Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
Tennessee Williams Film Collection
No American playwright covered lust, deceit and insanity with Williams' unblinking intensity. This six-film set includes classics such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Night of the Iguana. The standout, however, is the Elia Kazan-directed A Streetcar Named Desire, which features a smoldering Marlon Brando in his pivotal role as the brutish Stanley Kowalski. The disc's extras — which include a documentary about Kazan by TIME critic Richard Schickel, in addition to an intriguing look at how the film survived the era's censors — are also worthwhile. As a whole, the collection, even by today's jaded standards, makes for plenty of gritty viewing.