It’s hard to imagine Marlon Brando as anyone other than the notorious Godfather. But before he was Don Corleone, Brando turned in a riveting performance as Stanley in Elia Kazan’s A Streetcar Named Desire, based on the play by Tennessee Williams.
The film follows Blanche (Vivien Leigh), who arrives on her sister Stella’s doorstep claiming to be suffering a nervous breakdown. Blanche is perhaps the world’s worst house guest: when she witnesses the deeply sexual love that Stella and Stanley share, she sets out to ruin their relationship. Blanche is met with Stanley’s wrath as she tries to come between husband and wife.
The movie is carried by powerful performances from both Brando and Leigh. Brando exudes a sexual yet vulnerable presence that makes Stanley, despite his terrifying brutality, irresistibly dynamic. A Streetcar Named Desire emanates an old-school finesse in presenting an intense emotional journey for two complex characters.
