NEW Leigh/brando/hunter/malden - Streetcar Named Desire (Blu-ray)

It's a gift which I'm sure the person I bought it for will be happy to receive it. Thank you

Tennessee Williams' phenomenal stage play exploded onto the silver screen over sixty years ago, causing a whirlwind of controversy, and since then has lost little of its powerful punch. A vulnerable and wilting southern woman (Vivien Leigh) moves in with her sister (Kim Hunter) in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law (Marlon Brando) while her reality crumbles all around her.

Directed by Elia Kazan, the movie is a Hollywood landmark film that features a legendary performance by Brando, who oozes masculine sex appeal and an animalistic intensity in every scene as Stanley Kowalski. It’s an emotionally raw performance that not only took method acting to a whole new level, but also inspired a whole generation of actors. Vivien Leigh is also divine as the trapped and desperate Blanche and Kim Hunter’s self-aware turn as the sensual Stella (that matches Stanley’s ferociousness), is phenomenal.

In the end, the film’s plot is rather simple, but this only serves to highlight the unforgettable characters that inhabit the hot, crumbling world of ‘Desire’. Just like the films sultry score, the characters get under your skin and stay there.

A Streetcar Named Desire offers a beautiful B&W video transfer and a decent audio presentation. Special features include an edited multisource audio commentary, ‘Elia Kazan: A Director’s Journey’ PBS documentary (76 min), five in depth behind-the-scenes featurettes (totaling about 95 min), Marlon Brando’s screen test (5 min), outtakes (16 min), audio outtakes (17 min), and three trailers (7 min).

A Streetcar Named Desire is definitely a classic and offers solid video & audio quality, an impressive collection of special features, and an atmospheric landscape filled with legendary performances. Highly Recommended.

I'm curious to know if anyone has read the play. Because, I want to know what they think of the ending in the movie version. It completly changes the tone and subject of the movie! Let me tell you something: this play was supposed to be about Blanche's tragedy. Changing the ending takes that element away. You can no longer call it a tragedy, and all of the sudden now the movie is about Stella.

Coming from someone who absolutely LOVED reading the play, I think this new ending is a complete cop out. Well, it is. I know it was forced on the studio from people who didn't think the original ending was "appropriate."

My advice: read the play. It's better. Actually, the movie is also really good as well....except when it gets to the ending.

All in all, I was really disappointed with how it ended. Should've stuck to the original ending that was in the play. I would've given it 5 stars had it not been for the ridiculous "forced" ending.

But that's just one man's opinion.