(Elia Kazan, US 1951, 122 min., 35mm)
Tennessee Williams’ 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning play emerged on the silver screen in this bold adaptation. Fittingly directed by stage actor-turned director Elia Kazan, A Streetcar Named Desire places complex and flawed characters in a cramped apartment in 1930s New Orleans. Faded southern belle Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) springs a surprise visit upon her married sister, Stella (Kim Hunter). The illusive Blanche surrounds herself with lies and an air of mysticism, crafting a fantastical world and spreading sensationalized stories. Stella’s husband, brutish mechanic Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando), is quick to see through his sister-in-law’s false airs. As Blanche begins to charm Stanley’s friend, Mitch (Karl Malden), and influence Stella against her callous husband, an aggravated Stanley sets out to expose Blanche’s mysterious past and force her to confront reality. Streetcar depicts the gradual descent into insanity, accompanied by raw and heart-wrenching performances, led by Vivien Leigh. With Streetcar celebrating its 75th anniversary on September 18, this cinematic staple deserves to be revisited on the big screen.
Introduction by and post-screening discussion with Selznick student Lauren Wren
Upcoming Events in this Series
Film Screenings | Trainspotting (DCP)
Lose Yourself Based on Irvine Welsh’s 1993 novel of the same name, Trainspotting follows a group of heroin addict friends in late 1980s Edinburgh. Dissatisfied with the way drug addiction has taken over his life, Mark "Rent Boy" Renton (Ewan McGregor), attempts to “Choose Life” and get clean.
Free To All, Talks, Film Screenings | Dryden Roundtable: Lose Yourself #2
Dryden Roundtables For the first time ever, students of the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation are curating a series at the Dryden! Based on an exercise in class, the students have been tasked with choosing a film based on the theme “Lose Yourself,” observe the steps to obtain a print and clear rights, write the text for the screening, provide an introduction for the film, and participate in a post-screening discussion afterwards.
Film Screenings | Forever a Woman (DCP)
Lose Yourself Fumiko, a mother of two and wife to an unfaithful husband, attempts to balance domestic responsibility with her work as a poet. Just as her writing career takes off, she divorces her husband and is diagnosed with breast cancer.