I enjoyed watching the movie because it brought the play to life. I was able to see what the characters looked like in life, and see what the small apartment looked like. While reading the play I had to use my imagination. During the movie, I noticed similarities to the play, along with some differences.
One of the similarities between the movie and play that I noticed were the use of words used by the characters. The words in the movie seemed to be identical in the play. Another similarity was the plot. The plot of the movie followed the structure of the play. Blanche and Stanley also had the same characteristics in the play as they had in the movie. Stanley being muscular, unpredictable, quick to the point, controlling, and violent. Blanche being lonely, desperate for attention, dramatic, and unrealistic. All of these characteristics showed in the movie just like in the play. But the movie showed their characteristics better because I was able to see the use of body language and facial expressions. I was able to see how Stanley and Stella's relationship was based on physical attraction just by watching how they used their body language after the fight they had during poker night. When Stella went upstairs to Eunice's place to get away from Stanley, Stanley began screaming her name outside to get her attention because he missed her and he was sorry. In the movie I was able to see the body language and facial expressions of Stella and Stanley after the fight. They looked at each other seductively and you can tell that they were very physically attracted to one another. I knew right away what they were going to do next. The book describes this scene on page 653, "They stare at each other. Then they come together with low, animal moans. He falls to his knees on the steps and presses his face to her belly, curving a little with maternity. Her eyes go blind with tenderness as she catches his head and raises him level with her. He snatches the screen door open and lifts her off her feet and bears her into the dark flat." In the book it sounded like they were being very gentle with each other and making up, but when I watched that scene in the movie I could clearly see the sexuality between the two.
In the movie I was able to see places that were only mentioned briefly or not at all in the play. For example, in the beginning of the play I read that Stanley was at the bowling alley, but I was never brought there by the reading. Blanche waited in the house for Stanley and her sister Stella to return. But in the movie, Blanche went to the bowling alley to find her sister Stella. In the bowling alley I was able to see Stanley and the guys arguing, while Stella ran up to Blanche and greeted her so happily. Another example is the "dance place" in the movie where Blanche told Mitch about what happened to her husband. This scene wasn't even mentioned in the play. Another scene that was in the movie but not in the play was the factory scene. In the factory scene Stanley tells Mitch about Blanche's past. This scene portrays Mitch's shock and disbelief towards the rumor, then we witness a fight between the two. Another difference that I noticed between the play and movie was the scene where Mitch turns the light on and studies Blanch's face. In the book Mitch says, "I don't mind you being older than what I thought." The same line is said in the movie but we were able to see Blanche's face , rather than just picturing it in our mind. We were able to see the winkles in her face.
The rape scene was also very different in the movie than in the play. I thought that it sounded more violent in the play, than in the movie. In the movie they didn't show Blanche getting thrown on the bed by Stanley, they just showed Stanley grabbing Blanche's arm, then it cut to a different scene. They probably had to cut a lot of that out in the movie because in the time that the movie was made people had different views about violence being portrayed in movies, which is also probably why their was no talk about homosexuality in the movie like there was in the play.
The ending was different from the movie too, and I like this ending a lot better. Instead of Stella taking Stanley back like what happened in the play, she didn't in the movie. When Stanley went to grab Stella to bring her back in the house Stella said, "don't you touch me, don't you ever touch me again. I'm never going back in there again, not this time." I was so happy when she said that. When I read the play I couldn't believe that Stella took Stanley back after he did something so violent. But in the movie she realized that it was wrong for Stanley to push himself onto Blanche and rape her, and she ended up making it known that she believed her sister over Stanley. In the play she made it clear that she didn't believe her sister so she could stay with Stanley, even though deep inside she knew she was wrong. I definately like the movie better than the play because of that last scene.
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Of course the characters would looked different from what you imagined. They were meant to be the literal interruptions of the characters from the play and it would be easier to use semi-known characters for the parts of the play so that the movie would draw crowds.
I also felt that you got a better sense of the suroundings in the movie then in the play especially the scene in the bowling alley I think that it set the stage for who Stanley was because that is the first time you see him violent toward others and you also see how excepting of his behavior Stella was. Stella basically found it attractive. I really liked the movie because of the little changes.
I think the charachters in my mind looked a little different than i expected too. I mean yea i knew that Stanley would be muscular and tall, but i really didn't expect what Marlon Brando did. I think he was the best charachter in the movie. I also think that the similarities between the play and movie were great. There wasn't too much that was different except for some plot twists. Overall i really liked the way the movie was.
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