Scots Taffer on 10/4/2006 at 10:32
I saw a production of this at the Brisbane theatre on Friday evening (yay for visiting relatives doing a one-off babysit!) and my wife and I enjoyed it immensely. She'd seen the movie, but was young and couldn't really remember it. I had no previous experience with anything by Tennesee Williams but I knew of him and figured he must have something interesting to say.
And he sure did. The contrast of the languid easygoing Southern belle to the uptight, brash and egotistical Stanley provided an obvious enough metaphor and the story had a chilliness that you couldn't shake. You knew there was something horrible coming, it lay just beneath the surface and waited until you least expected it then wham: it hit you straight in the gut.
It was interesting that for how different the characters of Stanley and Blanche were, the same proved true of both: they were each a victim of their own basic instincts. Stanley was lust and control, Blanche was vanity and self-preservation. The fragility of the female characters suggested that Williams had experience with women who had been less than well mentally, a quick wiki read proved this as he had a mentally deranged sister who spent much of her life in institutions. Similarly, the undertones of Blanche's backstory and the overly machismo Stanley led to the conclusion that Williams was quite astoundingly gay, and this was also proved to be correct.
I'm not sure how much of a Civil War metaphor was intended by the fading Southern charm against the north's Industrial-era crudeness, and after having a quick read-up about the play some of the intended tensions didn't come out in this production (there was zero sexual tension between Stanley and Blanche), but now I'm curious about the movie - which I know has a tremendous performance by Brando as Stanley. Worth checking out?
Also, anyone else seen any of Williams' other works?
Naartjie on 10/4/2006 at 10:54
I saw the same production in New York with John C. Reilly and Natasha Richardson as Stanley and Blanche. It was really, really good, I remember that being a very fun night out.
Fingernail on 10/4/2006 at 10:59
I'm studying it for A Level English Literature. I've been reading the part of Mitch in class. :weird:
It's a good play, and everything I hear about the movie (which I'm saving till I've read the whole play), is pretty good.
RED HOT!
REEEEEED HOOOOOT!!!
Scots Taffer on 10/4/2006 at 11:03
Actually, when I say I had no experience of Williams' work that was excluding The Simpsons' musical adaptation of Streetcar. :)
OnionBob on 10/4/2006 at 11:42
that reminds me, the RSC is doing The Crucible in London at the moment, I must book tickets before I forget.
Thirith on 10/4/2006 at 11:45
Some of Williams' stuff can be rather over-the-top and camp, such as Suddenly Last Summer - but when the plays work, they're a real killer. I quite like The Glass Menagerie (although it's Tennessee Williams light), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is also worth checking out, as is the Streetcar movie (even though they made some changes). Very good acting on the whole, although it is a bit dated perhaps.
Fingernail on 10/4/2006 at 11:46
Quote Posted by OnionBob
that reminds me, the RSC is doing The Crucible in London at the moment, I must book tickets before I forget.
Arthur Miller is a genius. Especially Death of a Salesman is probably the most powerful play I've ever seen.
Jackablade on 10/4/2006 at 16:38
The movie is good, except for the ending. I won't spoil it for you, but it is different than the play, and really contrary in spirit to the preceding hour (or however long it is).
Kyloe on 10/4/2006 at 16:53
Check out the film version of Suddenly Last Summer. Katherine Hepburn is fantastic.
Also, definitely read his autobiography.
Oli G on 13/4/2006 at 09:37
Quote:
(there was zero sexual tension between Stanley and Blanche)
And you say this was a
good production? The sexual tension is the single most important aspect of the play.
Streetcar is a terrific play, but only when it oozes sex. The red hot sausages aren't exactly a difficult metaphor to pick up on.
Quote:
The contrast of the languid easygoing Southern belle to the uptight, brash and egotistical Stanley provided an obvious enough metaphor and the story had a chilliness that you couldn't shake.
Stanley uptight? Blanche languid and easygoing? If anything that should be reversed. Stanley's natural, Blanche is an act and an unstable mass of nerves on top of it.
Quote:
I'm not sure how much of a Civil War metaphor was intended by the fading Southern charm against the north's Industrial-era crudeness
I don't think the play is a Civil War metaphor (it was written in 1947 after all) but it certainly seems to symbolise cultural tensions in postwar America even if the primary focus is very human.
And yes, the film is extremely good, but as Jackablade said the ending is a sorry cop-out. Which, given censorship laws, probably isn't surprising.
