Dvd/150: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (Elia Kazan, 1951)

To celebrate Tennessee Williams' birth day I watched the greatest of the film adaptations of his works, Kazan's A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE which, nearly 70 years later, still grips like a vice.

Released four years after Kazan's original Broadway production, he was reluctant to repeat himself but relented and cast three of his original actors - Marlon Brando as 'Stanley', Kim Hunter as 'Stella' and Karl Malden as 'Mitch' - but had to replace Jessica Tandy with the more famous Vivien Leigh, who had played 'Blanche' onstage in London.

In retrospect, the casting was inspired: Vivien's 'outsider' status against the established bond between Brando, Hunter and Malden echoes the disturbing presence of Blanche in the working-class world of Stanley, Stella and Mitch.

Much has been made since of the opposing acting styles of Brando and Leigh with his gaining the more stature, but even he grew to respect her extraordinary performance.

Shelf or charity shop?  Really??  You even have to ask?  Tennessee Williams' extraordinary words, Harry Stradling's cinematography, Alex North's pervasive score, Kim Hunter and Karl Malden's multi-layered performances, the intensity of Kazan's direction, the electricity of Brando and of course, the gossamer, iridescent, quicksilver, haunting brilliance of Vivien Leigh.

Dvd/150: LILITH (Robert Rossen, 1964)

Hugely under-rated, Robert Rossen's last film was also the peak in Jean Seberg's career.

Rossen's dream-like film was an unhappy experience for all due to Warren Beatty's antagonistic behaviour towards Rossen; ironically, his blank performance is the worst thing in it, Jean's is all the more exciting given his anonymity.

Vincent is an aimless ex-GI who becomes an occupational therapist at a private asylum for wealthy patients in Maryland.  While there, he becomes obsessed with Lilith, a young reclusive schizophrenic.

Lilith's sensuality disturbs both male and female patients and Vincent's jealousy has catastrophic effects for all...

Kim Hunter's head doctor and Peter Fonda as a besotted fellow-patient shine and a heartbreaking scene where Vincent visits ex-girlfriend Jessica Walter and her crass husband Gene Hackman is also wonderfully played.

But it's Jean's child-like yet destructive Lilith who haunts the mind in her finest screen performance.

Shelf or charity shop?  Jean's Golden Globe-nominated performance deserves a place on any shelf...