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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

directed by  Elia Kazan
USA 1951

 

In the classic play by Tennessee Williams, brought to the screen by Elia Kazan, faded Southern belle Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) comes to visit her pregnant sister, Stella (Kim Hunter), in a seedy section of New Orleans. Stella's boorish husband, Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando), not only regards Blanche's aristocratic affectations as a royal pain but also thinks she's holding out on inheritance money that rightfully belongs to Stella. On the fringes of sanity, Blanche is trying to forget her checkered past and start life anew. Attracted to Stanley's friend Mitch (Karl Malden), she glosses over the less savory incidents in her past, but she soon discovers that she cannot outrun that past, and the stage is set for her final, brutal confrontation with her brother-in-law. Brando, Hunter, and Malden had all starred in the original Broadway version of Streetcar, although the original Blanche had been Jessica Tandy. Brando lost out to Humphrey Bogart for the 1951 Best Actor Oscar, but Leigh, Hunter, and Malden all won Oscars.

Excerpt from the B+N located HERE

***

The film in which the Marlon mumble and scratch gave the Method a bad name and Tennessee Williams a yellow paper reputation as the playwright of steamy sex. Actually pretty mild (Stanley's 'liberating' rape of Blanche is coyly elided while we watch a hose washing away garbage with portentous symbolism), it remains impressive largely because of Brando's superbly detailed performance (which rather wipes the floor with Leigh's showy but superficial bundle of mannerisms). Directing with his camera sticking as close to the characters as if they were grouped on a stage, Kazan achieves a sort of theatrical intensity in which the sweaty realism sometimes clashes awkwardly with the stylization that heightens the dialogue into a kind of poetry. What the film lacks, in fact, is some sort of perspective - and perhaps a dash of the dark humour that made Baby Doll both Kazan's best film and the screen's best Williams adaptation.

Excerpt from the TimeOut FilmGuide located HERE

 

Posters

 

Theatrical Release: September 18th, 1951

Reviews                                                                                 More Reviews                                                                      DVD Reviews

 

Comparison: 

Warner - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner (2-disc Special Edition) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC vs. Warner (Book-case) - Region FREE Blu-ray vs. Warner Archive - Region FREE Blu-ray

 

1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC SECOND

3) Warner (Media Book) - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - THIRD

4) Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - RIGHT

 

Box Cover

 

The 2-disc SE is part of the Tennessee Williams Film Collection which contains A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

              

Other Individual Reviews:
Distribution

Warner Home Video

Region 1 - NTSC

Warner Home Video (2-disc Special Edition)

Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC

Warner (Boom case) - Region FREE - Blu-ray Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 2:04:40 2:04:44 2:04:55.529 2:04:55.529

Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.5 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.73 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

Disc Size: 41,021,603,603 bytes

Feature Size: 28,767,154,176 bytes

Video Bitrate: 25.95 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 Video

Disc Size: 41,021,603,603 bytes

Feature Size: 28,767,154,176 bytes

Video Bitrate: 25.95 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate : Warner (old)

Bitrate: Warner (Special Edition)

Bitrate: Warner (Bookcase) Blu-ray

Bitrate: Warner Archive Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0) English (Dolby Digital 1.0)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1036 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1036 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio German 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Italian 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Portuguese 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1036 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1036 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio German 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Italian 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Portuguese 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

Subtitles English, Spanish, French, None English, Spanish, French, None English (SDH), Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian , Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish , Swedish, None English (SDH), Chinese, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian , Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish , Swedish, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Warner Home Video

Aspect Ratio: - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Cast Bios/Production Notes/Awards (text screens)

DVD Release Date: April 10th, 2001
Snapper case

Chapters 26

Release Information:
Studio: Warner Home Video (Special Edition)
 

Aspect Ratio:  - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by Karl Malden and film historian Rudy Behlmer
• Elia Kazan movie trailer gallery

Disc 2
• Feature length documentary Elia Kazan: A Director’s Journey
• Movie and audio outtakes
• Marlon Brando screen test
• 5 new documentary featurettes: A Streetcar on Broadway, A Streetcar in Hollywood, Desire and Censorship, North and the South and An Actor Named Brando
 

DVD Release Date: May 2nd, 2006
Keep Case inside cardboard box

Chapters 28

Release Information:
Studio: Warner

Aspect Ratio:  - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by Karl Malden and film historian Rudy Behlmer
• Feature length documentary Elia Kazan: A Director’s Journey (1:15:32)
• 5 new documentary featurettes: A Streetcar on Broadway (22:01), A Streetcar in Hollywood (28:10), Desire and Censorship (16:21), North and the South (9:14) and An Actor Named Brando (8:53)

Brando Screen test (5:06)

Outtakes (15:38)

Audio Outtakes (17:01)

Trailers (51' original, 58' re-release, United Artists 1970 Reissue)

40-page liner notes hardcover booklet case with essays and photos
 

Blu-ray Release Date: April 10th, 2012
Digi-book case

Chapters 28

Release Information:
Studio: Warner

Aspect Ratio:  - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by Karl Malden and film historian Rudy Behlmer
• Feature length documentary Elia Kazan: A Director’s Journey (1:15:32)
• 5 new documentary featurettes: A Streetcar on Broadway (22:01), A Streetcar in Hollywood (28:10), Desire and Censorship (16:21), North and the South (9:14) and An Actor Named Brando (8:53)

