I really enjoyed reading Streetcar and then being able to watch the film. It was interesting how I read the play and visualized the characters and scenes, and then being able to see what it really looked like. While I was reading I pictured Blanche the way she was being portrayed in the film. Except, I pictured her less dramatic than she was in the film. When I was reading, I picked up that she was dramatic, but in the film, she was almost fake in many ways. I say she was dramatic, because of her eyes rolling, while she was talking to everyone, and the hand movements, while she was having any kind of conversation. She looked like she was acting, rather than being in "normal" real world situations. Also she blew a lot of things out of proportion, more than in the play, it seemed like, becuase I could actually see her gestures and her physical actions.
I pictured Stanley a little differently than he was in the film. In the reading, I pictured him very violent and always needing power over everyone, which he showed in the film, but i pictured him looking a little more intimidating.
I liked how the producer used light to trigger the scenes in the film. For example, Blanche did not like being seen in the light, and I think they did a good job "protecting" her, until Mitch turned on the lights to see what she actually looked liked. Also, the producers did a good job using light to catch the audiences attention when something was going to happen, or did happen and they used light for the transitions between scenes.
I really enjoyed watching the film. It abled me get into the play more because I could visualize the scenes, instead of just reading it like a play. I could see how the characters were reaction, and their gestures in the different situations.
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I think that the movie people probably wanted Blanche to be so over the top to show how fragile she was. You could sense the mental break down coming (even though we all knew it was coming from the play). I also really enjoyed watching the movie, it gave us all a slightly different perspective, and I think it helped a lot of people in understanding the play.
Nicole,
I also thought that it was interesting to see how differently I had visualized the characters in my head while I was reading the script from the characters and scenes in the movie. I however was pretty much off on all of the characters. I visualized Blanche to be not as skinny and a bit younger looking, whereas Stella was better looking and a bit happier. Stanley however was better looking in the film than I imagined, which was a big shock to me. I also pictured him to be more intimidating as you said. He was almost too small in the film to actually take his strength seriously. Blanche however seemed more realistic in the movie to me than in the script, for I feel that in the movie you could see how emotionally unstable she was, and that her actions were not just all an act. The portrayal of light in the film and the script in reference to Blanche, I agree, was right on the money.
Nicole,
I thought you pointed out some really interesting things in your post. Although I was disappointed in the movie adaptation of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” there were definitely some redeeming qualities, as you pointed out. The lighting used in the movie definitely added to the depth of Williams play. And despite the fact that a lot of the characters were over dramatized, it did help to create a more vivid image of each individual.
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