the narrative. Stanley has the power of masculine physicality and mentality whereas Blanche only has the power of her background, of which she feigns to be her class. As the battle between the two is predominantly over Stella, we begin to witness in scene 2, where Stanley openly accuses Blanche of hiding “legal papers connected with the plantation”. His aggressive nature, towards her, motivates the idea of his resentment towards her, as

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Stanley serves to play a dominant role within his family but his nature and attitude is far from being developed. While Stanley posses the ability to assert dominance over others, which builds a leadership role within his character, others such as Blanche, see him as a working-class “Polack” referring to his “Polish” background and thus implying that he is an immigrant. She also notices his violent “ape” like behaviour to make remark of his animalistic nature. During

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In Scene 10, she deviously claims that she has just received a telegram from the millionaire, Steph Huntleigh, to explain why she is dressed up. At first, Stanley plays along, but once Blanche musters up the audacity to say that Mitch returned to their apartment seeking repentance, Stanley draws the line. He calls her out for her fictitious tales of her past, and states, “We’ve had this date from the start,” just before he maliciously rapes Blanche. Their natures root in primal, animalistic instincts, Stanley like a dirty hog, open and free concerning his sexuality, Blanche like a fox, sly and deceitful. Despite her incessant attempts to destroy her past, Blanche is unable to stop their sexual connection as she has had so many other men.

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In other words, Stella is very aware that her sexual relationship with Stanley can help her sort out any problems between them. Also, shortly before Stanley rapes Blanche, Williams says in the stage directions that there were “inhuman voices like cries in the jungle” (399; sc. 10). Blanche, which means white wood, is out of her element in this jungle of Stanley’s and it is she, who once called Stanley “bestial” (322; sc. 4) and “sub-human” (323; sc. 4), who has now found herself being stalked and charged like prey being hunted by an animal. With his sister-in-law present, Stanley has been unable to fulfill his sexual desires and so he releases them out on Blanche.

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It also highlights Stella’s submissive nature, and how she conforms to the sexist societal expectations of a helpless and fragile woman. Although the surrounding male characters disregard Stanley’s abuse, the audience is repulsed by it and identifies it as morally wrong. This shows how Williams is criticising the acceptance of this abusive behaviour in society, using Stella’s dilemma as a victim to plea for a change. Stanley is even abusive when displaying his

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This is made clear through Stanley’s insecurities about inferiority to women and his prolonged struggle to defeat Blanche. Again, this is evident with Blanche and even Stella. Stella is perceived as a static character with no real individuality, and Blanche, who is seemingly more independent, is characterized mostly by her sexuality. Tennessee Williams demonstrates society’s need for the superiority of men to women through the interactions of Stanley and Blanche in the play, their struggles, and their ultimate

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When Blanche comes to stay with them, she is enraged at what she witnesses. However Stella believes Blanche is making a big deal of what she considers to be small. Personally, I agree with Blanche on Stanley being a madman. I believe it wrong under all circumstances to violate anyone for selfish desires and envy. Even if it reflects the society in the 1940s, Stanley much more animalistic.

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During this time men brought in the money for the household, while the mother’s would stay at home and watch over the children of the family. With this came a sense of pride and authority for the men. Throughout the film Stanley continually abuses Blanche and even goes to the extreme of raping her. He depicts an animal-like man with no awareness of morals. When he gets angry he has no control of his reactions and results to physical violence.

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