Play vs. Film

Although the adaptation of plays into films usually carry many differences, they also exhibit similar characteristics through the script, character portrayal, or light and sound. For example, A Streetcar Named Desire portrays the aspect of lighting in both the play and the film to accurately display the correlation between light and the characters. A prime example of lighting displaying an element of a character throughout A Streetcar Named Desire is Blanche. Throughout the play, we see that Blanche always avoids being in direct light. In both the play and film, Blanche makes her distinction of abhorrence with light clear by buying and placing a paper lantern over a naked light bulb in the Kowalski’s apartment to shield her face and figuratively shield her past. 

When watching the film the dark lighting really made me see Blanche’s character as having an obscure, yet, dramatic disposition. From the start of the film, the element of shadows surround Blanche portraying her avoidance to discuss her past truthfully with other characters. In accordance with her eloquent talking, any conversation Blanche held with other characters seemed to be ten times more dramatic than the dialogue between other characters. 

 As Blanche tells Mitch the story of her deceased husband, the black and white lighting makes the scene dramatic showing light used to represent love and destruction. Tennessee Williams does a great job of displaying this dual element by making Mitch, someone who Blanche thinks of as a potential husband, put up the paper lantern; however, Mitch destroys this fantasy by tearing off the lantern Blanch asked him to put up, exposing her true self. When you closer examine the element of light throughout the play and film, the realization of light and its meaning becomes more obvious.

From Paper to Film

In general it is pretty well known that novels and plays are in fact more detailed than a movie is capable of portraying.  In A Streetcar Named Desire there were some changes in which i noticed. But the movie itself did it hit well on where the novel lacked, or to be more precise helped viewer feel a closer connection with the characters. Some changes that I noticed were that some scenes were included into the movie for which were not originally included into the play.Such as, Blanche informing Mitch of how her husband died, here the scene was altered so that the two characters were on a deck overseeing the water. In additionally the endings are entirely different; while the play exhibits Stella staying with Stanley, the movie has Stella leaving Stanley. Ultimately i agreed with this decision because he did after all rape Blanche. I enjoyed the movie scenes for which the actors performed their roles to par. It allowed for the audience to not only be visually encapsulated into the play but as well as being connected as if they are a local neighbor watching in on all this drama taking place.

A Censored Movie

After reading the play and then watching the movie I have to say that like most adaptations of written work, I much preferred the play. The movie for me just had so many unanswered questions and vague  meanings. Sometimes I felt like if I hadn't read the play then I would have been lost in the movie. This also could be that my attention span may have hindered me from picking up every detail in the movie as it is easier to notice things like that in a book because they are literally spelled out for you. In any case I felt like many important aspects were left out.

 For starters the scene where Blanche is on a date with Mitch and she is telling him (very dramatically) about the young boy she used to love, it is spelled out to the reader that this man was gay and that she found him in bed with another man. In the movie not only is this aspect of Blanche's relationship with her young boy not addressed the story in which Blanche spins is one of a different tune. In the movie she claims that the young boy could not provide for her and she alluded to a couple other problems neither of which portrayed to the viewer that the young boy was gay. Another blatant change in the film would be the rape scene, or lack there of. In the film Stanley has Blanche in his hands and then sort of throws her up against the mirror and then the scene goes black. In the moments directly after the scene I would have had no clue that Blanche had been raped if not for my reading of the play and the discussion we had in class. It is not until later at the very end of the novel when they are carrying Blanche's writing crazy body in and out of the flat that hints toward rape are dropped. Mitch throws a couple Punches at Stanley accusing him of touching her which he blatantly denies. Other than this implied accusation from Mitch I would be oblivious to a supposed rape. Lastly, the ending in which given to the reader is ambiguous in that it could be interpreted two different ways. While at face value you could go along and pretend that Stella has actually left Stanley by the end of the film, I believe that there are still hints that she may return to him because she loves him, and the way in which she "left" him was running upstairs to Eunice's flat (something Stella has done on several occasions to escape the wrath of Stanley). 

For me I cannot be sure of the reasons for so many changes in the film. It could just be artistic freedom in that the director decided to go a different route or it could be that the film industry during the 1950s was very censored during this time. I believe it to  be the latter. The removal of controversial topics like the homosexuality and rape probably had to do with the sensitive content would not have been suitable for a movie during this time period. 

