Please don't spend money on this.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I watched this tonight for the first time and I really feel the need to say something that is completely out of step with every other opinion I've read.First, I should explain that I love movies from all periods and have bought over 1,500 films on DVD and Blu Ray, all ranging from 1920s releases right through to current day.I have often been stunned by the acting performances of both main stars and supporting cast, and this film provides another few good examples of what must be considered masterful acting. Marlon Brando, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter all shine in this movie, and they deserve every accolade thrown their way. But Vivien Leigh?There is not a single moment when I didn't find her acting to be completely over the top or lacking in authenticity. In fact, every scene of hers was painful, and the contrast it made with her co-stars was embarrassing to witness. I tried to remind myself that she was playing the part of someone who was going mad, but this fact provided no excuse for the shameful performance she gives here.We've all seen people doing roles like this before, since portraying mental instability/illness is nothing new to the big screen, and there are many, many cases where it is handled superbly and the descent into insanity is made completely believable by the actor in question. But in 'Streetcar' Vivien handles it as if she's never even been in front of a camera before.Watch her eyes, her reactions to people's comments and questions: there is not one second where she doesn't seem to be combining the automated recital of memorised dialogue with over-the-top emotion, and it was obvious to this viewer right from the start that she didn't understand how to portray authentic emotion/reaction at all.Yeah, yeah, I've read the reviews that all gush over her performance, even the director's comment that she brought everything he wanted to the role and more. At first this fact puzzled me greatly, since I found her performance to be easily the worst I've seen out of tens of thousands of performances in perhaps 20,000 or more movies over the years. But then I discovered that she was married to Lawrence Olivier right throughout her career, and everything suddenly made sense.How do you tell one of the greatest actors of all time that his wife reeks as an actress? Better yet, how do you cover for her awful performances when there is the possibility of a public backlash over her roles that could prove embarrassing for the great man? That's easily solved: just hand her an Academy Award and that will shut everyone up. "Oh, she got the Academy for that part?! Okay, then it must be good!"It isn't, and it brings down what could have been a 9/10 for 'Streetcar' to a 7, in my opinion.PS - I also found her acting to be just as painful in 'Gone With the Wind', and guess what?! She got the Academy Award for that part too!! Go figure.

She's a prissy "wannabe sophisticated", but past her prime for the times, and out of men to play. He's her social opposite. He's living in the "now", won't allow dreamy non-sense to be spoken in his castle, which just happens to be a seedy basement apartment in New Orleans French Quarter. Their surrounding are cheap and that's where the confrontations begin. Vulgar and bright, is our testosterone fueled ogre, barely draped in a t shirt so tight that imdv lists it amongst its' trivia! She's a freaking nutcase who attempts to cover up the truth behind her many shameful transgression with endless blabber about a dreamworld that's just as nauseating. This is one of the best dramas I ever had the pleasure of losing myself in. Elia Kazan doesn't let you out of your small corner while you await each confrontation, yet this would have boiled over early if not for our married sister caught in the middle.Marlon Brando was absolutely brilliant and Vivien Leigh, in the later stages of her "Scarlett" genre was completely terrifying in her cover up acting inside of the characters she floated willingly down the Denial River. The sympathetic plight belongs to Kim Hunters' Stella until the censored end. Would get 10/10 if not for those who stole our script and meaning. This is a story of confrontation that could have been even more of a social juggernaut!

For two hours I desired to jump into the screen and strangle one of my favorite actresses. I think Vivien Leigh was bit kook, cause something like this can not be completely faked. One of the most deserved Oscars I have ever seen. All 4 leading actors were nominated and only Brando didn't win it. I consider him one of the greatest actors of all time and his performance here definitely is on the level of Leigh, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter. I'm most sorry that Tennessee Williams didn't win the Oscar for screenplay, cause story of this depth and strength is rarely seen in movies. Mandatory for all film lovers.............................

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) **** (out of 4) Diva Blanche DuBois (Vivian Leigh) moves to New Orleasns to live with her younger sister Stella (Kim Hunter) but it doesn't take long for the sister's husband Stanley (Marlon Brando) to aim his brutish ways on her.A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE was a landmark play and it carried over to the big screen thanks in large part to the terrific performances as well as the frank sexuality. Some of the sexuality was edited out upon its original release but thankfully the footage was later restored. While the film doesn't contain the same power that it once had there's no question that it's still a refreshing slice of movie history.The greatest thing going for the film is without question the performances from the four main actors. Leigh delivers the greatest performance of her career as the mentally-ill sister who just can't keep out of her fantasy world. The nervous tension that Leigh gives the character is something truly refreshing to watch. Both Hunter and Karl Malden seem to get overlooked whenever the film is discussed but it's just because they're the supporting players to the leads. Both of them do a wonderful job in their roles and both are given plenty of scenes to shine.The real breakthrough is without question the work of Brando. Needless to say, he would go down in history as one of the greatest actors and in my opinion he is the greatest actor. The first time you see him here you can't help but feel as if a cold breeze just hit you because there really wasn't anything like him before. The method acting is spot=on perfect and there's just a certain rawness that jumps off the screen. This was all new at the time but even today you can't help but feel as if you're watching something original.There's some terrific cinematography, a great jazz score and some really great drama that comes through via the acting. As I said, some of the drama has been watered down over time but that doesn't take away what makes the film great and that are the performances and the direction of Elia Kazan.