A Streetcar Named Desire (The Original Restored Version) [Blu-ray Book]

Vivien Leigh is the consummate actress. I fully believed every moment of her as Blanche, and she strikes an undeniable chord of genius in her confession to Mitch. I get chills just thinking about it. And Marlon Brando as that ***** Stanley Kowalski...that final confrontation between the two of them still haunts me. He's magnetic: animalistic, erotic, alluring, repugnant... And the two of them together is electric.This is my favorite play, so I was thrilled to see it come to life so magnificently, and under such great direction.Also... Not to wax on about Vivien Leigh, but I can't get over her performance as Blanche. Her final break breaks ME. I...I honestly think she's one of the most talented actresses Hollywood has EVER seen. It seems almost unfair that such immense talent could be packaged in such an exquisitely beautiful form, but she did it as Scarlett and did it again as Blanche. Amazing.Also, anyone who says that Vivien Leigh won Oscars for playing basically the same character is ignorant AF. Aside from their accents and geographical origins, Scarlett and Blanche couldn't be further apart.

We have been trying to watch this classic off and on for 24 hours. Every minute or two it stops and tells me I have a problem with my internet connection. Toast.net tells me I have a 28.9MB/second connection. I have seen no less than 11MB/second while all of this has been going on. Additionally, all of my other streamed content is playing flawlessly.Amazon Prime used to be my first choice for paid content. Not so much any more.

Vivien Leigh. Marlon Brando, Karl Malden & Kim Hunter. Tennessee Williams (writer) Elia Kazan (director). A woman's tragic decent into madness. Also the psychiatric communit's go to staple example of a woman afflicted with Borderline Personality Disorder. You can't go wrong with this film. It has a sad ending but it's well done

A classic that holds up to the test of time. Showed this movie to 11th grade American Literature students as a companion piece after they read the original play. Students were intrigued by the story line and thought the black and white elements were interesting. Students enjoyed finding the differences between the movie and the play.

You might not like this film for the typical reasons you see a film for. It's not like Star Wars or Rocky or The Godfather. There are no easy victories, or easy resolutions — or even hard ones that are clearly spelled out, even for the typical high school kid. You see it because you've heard that one of the great actors of all time, Marlon Brando, gives one of the best performances of his life as Stanley Kowalski: the hard-headed, dim-witted, abusive husband stuck in postwar New Orleans poverty. But Vivian Leigh's performance as Blanche DuBois, Kowalski's antebellum sister-in-law, blows you away every bit as much, perhaps even more. This is American cinema not just at its height, but at a remarkably early pivot point in its history. Way ahead of its time, it transforms the silver screen to grey: From the glamor-at-any-cost Hollywood of old to the gritty, seedy underside — of poverty and of humanity —and a new kind of realism seldom seen before on the screen. It's also an intense, can't-miss psychological drama with vast potential to entertain, provoke, and talk about long after the closing credits.

Sex, abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, death, class tension, wondrous music, unforgettable acting, this movie based on Tennessee Williams' play is phenomenal, and one of my all time favorites. Apart from the fact that its poignant message about domestic violence and mental illness (and a woman's, no less!) is extraordinarily before its time, the brilliant dialogue, casting, etc. are terrific and horrifying. Due to certain pressures of having to appease the forces that be, certain aspects were changed from the original: (spoilers:) including the ending, and details regarding Blanche's young husband's sexuality. These would have made for a more powerful experience, but Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando's smouldering, deranged duality and Kazan's filming is enough to make for a momentous film.

Wow, this was a gritty, sex charged, twisted, psychological story that will keep you entertained from start to finish. The actors did a superb job Marlon Brando & Vivian Leigh looked stunning, this is a great movie classic I highly recommend watching it!

Marlon Brando FIRST OF ALL. I love this movie.