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I would like to say that the actors were casted perfectly. I couldn't have imagined a more dramatically annoying Blanche if I tried, and believe me she annoyed the living day lights out of me. Marlon Brando was the perfect Stanley, easy on the eyes and hard a muscular and toned everywhere else. Lastly Stella's very plain character was perfectly cast for a woman who is suppose to play comparatively passive person next to her ill-minded sister. The characters definitely played into the reactions and questions that I believe Tennessee Williams intended for viewers after watching the play. Its hard to sympathize with Blanche because she is so awful, and its hard to paint Stanley as the bad guy because he is easy on the eyes (where most terrible stock characters are ugly or have some kind of flawed visual appearance) and claims he does the things he does out of love for Stella and wanting what is best for his family. For this reason it opens other controversial doors... was Blanche "asking for it?," is she crazy or is everyone else crazy?, and lastly which ideals are better.. those of the Old South or those of the New South?

    

Blanche Was Not Asking For It

This outraged me that people would actually believe Blanche was asking to be raped. Because a girl acts flirtatious (which is often easily mistaken for friendliness or just a certain personality she has with everyone), she wants her body to be taken in control and advantaged by a man.

I do not believe Blanche asked for rape, because in scene 10 we see Blanche rambling on, clearly having hallucinations which points to a level of somewhat unconsciousness, where she is not able to make her own decisions, especially regarding her own body. We see that Blanche is desperate to get out, and goes into the bedroom and kind of sets a barricade by shutting the drape behind her. This doesn't stop Stanley however, as we see he follows and openly admits to wanting to "interfere" with her. We see her reaction, where she is clearly not okay with him entering the room, by smashing a bottle and threatening to twist it into his face.

Maybe she acted flirtatious or others perceived it that way, and she obviously had a sexually active history in her past, but does that mean that her future and present should be judged off of her behaviors? Why does that give it the okay for a man to make advances on her because of decisions she chose? She should still have her own personal choice if she wants to engage in behaviors with any man, a man should not take away the right to her body.

Was Blanche asking for it?

I thought that the movie did a great job of portraying the feelings that were expressed in the play write. All of the actors did a great job of playing their part. I believe one of the great arts of "days gone by," is that actors really did have to do a good job to get a specific part. I think the best job of acting was done by the whoever played blanch in the movie. She matched Blanche's personality perfectly. If it weren't for such a great screenplay, I doubt students would be reading about a "Street Car Named Desire" today. Although all of the actors did a great job, nothing could be said more about what a phenomenal story this was. It is very easy to believe that something may have happened like this at one time.
In class we discussed the question, "was Blanche asking for it?" I think in many views, it is very easy to make the claim that she was asking for it. Since Blanche showed up in New Orleans, she has been very flirtatious with every man she meets. You might even argue that she is leading them on. I think she really did want to have sexual relations with Stanley. She did not seem to resist in the film either. I know in the society that we live in today, even the absence of no is still is still a no. Although this play takes place in a very different time, it still takes two to tango.Blanche did not seem to be opposed to the idea very much at all from the beginig of the book. Without a doubt, Stanley did rape her, but she did seem to show great interest from the begiing of the book.
This a very good story and screenplay that we all could learn something from.

Script to Film

Many movies, which are based off of novels or plays, bring in large amounts of revenue each year. Directors, in order to maximize this revenue, often drastically change the plot, dialogue, and/or setting of a novel or play to make it more entertaining or accessible to the viewing audience. Changes were certainly made to the Streetcar Named Desire script. Unlike many other movies, however, only scarce and minor changes were made. For example, the movie shows a few scenes in a few settings that did not exist in the original play. An example of this is when Blanche tells Mitch how her husband died on the deck outside the dancing hall. While Blanche did tell Mitch this story in the play, it was not on a deck overlooking the water, this part is exaggerated to make the scene more dramatic. Another change was made to the ending. In the play, Stella does not leave Stanley after Blanche gets taken away. In the movie, however, she does leave Stanley and tells her newborn that they will never go back. Despite this, I feel that the movie did an adequate job of correctly showing each character’s personality and flaws. I feel that the cast members were perfect for their job as well, they really embodied what I pictured each character to look and act like.    

Different Endings

When discussing abusive relationships people always ask,  “Why doesn’t she just leave?” They believe if they were in the same type of situation they would just leave. Leaving an abusive relationship is very hard to do. There are many circumstances and factors that impact the difficult decision and act of leaving an abusive partner. Stella has many reasons that would make it difficult to leave Stanley. One of those reasons includes her having a child with him.  Another reason is that it was difficult to be a single mother at the time. Stella also did not have anywhere she could really go. I also believe that she stays with him because she does love and desire him.

I believe A Streetcar Named Desire had a different ending in the movie than book because it gives the audience more closure.  In the movie she tells her baby, “we’re not going in back in there, not this time,” and then leaves to Eunice’s house. It leaves the audience with the impression Stella will no longer trust  Stanley, and might actually leave him. The entire play I believe we are rooting for Stella to leave her toxic relationship and the movie gives us that ending.