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A Streetcar Named Desire
1951 125 min United States of America PG 12+
★8.8
Drama, Thriller
Director: Elia Kazan
🎭 Based on
«A Streetcar Named Desire»
byTennessee Williams
Trailers
Description
A disturbed, aging Southern belle moves in with her sister for solace — but being face-to-face with her brutish brother-in-law accelerates her downward spiral.
Budget:
$1.8M
Worldwide:
$8M
Starring
Vivien Leigh
Actor
Marlon Brando
Actor
Kim Hunter
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Supporting Actor
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe 1952
— Best Supporting Actress
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Director
BAFTA 1953
— Best Picture
Golden Globe 1952
— Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe 1952
— Best Picture (Drama)
Venice Film Festival 1951
— Special Jury Prize
BAFTA 1953
— Best British Actress
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Actress
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Picture
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Production Design (Black and White)
Venice Film Festival 1951
— Golden Lion
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Cinematography (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Score for a Drama or Comedy
Golden Globe 1952
— Best Actress (Drama)
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Costume Design (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1952
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Venice Film Festival 1951
— Volpi Cup – Best Actress
Key opinion
A Streetcar Named Desire is widely regarded as a cinematic masterpiece that successfully translates its theatrical origins into a tense, emotionally harrowing experience. The film is defined by the electrifying, contrast-heavy performances of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, though audience reactions to the characters' morality remain deeply divided.
| Acting | Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando deliver powerful, industry-defining performances that anchor the film's intense psychological conflict. | |
| Adaptation | The film excels as a faithful adaptation that successfully preserves the claustrophobic tension and brutal atmosphere of Tennessee Williams' original play. | |
| Direction | The direction effectively utilizes the unity of place to immerse viewers in the characters' emotions and heighten the sense of mounting desperation. | |
| Emotion | Opinions on the lead characters are divided: some viewers feel profound empathy for Blanche’s fragile state, while others find her arrogance and manipulative behavior difficult to sympathize with. | |
| Pacing | The film's relentless focus on brutal realism and the unpleasantness of its central conflicts makes for a challenging viewing experience that some find difficult to finish. |