Brando Screen test (5:06)

Outtakes (15:38)

Audio Outtakes (17:01)

Trailers (51' original, 58' re-release, United Artists 1970 Reissue)

40-page liner notes hardcover booklet case with essays and photos
 

Blu-ray Release Date: July 30th, 2019
Digi-book case

Chapters 28

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were ripped directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray - (August 2019): This is the exact same disc (file dates January 25th, 2012) as the Digi-book Blu-ray release. Same menus, same extras, same running time etc. The Warner Archive difference is the cover and it is in a standard Blu-ray case as opposed to the Digi-book. It is very reasonably priced. A must-own film in 1080P.

***

ADDITION: Warner (Digi-book) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - (March 2012): What this looks like to me is the same digitized source that was used for the second DVD was used for the new Blu-ray. Parts seems muddy, waxy and soft but overall I my viewing experience was a positive one. Grains suffers from any over-digitization. I actually think there may have been more grain in the original 2001 DVD. This is dual-layered with a decent bitrate. The overall image is darker than SD and has plenty of positives. Darkness and shadows are rife in A Streetcar... and pleasingly there is no digital noise to hinder there affect. Depth selectively creeps in. I think unless you are quite discerning - the image will be appreciated by the majority. More grain would probably have swung over the naysayers.

Alex North adds a rousing rhapsody that reeks of steamy 'Nawlins nights and sweaty Brando t-shirts. I think this jazz-infused score is one of his best - which is saying a lot. It sounds tremendous via the DTS-Master lossless in faithful mono. Just brilliant. It is not the most robust but some depth joins the crisp high ends. There are multiple DUBs and subtitles and the disc is coded FREE playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

Extras duplicate the 2-disc Special Edition with the informative commentary by Karl Malden and film historian Rudy Behlmer. Remaining is the 1 1/4-hour documentary Elia Kazan: A Director’s Journey and the 5 documentary featurettes: A Streetcar on Broadway (22:01), A Streetcar in Hollywood (28:10), Desire and Censorship (16:21), North and the South (9:14) and An Actor Named Brando (8:53). There is also the Brando Screen test and film (15:38) and audio outtakes (17:01) plus three trailers (51' original, 58' re-release, United Artists 1970 Re-issue) and the package is a wonderful digi-book; 40-page liner notes hardcover case with essays and photos.

The uncompressed score was a major factor boosting my presentation to the next level. Viv Leigh and the hypnotic Brando remain mesmerizing in 1080P. It should be difficult for any Tennessee Williams' or Kazan fan to dodge this Blu-ray release.

***

ON THE DVDs: I don't know whether the new SE image quality is a vast improvement over the old edition - it is smoother and brighter, but that is not necessarily a good thing. It can depend on your tastes but when blowing the image up using projection the new image does show less damage marks, dirt, artifacts and digital noise. 

I tend to agree with Cliff from our ListServ. He stated (about digital cleanup):
'With sharpness, it seems that you are always going to see more thin lines and small pieces of dirt that seem to show up invariably on film UNLESS great efforts are made to remove them. I suppose some of the digital clean-up must be done "by hand" if it's going to be done right, i.e., a human must get in there and make sure that ropes and gnats and fishing lines which are present in the film image aren't digitally erased... or you can just opt for the blurriness. I prefer sharpness without the overzealous cleaning of dirt and emulsion scratches...'

The screen shots definitely expose a possible excessiveness in digitization and we hope the trend is not overused in future transfers.

In regards to extras, the new package is stacked with a 2nd disc of featurettes and, the most anticipated, recently surfaced, 5-minute, Brando screen test for Rebel Without a Cause. It is actually a long time before Nicholas Ray's film and is from a book adaptation that Warner, at one time, owned. Still, it is very interesting. Other keen supplements include the full-length Kazan bio-documentary, outtakes and more (5 other documentary featurettes!).

Our niggling over the image shouldn't distract anyone from this outstanding package. Warner really delivers on this dynamic and emotionally realistic film - atmospherically set in the seedy French Quarter of New Orleans. Days of cinema like this are long gone and I'm so very happy to have this masterpiece in such a complete digital package. Bravo Warner!   

 - Gary Tooze


Menus

(Warner - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC RIGHT)

 

 

Disc 2

 

Warner Blu-ray Menus


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - BOTTOM

 


Subtitle Sample: Not exact frame

 


1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - BOTTOM

 


1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - BOTTOM

 


1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - BOTTOM

 


1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - BOTTOM

 


1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - BOTTOM

 


1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Warner (2-disc SE) - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC MIDDLE

3) Warner - Region FREE - Blu-ray  - BOTTOM

 

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 
Box Cover

 

The 2-disc SE is part of the Tennessee Williams Film Collection which contains A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 Two-Disc Special Edition / Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1958 Deluxe Edition / Sweet Bird of Youth / The Night of the Iguana / Baby Doll / The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

              

Other Individual Reviews:

 




 

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Gary Tooze

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