Last night I watched one of my favorite movies, A Streetcar Named Desire. I think Tennessee Williams' writing is brilliant, and Marlon plays one of my favorite characters ever. As Stanley Kowalski, he hardly portrays the gentle sort. He shouts, throws radios and dishes, and demeans his wife Stella and her sister, Blanche. At the same time, he slurs words together like a little kid, and daintily picks a stray thread from Stella's dress as he relates gossip. Stanley exhibits so many layers I always look forward to exploring.
While I would not want to know (and certainly not live with) someone like this, I find Marlon's performance spellbinding. I saw a theater production of Streetcar last fall, and while I enjoyed it, I do not think anyone else can play Stanley. He captures the turbulence and humor perfectly. Despite how unlikeable Stanley seems, Marlon also shows moments where I understand why Stella fell for him.
This scene, which I consider one of the more humorous, explores Stanley and Stella's relationship. Stanley digging through Blanche's dresses, describing his "acquaintances," and tossing snarky comments cracks me up. YouTube will not allow embedding, but follow the link to watch:
What's a rhinestone?
~F.
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