And this week's Friday night movie has been... A Streetcar Named Desire!
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It's one of the most famous movies ever made - and yet i only know of it because a) it was parodied in an episode of The Simpsons and b) it apparently made an impression on one Tommy Wiseau.
Once again, it is difficult to assess something like this: It has been referenced and parodied so many times that the orignal comes across as being somewhat devoid of the bite it originally had. Much has been written about how this was a career-defining film for Marlon Brando, with his acting skills ("Stell-AAAHHH!!!!") and the image of him in a t-shirt two sizes too small.
But saying that this movie catapulted Brando into superstardom overshadows the fact that this movie really is about one woman's descent into madness. As such, this movie really is Vivien Leigh's show all the way. Seventy years on and she is still a presence in this movie, giving it her all and still maintaining audience interest. And hey, lest we forget it was Leigh that won the Oscar for this film. not Brando.
So in the end, I always find it a gamble to visit a movie from the Pre-New Hollywood era as they tend to be tarnished by both age and being replicated by its students. But this one? Still has a spark. And that's saying something
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