Wow! We really are in the midst of a great period of home movie consumption. With much revered classics looking better than ever before on Bluray discs, it really is a marvellous time for movies in the home. The Bluray in question here is simply fantastic and Streetcar has never looked so glorious! The shaky old DVD copy is quite redundant now for all who love this classic movie. Dark and brooding is the order of the day here and this Bluray transfer is just so. And intentionaly so. For a 60 year old piece of celluloid this looks fabulous.With a barnstorming and bestial performance from Brando, a fragile, mesmerising Vivien Leigh and great turns by Kim Hunter and Karl Malden the film deservedly won 4 Oscars in 1951 and is still a powerful piece today. Interestingly, 3 of the 4 leads won the Oscar in their category for acting with only Brando missing out in the lead actor category. To Humphrey Bogart no less.The sumptuous set designs and art direction also triumphed and its easy to see why.Extra features on the disc are ported from a previous edition of the movie but are extremely noteworthy. A brilliant, pieced together commentary track with the ever informative, if a little dry, Rudy Behlmer, actor Karl Malden and Jeff Young. A fascinating documentary on director Elia Kazan which is over an hour long, a couple of featurettes on the play from which the film came and its journey from stage to screen and some other interesting tidbits examining some background on the movie.Easy to recommend this is a beautiful release of a magnificent movie!

This is a classic. Vivien Leigh's performance as the vulnerable Blanche is exquisite and Brando? Well, his depiction of Stanley becomes etched in your psyche. You can't take your eyes off him but he is a menacing and cruel character, great acting but this film is not one to watch if you are looking for light entertainment

