[Prof. Masiello]

When you read the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, your perception of the two main characters may have been different from the way you

felt about Blanche and Stanley as depicted in the film version.

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?

B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley?

Here is the link again that shows the various trailers for the film:

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Prof.%20Masiello’s%20class%20presentaions?preview=Streetcar+trivia+nondisk+20181.wmv

[Anderson Uribe]

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?

Stanley felt different in the play than in the film. I did not consider Stanley to be especially good looking. In the film he was much more so than all his friends. I pictured him having more body hair, to represent masculinity, which was not the case for the film. Most importantly, the voice I gave him in the play was heavier, offensive, and obnoxious. The presentation shows us some examples of Stanley’s portrayal in other plays, and he is stereotyped as young and muscular, with a voice that is not as I expected.

B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley?

I appreciated Stanley’s character. It was simply that Marlon Brando brought an explosive performance. I much dislike the conclusion of the play. I thought it was reflective of some of our dark reality, where people in the wrong are free to continue without suggestions for reform. This made Stanley quite offensive to me. He was as wrong as one can be. I was concerned about watching the film because of him, but thankfully Brando’s portrayal was as good as the trailers of the past loudly exclaimed. His physique did not align with my image of the character in the play, which helped reset some of my expectations as well.

[Ajay]

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?

I think the characters came off differently from the play to the film because within the play, Stella’s loyalty serves as a symbol of that societal success. Blanche attempts to convince Stella to leave Stanley because she was born for better society and values, while Stanley keeps Stella in his grasp through his unpretentious, powerful sexual attraction. The basic differences in Blanche’s and Stanley’s social stations and relationship to Stella expand into larger issues that make compromise impossible. In the film, without additional writing that can explicitly give information on the characters, Kazan relies heavily on character expression and the actors’ ability to embody their character. Stanley’s background gives him a straightforward, instinctual and spontaneous view of love as well as a realism-based approach to life. Marlon Brando, who plays Stanley, embodies the primitive trait of physicality, brutish ways, and abrupt action. He uses expression and speaks in a casual manner, but often can be loud and unpredictable. Kazan frequently shoots Stanley eating and chewing with his mouth open while speaking, emphasizing primitive and person’s behavior. Stanley’s way of speech is abrupt, confrontational, direct, imposing, and simple in wording. Kazan shows Stanley bowling or attire, playing poker, drinking, or smoking with a group of men, showing his simple lifestyle and interests that of a common man. Brando’s character expression of Stanley greatly contrasts from that of Leigh’s as Blanche. Vivien Leigh embodies all the attributes of Blanche DuBois that Williams so heavily emphasized in the play transcript and screenplay. Leigh speaks in a coy manner that is also flirtatious, suggestive, refined, and articulate to emphasize Blanche’s aristocratic past and her current feelings of insecurity and fragility. Blanche lives in a fantasy world with a romantic view of life and love that is idealized, sensitive, and planned. Blanche and Stanley’s opposite natures create tension between the two individuals, eventually leading to conflict.

B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley?

The character that I appreciate more in the film is Stanley because Brando has stated that Stanley Kowalski is the only full obligated character, he’s played whom he detests. It isn’t difficult to understand the subsequent shame about and contempt for acting he’s expressed on numerous occasions, because few parts have served as more of a physical aggressive ideal for successive generations of males, ironically amused or otherwise. In this respect the film has moved well beyond the intentions of Williams and Kazan as well as Brando beyond even the desire of all three to complicate the play’s emotions by making Stanley something more than a wicked slob he’s also an honest radar and oppressed working class and Blanche something more than an innocent victim she’s also an arrogant fake and unacknowledged extremist. The evolving self-awareness of our culture, the work has finally and rather uncomfortably entered the realm of existing sexual politics, where the sadistic male predator and infantile rapist has decisively won the battle over the fragile and flirtatious southern agenda before the story even starts. In this respect the movie should be seen today as an instructive embarrassment; it’s about who we are and where we’ve been as well as a astonish tragic fantasy that, for all its devotion and still functions.

[diana]

When you read the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, your perception of the two main characters may have been different from the way you
felt about Blanche and Stanley as depicted in the film version.
A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?
Yes, I felt that the character came off differently from play to film. Their personality and presence were very different when I read it about them. Obviously, Stanley was known to be Handsome, but I think in the film what change was voice of accent, he had rough accent where I think made Blanche scared of him from the play.
B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley?
The character I appreciate more in the film was Stanley because he always took care of everyone in that house and looks out for anyone who he loves, because he does care even though he does not show it often. He was the man of house, a man who wanted who was Blanche and how she got so many expensive clothes and jewelry. However, he had the right to know her background because after all she is living in his house.

