A Streetcar Named Desire

The TV remake of A Streetcar Named Desire does not measure up to the classic film starring Vivien Leigh, one of the finest actresses who has ever lived. Ann- Margret gets and A for Effort in this remake, but her essential personality is simply too robust to portray the fragile Blanche. The essence of Blanche Dubois is great delicacy and vulnerability. Ann Margret is about as delicate and vulnerable as an atomic bomb. The rape scene is not convincing, since anyone who tried to rape Ann-Margret would probably end up in the hospital. Treat Williams is by no means as primal as the crude Brando; he almost seems a gentleman in comparison, which lowers the dramatic tension. This film is well-acted and well-directed, but does not compare with the Brando/Leigh original.

I know most will say the original 50's version of A Streetcar Named Desire is without competition and that this adaptation shouldn't even exist, but if people could get over their prejudices and watch it for what it is, they might enjoy it.

Not only is this take on the material more faithful to the original play (by the time the 80's rolled around, you could get away with more on TV than you could get away with on screen in the 50's), but it features a wonderful performance by Ann-Margret as Blanche DuBois. At first, Margret's interpretation of the character is a bit jarring. She's far from the nervous, shrinking violet we're so used to seeing. She has more strength than most other Blanches I've seen, but as the story progresses, one starts to see how this is simply a mask she wears to hide her fear and vulnerability. It's a wonderfully fresh interpretation of the role.

Beverly D'Angelo and Randy Quaid are equally excellent as Stella and Mitch. Treat Williams can't quite seem to escape the shadow of Marlon Brando, but he looks the part and is appropriately brutish as Stanley. Broadway vet Marvin Hamlish's music score is gorgeous and sexy.

There were some aspects of the original play changed when it was adapted into the film version starring Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, and Kim Hunter. This play adaptation is not great but decent to our standards. I think the best performance in the role is Randy Quaid playing MItch. The 1951 film version had Karl Malden. Randy was perfectly cast as Mitch in my opinion. Ann Margret's Blanche Dubois was decent. It's hard to compare her to Vivien Leigh. Ann Margret portrayed Blanche to the best of her ability. Beverly D'Angelo was fine as Stella and Treat Williams was sufficient as Stanley Kowalski. As much as I liked the original film, Ann Margret holds her own to this adaptation. If you want to see the original adaptation, go ahead but don't make comparisons. In this film, the storyline and features remained the same. It didn't have to make adjustments or adapt to today's audience like the original. This was more faithful to Tennessee Williams than the original 1951 film production itself. It lacks some things but it's still pretty good.

Ann-Margaret as Blanche Dubois turns in the best performance of her career. Do not believe the deriders! EVERY actor in this version is more believable than in the Leigh/Brando release. This will be particularly evident if you see this version before the original as I did. Camera work is excellent & the music is outstanding in creating that hot New Orleans atmosphere. Don't miss this one!

Here was an opportunity to compare the performances of two of my favorite actresses, in a legendary role. (The more famous the story, of course, the more critical viewers can be.) Ann-Margret and Treat Williams had humongous shoes to fill---as did the supporting players--and my take is: the fit ain't bad.

Initially, as with many new versions of famous plays, the differences glared out at me: at times, the dialogue tends to be spoken a bit too rapidly; more memorized than natural. And at first, Ann-Margret's sex appeal and confidence is a bit startling compared to the butterfly-like fragility we're used to from Vivien Leigh's iconic turn as Blanche.

But here, A-M makes the character her own. Beverly D'Angelo is fine as sister Stella too, in spite of the variance in height between the two actresses. As this 'Streetcar' rolls on, there are more good moments. Randy Quaid's Mitch plays well with the neurotic Blanche; their scenes are touching and realistic. It would be nice to see them go off into the sunset at the end---of course, Tennessee Williams had other plans---and the climactic confrontation between Stanley and Blanche is every bit as unsettling as it was written to be. All in all, worth a watch---and when Ann-Margret is involved, it's never a waste of time. (Yes, I'm biased. Now see the movie.)