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE [1951] [60th Anniversary Edition] [Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook] [Blu-ray] [US Import] Perhaps The Most Thrilling Display of Ensemble Acting in this All American Film!`A Streetcar Named Desire' [1951] [The Original Restored Version] is the Elia Kazan and Tennessee Williams film moviegoers would have not have seen, because of the Legion of Decency censorship occurred at the last minute in 1951. Here it makes its Blu-ray debuted, stunningly restored and digital re-mastered to brilliant 1080p clarity. This classic is presented in a collectable, premium 40 page Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook, with behind-the-scenes photography, production notes, biographies and more! Plus 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 Kowalski. This is the Original Restored Version.FILM FACT: `A Streetcar Named Desire' won Four Awards at the 1951 24th Academy Awards® where the film set an OSCAR® record when it became the first film to win in three acting categories and they are as follows: Won: Vivien Leigh for Best Actress. Won: Karl Malden for Best Supporting Actor. Won: Kim Hunter for Best Supporting Actress. Won: Richard Day and George Hopkins for Best Art Direction for Set Decoration in Black-and-White. Nominated: Charles K. Feldman [Producer] for Best Motion Picture. Nominated: Elia Kazan for Best Director. Nominated: Marlon Brando for Best Actor. Nominated: Tennessee Williams for Best Writing and Screenplay. Nominated: Harry Stradling for Best Cinematography in Black-and-White. Nominated: Lucinda Ballard for Best Costume Design in Black-and-White. Nominated: Alex North for Best Music, Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. Nominated: Nathan Levinson for Best Sound Recording. Its contributions continue to be celebrated, and holds a place on the AFI's list of Top 100 films.Cast: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden, Rudy Bond, Nick Dennis, Peg Hillias, Wright King, Richard Garrick, Ann Dere, Edna Thomas, Mickey Kuhn, Mel Archer (uncredited), Dahn Ben Amotz (uncredited), Marietta Canty (uncredited), John George (uncredited), John Gonetos (uncredited), Chester Jones (uncredited), Lyle Latell (uncredited), Maxie Thrower (uncredited), Charles Wagenheim (uncredited), John B. Williams (uncredited) and Buck Woods (uncredited)Director: Elia KazanProducer: Charles K. FeldmanScreenplay: Tennessee Williams and Oscar Saul (adaptation)Composer: Alex NorthCinematography: Harry StradlingVideo Resolution: 1080p [Black-and-White]Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1Audio: English: 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, French: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, German: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono and Portuguese: 1.0 Dolby Digital MonoSubtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Romanian, Slovenian and SwedishRunning Time: 125 minutesRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 1Studio: Warner Home VideoAndrew's Blu-ray Review: `A Streetcar Named Desire' originally garnered most of the drama prizes awards when it was playing on Broadway. But with director Elia Kazan and a simply superlative cast have fashioned a motion picture that throbs with passion and poignancy. Indeed, through the haunting performance England's great Vivien Leigh gives in the heart-breaking role of Tennessee Williams's deteriorating Southern belle and through the mesmerising moods with the help of Elia Kazan and with his brilliant techniques that you view on the screen, this picture has now become a fine, if not finer, than the stage play. Inner torments are seldom projected with such sensitivity and clarity on the screen.Blanche DuBois is an aging schoolteacher who leaves her hometown under mysterious circumstances and stays with her pregnant sister Stella in New Orleans. Stanley Kowalski, Stella Kowalski's brutish husband, resents Blanche DuBois's presence and accuses her of squandering the family inheritance. Stanley Kowalski sets about tearing down the fragile world of illusion with which Blanche DuBois attempts to surround herself.Of course, the first factor in this triumph is Tennessee Williams's original play, which embraced, among its many virtues, an essential human conflict in visual terms. The last brave, defiant, hopeless struggle of the lonely and decaying Blanche du Bois to hold on to her faded gentility against the heartless badgering of her roughneck brother-in-law is a tangible cat-and-dog set to, marked with manifold physical episodes as well as a wealth of fluctuations of verbally fashioned images and moods. And all of these graphic components have been fully preserved in Oscar Saul's film script and availed of by the brilliant director Elia Kazan in his cinematic tour-de-force.No less brilliant, however, within his area is Marlon Brando in the role of the loud, lusty, brawling, brutal, amoral Polish brother-in-law. Marlon Brando created the role in the Broadway stage play and he carries over all the energy and the steel-spring characteristics that made him vivid on the stage. But here, where we're so much closer to him, he seems that much more highly charged, his despairs seem that much more pathetic, and his comic moments that much more slyly enjoyed.Other actors from the Broadway cast of the stage play, Kim Hunter as the torn young sister and wife, Karl Malden as a timid, boorish suitor, Nick Dennis as a pal, and all the rest fill out the human pattern within a sleazy environment that is so fitly and graphically created that you can almost sense its sweatiness and smells. Alex North's incidental music deserves prominent commendation, too, as do all of the technical aspects of this film which Charles K. Feldman has produced.Needless to say, the filming of `A Streetcar Named Desire' was more problematic than the stage production. Vivien Leigh clashed with Elia Kazan over her interpretation of Blanche DuBois and also had problems connecting with her fellow cast members who were trained in the "Stanislavsky Method." "In many ways she was Blanche DuBois." Marlon Brando said in his autobiography, Vivien Leigh was memorably beautiful, one of the great beauties of the screen, but she was also vulnerable, and her own life had been very much like that of Tennessee Williams's wounded butterfly...like Blanche DuBois, and was beginning to dissolve mentally and frayed at the end physically.While in production, `A Streetcar Named Desire' began to encounter resistance from the film industry's self-regulating production code office with references to the sexuality of Blanche DuBois's deceased husband were removed and the harsh original ending was altered, with Stella rejecting her husband rather than remaining by his side. Still, the film encountered controversy during its release and Warner Bros. deleted an additional five minutes of material, it was later added back in a 1993 restoration, which included dialogue references to Blanche DuBois's past promiscuity and visual evidence of the lustful relationship between Stanley Kowalski and Stella Kowalski.All the troubles were well worth it in the end because `A Streetcar Named Desire' is now considered a landmark film in terms of the ensemble performances. Elia Kazan's direction and the evocative art direction by Richard Day. The derelict New Orleans tenement is given a convincing presence through the accumulation of image details, such as crumbling stucco and bricks, peeling wallpaper, streaks of dirt on the walls and the dramatic courtyard staircase with wrought iron railings. In collaboration with Harry Stradling's evocative textures of light and shadow, the sets provide crucial atmospheric support for the actors' naturalistic performances. Plus the Composer Alex North's haunting film score, which unfortunately was only nominated for Best Music, Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.While in production, `A Streetcar Named Desire' began to encounter resistance from the film industry's self-regulating production code office. References to Blanche DuBois's deceased [gay] husband were removed and the harsh original ending was altered, with Stella Kowalski rejecting her husband rather than remaining by his side. Still, the film encountered controversy during its release and Warner Bros. deleted an additional five minutes of material, it was later added back in a 1993 restoration, which included dialogue references to Blanche DuBois's past promiscuity and visual evidence of the lustful relationship between Stanley Kowalski and Stella Kowalski.All the trouble was worth it in the end because ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is now considered a landmark classic film in terms of the ensemble performances, Elia Kazan's direction and the evocative art direction by Richard Day. The derelict New Orleans tenement is given a convincing presence through the accumulation of details such as crumbling stucco and bricks, peeling wallpaper, streaks of dirt on the walls and the dramatic courtyard staircase with wrought iron railings. In collaboration with Harry Stradling's evocative textures of light and shadow, the sets provide crucial atmospheric support for the actors' naturalistic performances.Blu-ray Video Quality – This Blu-ray has a stunning 1080p encoded transfer, with an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 that was achieved with many of the original film's black-and-white elements. It is typical of the fine work Warner Home Video has done with some it prestige titles like ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘Casablanca.’ Fine detail is more variable, struggling a bit in wider shots, and faring better in close ups, yet film grain looks intact with no evidence of excessive noise reduction measures. Dupes and other image manipulations (one standing out more than others), made in the original edit, can be starkly obvious next to the sharper and tighter extra supplements material. But the transfer ultimately proves faithful to the source elements, even though those elements may not always look the most perfect.Blu-ray Audio Quality – `A Streetcar Named Desire' is presented on Blu-ray Disc with a 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Considering that `A Streetcar Named Desire' is more than sixty years old, the sound quality is still impresive. Sure, there are modest limitations in fidelity, but the track is a very strong performer. Alex North’s music comes across with good sense of character. Most signs of background hiss and noise have been cleaned up in the mastering process, which leaves a generally smooth quality to the soundtrack. Dialogue is always crystal clear and easy to understand.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:Audio Commentary: Commentary by Actor Karl Malden, and Film Historians Rudy Behlmer and Jeff Young: features supplements producer Laurent Bouzereau hosting and we get comments from co- star Karl Malden [Actor], Rudy Behlmer [Film Historian] and Jeff Young (all recorded separately). Jeff Young got to know Elia Kazan quite well when Jeff Young was an executive of Paramount Pictures and has some good anecdotes about the director Elia Kazan. Rudy Behlmer contributes more of an overall historical perspective and Karl Malden is able to give an actor's viewpoint, on both the stage and screen versions. Some of Karl Malden's comments about Marlon Brando in his early career are quite surprising, and there are some wonderful anecdotes shared about the original Broadway run, including some great stories about the "mother hen," the original star Jessica Tandy. This is an extremely worthwhile and informative piece that should appeal equally to scholars and film fans alike.Special Feature Length Profile of Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey [1994] [480i] [4:3] [1:15:30] Written and directed by film critic and film historian Richard Schickel, and narrated by Eli Wallach, the documentary traces Elia Kazan's career from his beginnings as a stage actor to his work as an award-winning film director. An extensive interview with the director himself provides much of the film's structure and content, following a predictable pattern that alternates between the interview and material from the films. As it focuses almost exclusively on his directing work, there's little examination of Elia Kazan's controversial actions related to the Hollywood Blacklist of the 1950s. Nevertheless, it provides a fitting tribute to a very talented director. We also get a very interesting insight into the journey Elia Kazan journey from his native land where he was born and eventually ending up directing top quality Hollywood and New York films that have won endless plaudits. This is a definite documentary not to be missed.Special Feature Documentary: A Streetcar on Broadway [2006] [480i] [4:3] [22:00] This feature documentary describes with the development, production, and reception of Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning play how it made its journey to the silver screen. Contributing to this documentary, we get intimate information from the likes of Elia Kazan [Director], Karl Malden [Actor], Rudy Behlmer [Film Historian] and Richard Schickel [Author of "Elia Kazan: A Biography"] provide most of the interview material, but also includes an archival interview with Kim Hunter [Actress].Special Feature Documentary: A Streetcar in Hollywood [2006] [480i] [4:3] [28:08] A continuation of the previous feature documentary which describes the play's next phase as it moves from the stage to the silver screen. Once again contributing to this very interesting documentary, we again get insightful intimate information from the likes of Elia Kazan [Director], Karl Malden [Actor], Rudy Behlmer [Film Historian] and Richard Schickel [Author of "Elia Kazan: A Biography"] and Kim Hunter [Actress].Special Feature Documentary: Censorship and Desire [2006] [480i] [4:3] [16:20] With this particular documentary, we get details about the National Legion of Decency's objections and moral outrage to some of the sexual contents in the film, and the ultimate edits made in order for it to be "morally objectionable in part" as opposed to be completely condemned. It also informs us how the director's sleight of hand was instrumented in making subtle changes to allow the censors to pass the film. This interesting feature also provides helpful side-by-side views of the edited and original versions of key scenes. Contribution to this documentary is Rudy Behlmer [Film Historian], Karl Malden [Actor], Kim Hunter [Actress] and Robert Townson [Record Producer]. We also get to hear how Alex North [Composer] and how he had to re-score the film music, as the censors thought certain scenes were too provocative with his original score. But luckily by accident they found a can of film with all the censored scenes and were carefully restored to the original restored version.Special Feature Documentary: North and the Music of the South [2006] [480i] [4:3] [9:14] This fascinating documentary gives an interesting insight into the composer Alex North and how he gave the film its distinctive film score. Contributions comes in the form of Robert Townson [Record Producer] of Varese Sarabande talks about the work of the award nominated composer Alex North, and shares how he got involved with producing and releasing Alex North's abandoned score to Stanley Kubrick's ‘2001: A Space Oddysey’ with the help of Jerry Goldsmith [composer, which you can now hear the full score on a CD Album. We also get to find out that Robert Townson got to know Alex North personally in his later years before he sadly passed way.Special Feature Documentary: An Actor Named Brando [2006] [480i] [4:3] [8:52] Fellow performers and historians talk about the impression the actor made in the theatre and film industry and through his work on the Academy Award® winning film ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’ We are also informed how Marlon Brando [Actor] personality is so different from his screen persona and how he hated the character he played in the film. Contributing to this documentary, we see Elia Kazan [Director], Karl Malden [Actor], Richard Schickel [Author of "Elia Kazan: A Biography"] and Kim Hunter [Actress].Special Feature: Marlon Brando Screen Test [1992] [480i] [4:3] [5:05] Here we get to see the young Marlon Brando with Warner Bros. Test shots. Also segments from Marlon Brando's screen test for ‘Rebel Without A Cause.’ But we also get intimate shots of a well-dressed Marlon Brando, who is obviously very self-conscious. Sometimes you get no audio sound at all.Special Feature: Outtakes [1951] [480i] [4:3] [15:38] Here we get to see a series of unused film clips from ‘A Streetcar Named Desire' that is somewhat sort of interesting, but without any context and hard to understand, especially as they are not in any set order and some are very short in appearance, but you also get a lot of repeat outtakes, especially with a voice over with the director Elia Kazan.Special Feature: Outtakes [Audio only] [1951] [1080p] [16:9] [17:01] Similar to the film outtakes, which is difficult to discern the context from seemingly random snippets of audio recordings and all the time you listen to this, you get a colorized still image from the film. To be honest I cannot understand the point of this section.Theatrical Trailers: We get to see three trailers, starting with Warner Bros. [1951 Release] [480i] [2:34]. 20th Century Fox [1958 Reissue] [480i] [2:08]. United Artists [1970 Reissue] [480i] [1:48].BONUS: A Special Collectible Deluxe Limited Edition DigiBook: The nicely produced book packaging that includes cast and crew biographies, background on the production and numerous photographs.Finally, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a cinematic classic that has been beautifully rendered in high definition. Warner Home Video Blu-ray delivers a strong presentation of Elia Kazan's award-winning adaptation of the equally acclaimed Broadway play. This All Region Blu-ray release comes with awesome Special Features, that have been transferred from the 2006 special edition inferior NTSC DVD, making the purchase of this Blu-ray release, which is well worthwhile for those looking to upgrade 100%, as well as for first time purchasers of this Blu-ray disc. Very Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film FanLe Cinema ParadisoWARE, United Kingdom