[Virginia Sanchez]

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?
I don’t believe the characters came off as that different. Both actors did a great job translating the frustrations and discomforts present in the text through their actions and mannerisms. Even small details such as Stanely’s crude way of eating added extra discomfort to the film.
B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley?
Although Vivien Leigh did a great job acting out Blanche, Stanley was more memorable to me personally. He acted out a truly hatable character very well. I believe his handsome exterior and nasty personality created a large conflict for the viewer which reminded me of the similar conflict I felt with Norman Bates in the film Psycho although made years after.

[afrina nishat]

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?

ans: yes, I think Stanley’s character is more rude in the Play. When I read the play, I see he is not that good looking man which is shown by the movie. Also In the play Stanley has more body and more stronger man from the movie. Stanley’s way of speech is more direct and imposing in the play.

B) Which Character did you appreciate more in the film?

ans: In my perception, I especially appreciate Stella. who is Blanche’s little sister and Stanley’s lovely wife. She is very much patient with his husband because his husband every night took alcohol and rude with her. She love her rude and angry husband very much. They don’t stay 1 day without each other because one day her husband torture her. But she came to him when he screaming and say sorry to her.

[Christopher Lobato]

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?
The appearance of none of the characters changed that much from the way I envisioned. However, my perception of the characters did feel different from how they came off from the play. Blanche came off annoying, and Stanley came off noticeably less monstrous. Blanche comes off conceited in the play, but the changes made to her bring more attention to it. On the other hand, Stanley became less nasty, partly since Blanche comes off obnoxious and for reasons that I will discuss in the next part. Brando likely set the trend for Stanley portrayals because the examples of other portrayals shown in the presentation all came after the film’s release, and they are all oddly similar, especially the one from 1984 with Treat William.

B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley?
On the surface, Stanley comes off as a monster in the play through some of his actions, such as wife-beating, sexual comments, and sexual assault. However, I think the disgust the play makes us feel towards Stanley clouds our judgment and brings less attention to his role in the story and his importance. Unlike Blanche, Stanley is an authentic character; he’s from the working class, has foreign heritage, was in the army, and has friends and family who seem to like him at the start of the play. His portrayal in the film makes his gripes to Blanche’s arrival seem a lot less nonsensical and obnoxious, and so as the audience, we like him more. For example, it’s hard not to feel that Blanche is obnoxious when she calls him a Polack and a pig he outbursts. I think Blanche can be a relatable character; she fears getting old, wants to be loved, and she has drinking habits. However, these qualities become less apparent (at least initially, Vivien Leigh gives an outstanding performance in the latter half of the film). The play’s ending leaves a bitter aftertaste, but the film changes this to give Stella hope. This ending leaves us with less disgust towards Stanley, and we feel a bit bad because he lost everything because of his sister in law.

Marlon Brando’s performance also makes the audience appreciate much more. Brando quickly steals the show after the poker night scene and quickly overshadows Leigh’s presence because Blanch does not have many dramatic scenes till much later(I don’t think the letters scene is that impactful). Stanley also comes off very romantic in the film and even more so in the original 1951 release. Likely, moviegoers in 1951 who saw the original release found the scene in which Stanley calls out to Stella to be romantic due to the music change and the acting. The aforementioned, coupled with Brando’s good looks, makes us change our perception of him and make him more likable.

Nonetheless, the film still wants us to dislike Stanley, but making him a little less disgusting accentuates his other qualities and what he stands for. I love the film’s depiction of Stanley.

[Jennifer Apuango]

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?
* Yes, the characters came off differently from the play to the film. Their tone and character traits are different. In the film, Stanley was a handsome man than in the play. His tone of voice was different from the film by he had a more brutish and rude tone in the play.

B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley?
* Stanley, because he looks for joy in life, and where he finds it, he celebrates it. He expects people to lay their cards on the table. He has no patience for social compliments, fools, and frauds. On the other hand, Blanche clearly represents the world of fantasy. As she admits to Mitch, she wants to misrepresent things, and she wants things misrepresented to her. She lives for how things should be, not for how they are. She prefers magic and shadow to facing facts in bright light.

[Salina Shrestha]

A) Do you feel the characters came off differently from play to film?
In the play, we read about how rude and obnoxious Stanley is, so we imagine him to be this unattractive man, but in the film, he has good looks and a boyish charm to him. It gave the viewer more room to see how we felt about him.

B) Which character did you appreciate more in the film: Blanche or Stanley? Honestly , I disliked the both of them, but Stanley was more truthful and did not mess around when it came to Blanche. He was living in reality, while she was trying to live a fantasy life. Even though his actions were horrible, he stood more for honesty. He did not care that Blanche was Stella’s sister and did not go easy on her. He was just trying to do what was right for him and his wife.