A Streetcar Named Desire

Riding on a streetcar with the destination card 'Desire' displayed in front, Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) reaches a rundown section of the old French Quarter of New Orleans to visit her sister, Stella (Kim Hunter), who is married to the brutish, lower-class Stanley Kowalski(Marlon Brando). Blanche is completely caught up in a dream world of long-gone gentility, and is shocked by the shabbiness of her sister's way of life. Stella, on the other hand, is happy with Stanley and is concerned by her sister's neurotic appearance as the latter pours forth an incoherent story of the loss of the family's plantation and her subsequent ill health which forced her to quit her teaching job. Blanche meets Mitch (Karl Malden), Stanley's poker-playing pal, and a romance develops which promises a new and more realistic life for Blanche. Stanley, however, angered by Blanche's continual criticism of his crudeness, investigates her and reveals to Mitch some questionable aspects of her past life. Mitch brutally spurns her and Blanche pathetically falls deeper into her dream world with the help of more taunting by Stanley. Finally, while Stella is at the hospital having a child, Stanley performs a barbaric act that drives Blanche into a complete breakdown. Blanche is taken away and Stanley, rebuffed by his wife and deserted by his friends is forced to face the results of his handiwork.

ClickView-logo-inverted-RGBClickView-logo-white-RGBhyperlink-circle