I have given this a 5 star rating for the quick delivery - unfortunately, the dvd doesn't play on my pc - but that sometimes happens and I don't want itto reflect on the seller as it is not their fault. I know the film well and it is a masterpiece based on Tennessee William's play of the same name.If you don't know about it - shame on you!!! (Though you may just be too young too know!!!) So, if you haven't seen it try to make sure you do.It has many of William's themes in it: unrequieted love, illusion/disillusion, passion etc. One of the greatest plays and films ever produced with excellent roles played by Vivian Leigh and Marlon Brando. STELLLLLAAAA!!!! Absolute magic!!!

I am a big Marlon Brando fan and this is him at his finest! Fantastic movie, and it's a bit too realistic in a creepy way, by how all the female characters just take abuse from their man etc. Dunno about everyone else, but I was definitely left with a depressed feeling after I finished watching it.SPOILER ALERT!) One thing I would like to point out (to people who've read the play), is that they changed the ending. In the play, Stella still stays with Stanley, but they changed it in the movie so that she leaves him with the baby. I guess to satisfy the critics or something. So I dunno if that would ruin it for you, but I don't think it's that much of a big deal, and most of it stays true to the play.Vivian Leigh's acting is arguable. I personally think she over acted too much in certain scenes and the fake 'friendly' voice she puts on got annoying after a while, but she did win several awards so I guess it's just me lol Kim Hunter did a good job too, and that's about it. Great movie with great actors. :)

