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List Price: $26.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 5159
Released: May 2, 2006 |
| Our Price: $8.99 |
| Used Price: $7.74 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
A Streeetcar Named Desire: The Original Director's Version is the Elia Kazan/Tennessee Williams film moviegoers would have seen had not Legion of Decency censorship occurred at the last minute. It features three minutes of previously unseen footage underscoring among other things the sexual tension between Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) and Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando) and Stella Kowalski's (Kim Hunter) passion for husband Stanley. Catch all of the classic - nominated for 12 Academy AwardsO including Best Picture and winner of 4* - that introduced a new era of filmmaking. Step aboard this Streetcar.Running Time: 122 min.System Requirements:Running Time 122 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 085393893224 Manufacturer No: 38932
Description of A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition):
Looking for a benchmark in movie acting? Breakthrough performances don't come much more electrifying than Marlon Brando's animalistic turn as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. Sweaty, brutish, mumbling, yet with the balanced grace of a prizefighter, Brando storms through the role--a role he had originated in the Broadway production of Tennessee Williams's celebrated play. Stanley and his wife, Stella (as in Brando's oft-mimicked line, "Hey, Stellaaaaaa!"), are the earthy couple in New Orleans's French Quarter whose lives are upended by the arrival of Stella's sister, Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh). Blanche, a disturbed, lyrical, faded Southern belle, is immediately drawn into a battle of wills with Stanley, beautifully captured in the differing styles of the two actors. This extraordinarily fine adaptation won acting Oscars for Leigh, Kim Hunter (as Stella), and Karl Malden (as Blanche's clueless suitor), but not for Brando. Although it had already been considerably cleaned up from the daringly adult stage play, director Elia Kazan was forced to trim a few of the franker scenes he had shot. In 1993, Streetcar was rereleased in a "director's cut" that restored these moments, deepening a film that had already secured its place as an essential American work. --Robert Horton
A Streetcar Named Desire (Two-Disc Special Edition) Reviews:
Movie vs Book 
2009-09-08 - The moview was a great representation of the book. It really helps to watch the movie first and then read the book because you can visualize the scenes better.
Excellent condition
2009-08-02 - This DVD package was well received and in tact and harm free
It came in postal service in a timely manner and had no problems.
Very satisfied,
V. Velasquez
They Dont Make Em like this anymore.......
2009-07-22 - I haven't seen many older films. But I'm starting to get into them more. I picked this as I am a big fan of Vivien Leigh in GWTW. I was blown away by Brando though, wow, was he good looking. I really loved this movie from start to finish.
The only problem i have is that i actually had no idea that Stanley had raped Blanche in the end. I learned that from watching the special features on disc 2. I guess in that era they really couldnt show much as far as a rape scene, but I really had no idea. So when the sent Blanche away to be committed, i really didnt quite understand why, or what pushed her over the edge. But knowing everything, it makes the film even better.
Second issue i have is the crap quality of the dvd itself, i realize its an old film, but the sound quality was completely unacceptable. I had my brand new tv turned up nearly as loud as it goes and i still couldnt understand everything as it was muffled. eventually i just put the subtitles on as i was afraid i'd miss something.
Aside from those two, i love this movie and feel much better that i know what this controversy is all about, i got a little piece of film history knowledge. they really dont make them like this anymore......this was much more tasteful than any garbage put out nowadays. thumbs up! Great piece of american cinema and film history!
correct and very sooner than estimated time but disapointed 
2009-07-13 - Almost nothing to say about "Casablanca" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". I ordered "A Streetcar Named Desire" to wach with my French Spoken family- outside of the States - as it was said. On the box it is also writen "Languages: English & Français". But the player revealed it is only English language. Right the subtitles contains also french but you will agree it is not what I could wait. I opened the dvd yesterday night and I am outside of the States for longer than the returning time. It was a very bad surprise!
It is not fair. I am not happy!
Sincerely yours,
François Romain
Watch the volcano!
2009-07-04 - Karl Malden's death at 97 reminded me to watch, finally, this DVD. It had been waiting for me to do that for years. Strangely I never watched the movie before, nor did I ever see the play on stage, I only read TW's printed version in the Library of America edition.
The film was of course one of the milestones in movie history. It made Williams and Kazan richer and famouser, and made Brando a star. Malden got an Oscar as best supporting actor, and considering that Brando did not get the main acting Oscar proves that the Oscar awards are as irrational as the Nobels for literature. There is no way one can understand why Malden should have deserved the prize for a small and rather unimpressive performance, while Brando did not get the award for his volcanic performance as the violent, vulgar, dirty main male character. He was impressive in his screen breakthrough.
I found Vivien Leigh's Blanche (also oscared) quite impressive and convincing, though my daughter, who is an acting `expert', says, Leigh got on her nerves. Not necessarily a contradiction. She is crazy after all, so she would get on our nerves, wouldn't she?
(an eerie occurence: while I was watching the final minutes, with Blanche being picked up by the madhouse squad, I got a phone call from a strange woman, who had my name and number from a website and who asked for help in a very odd case; she sounded and spoke a bit like Blanche; I thought the movie world was intruding in my private life.)
I am not sure that I really saw the original director's version, probably not (though how would I know if I haven't seen it). It seemed strangely limited, ie censored, in some scenes. Certainly the ending in my version is the one where Stella walks out on Stan, while in the play she stays happily with him. Which, as far as I heard, was found objectionable due to the previous rape of her sister by her husband. Well, in soap opera settings almost no action makes sense in the normal way, and nothing is impossible. Strangely, truth resembles soap operas more often than one would think.
The goings on in this New Orleans household are so strange that one should not attempt to find rational reasons for any behavior. Williams' plays are pure melodrama, and stage as well as screen performances offer great opportunities for extroverted actors.
Does the play mean anything to us today, does it have value as a timeless piece of literature? I would say, not really. It is colorful and expressive and impressive and original, but very far away from the depth of Greek drama, or Shakespeare, for example. Only the violence levels are comparable.
