A Streetcar Named Desire

This is the first film I've seen with young Marlon Brando, and I must say it's a brilliant performance. All the praises I've heard about him are totally deserved. During his time he had set high standards that not so many could achieve, and eventually every rising male star was compared to him. Often considered as the greatest actor of all times, Marlon also shines out as a sex symbol in A Streetcar Named Desire. Maybe the one thing that Brat Pit lacks is as strong screen presence as Brando will always be remembered with.
The film tells the story of Blanche, a disturbed woman who ran away from her home town because of her bad reputation. After having an affair with a 17 year old boy, she visits her younger sister Stella in the French Quarter of New Orleans to find protection. The plan doesn't work out so well when Stanley, Stella's husband quite soon realizes that Blanche is hiding something and she can't be trusted. Stanley himself is a brutish young man, lacking of refinement but also proud of it. He doesn't like to be swindled and often falls into friction with Stella because of Blanche.Here is the place to point out that in each shot with Marlon the focus is on his muscles or more like his clothes ripped down. Even in the wide shots, the lighting was concentrated there quite effectively. Beautiful cinematography!
Most surprisingly, for his iconic role as Stanley Kowalski, Marlon did not win an Oskar while the other 3 actors in the film did. I just checked who got the award .............. and the winner is: Humphrey Bogart in the African Queen. Now I have to watch it.
Another film that I'm about to see with Marlon is The Last Tango in Paris.