Bought this DVD for my granddaughter who is studying the text for her English A Levels. She said its very helpful.

A GREAT film, one of the best every made. It's surreal how good it is. A must watch for anyone who loves film.

One of the best movies ever, Marlon Brando before Marlon Brando, excels, Vivian Laigh has her best performance among so many,.an unusual and timeless actress! What a movie, what a powerful script faithful to T.W.

perfect recording of the film easy to buy and cost very little . this is a great way of seeing the clasics - They don't make them like that anymore.

I absolutely love this film, it's one of my favourites. It's actually a very modern story/dialogue but with that awesome 40s/50s acting style. Marlon Brando is so good in this film, so are Vivien Leigh and Kim Hunter.STELLAAAAA!!!!!True classic.

After seeing this film I understand why Vivien Leigh was so highly rated as an actress and why Olivier admired her so much. She acts even the brilliant Brando off the screen - but if you need cheering up Tennessee Williams is not the way to go it is brilliant in it's darkness.

Can't beat these old films

This film oozes self deception and manipulation (Leigh), sexual magnetism and menace (Brando) and sisterly love and loyalty (Hunter). Karl Malden plays a good turn Leigh's sympathetic admirer who feels betrayed when he discovers her promiscuous reputation.A must have if you enjoy gritty, no nonsense and thought provoking drama.

Worth the money good film good extras

Subtitles in English.Sound and vision good.Wonderful to own this classic film-of-the-play.Great to have the 2 disc version as the additional information adds to the enjoyment of the film.Brando is knockout but our Viv really gives as good as she gets and both performances are worth seeing again and again.Really recommend this!!