Tennesse Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire is one of the most successful plays in the history of American drama. It was written in 1947 and first staged on December 3, 1947 at the Barrymore Theatre in New York. Blanche DuBois was played by Jessica Tandy, who had worked with Tennessee Williams before. Marlon Brando played Stanley Kowalski and Kim Hunter played Stella, his wife. The Broadway stage production was directed by Elia Kazan.
As the play had been such a great success one quickly began to discuss the production of a film version. Nearly the entire Broadway cast was kept for the film, apart from Jessica Tandy, who was replaced by Vivien Leigh. Leigh seemed to promise a larger success due to her award-winning performance in Gone with the Wind about ten years earlier. She had played Blanche in Laurence Olivier's production of A Streetcar Named Desire in London. Similar to the play, the film was directed by Elia Kazan.
Kazan's attempt was to stick to the play as much as possible. He and Tennessee Williams were working together closely on the development of the script. The screenplay itself was written by Oliver Saul who had to rewrite a few passages but mostly followed the dramatist's version.
The plot of A Streetcar Named Desire raised the interest of industry censor Joseph Breen, who was "the official administrator of the Code of the Motion Picture Association of America" (Phillips 1980: 81). Breen doubted the subjects discussed in A Streetcar Named Desire to be acceptable in case that they were presented in a motion picture. Although both Williams and Kazan were in opposition to the censor's demands, they were forced to find compromises as the association's influence on the audience was remarkably strong.
This paper discusses the scenes that had to undergo a change as a consequence of censorship. I will compare the dramatic text and action with the film plot and try to depict the problems concerning the story, which do appear, even if Kazan and Williams did their very best to avoid this. I will illustrate how Kazan used subtle images and hints in attempt to transport the message he had been forbidden to transport. The ending of the film is of special interest and will be dealt with more explicitly as it changes not only the plot but also special features of the characters.
Small modifications through which only little is lost in translation will not be discussed.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 "No appropriate film project": Joseph Breen and his demands on A Streetcar Named Desire
3 The compromise with the MPAA
4 Censored scenes
4.1 Raw meat
4.2 Allan Grey
4.3 The rape
5 Symbolic cutting
6 The ending: Punishing the brute
6.1 Revision
6.2 Stella
6.3 Stanley
6.4 Blanche
7 Conclusion
8 8. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines the impact of industrial censorship on the film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire," focusing on how mandated alterations to scenes and the ending compromised the original narrative's moral ambiguity and character depth.
- Analysis of the Motion Picture Production Code and the influence of Joseph Breen.
- Comparison of censored scenes, specifically the "raw meat" dialogue, the references to Allan Grey's homosexuality, and the rape sequence.
- Examination of symbolic visual techniques used by director Elia Kazan to bypass censorship.
- Impact of the revised ending on the characterization of Stella, Stanley, and Blanche.
- Contrast between the dramatic play text and the final cinematic screenplay.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Raw meat
At the very beginning of the play Stanley throws a package of meat towards Stella: STANLEY: Catch! STELLA: What? STANLEY: Meat! He heaves the package at her. She cries out in protest but manages to catch it: then she laughs breathlessly. […] (Scene 1, p. 4)
In the film version this dialogue does not occur, which is probably another result of the strict censorship. Although it is only a short dialogue it appeared to be morally questionable. As it points to the very strong and passionate sexual relationship between Stanley and Stella, it could not be accepted with regards to the code.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the success of the play and the transition to a film production, introducing the central conflict between the director and the industry censors.
2 "No appropriate film project": Joseph Breen and his demands on A Streetcar Named Desire: Details the strict guidelines of the Motion Picture Production Code and the specific scenes Breen demanded to be altered or removed.
3 The compromise with the MPAA: Discusses the negotiations between Williams, Kazan, and the MPAA, leading to the removal of direct references to homosexuality and a revision of the rape scene.
4 Censored scenes: Analyzes specific modifications, including the omission of the "raw meat" dialogue, the rewriting of the Allan Grey monologue, and the visual changes to the rape scene.
5 Symbolic cutting: Explores how director Elia Kazan utilized phallic symbolism and subtle visual cues to circumvent censorship and retain the film's intended message.
6 The ending: Punishing the brute: Examines the forced alteration of the film's conclusion and the resulting impact on the moral portrayal of the main characters.
7 Conclusion: Summarizes how the censorship requirements led to a loss of the play’s intended ambivalence, ultimately distinguishing between "good" and "bad" characters in a way not present in the original work.
8 8. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary sources utilized for the research.
Keywords
A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams, Elia Kazan, Joseph Breen, Motion Picture Production Code, censorship, film adaptation, Blanche DuBois, Stanley Kowalski, Stella Kowalski, moral ambiguity, symbolic cutting, screenplay, drama, film history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the influence of industrial censorship on the 1951 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play, "A Streetcar Named Desire."
What are the primary areas of focus?
The work focuses on the constraints imposed by the Motion Picture Production Code, the specific scene edits made during production, and the significant shift in narrative tone caused by the revised ending.
What is the main objective of the study?
The goal is to demonstrate how the necessity to adhere to censorial standards caused a loss of character complexity and narrative ambiguity present in the original play.
Which methodology is applied?
The author performs a comparative analysis, contrasting the original drama text with the final screenplay and identifying the structural and thematic shifts introduced by censorship.
What does the main body cover?
The body covers specific censored scenes, the compromise reached between the creators and the MPAA, the use of symbolic imagery as a narrative tool, and an in-depth look at character development.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include censorship, film adaptation, narrative ambiguity, symbolic representation, and the character dynamics of Blanche, Stanley, and Stella.
How did the film's ending differ from the play's ending?
While the play ends with Stella staying with Stanley, the film ends with her leaving him, a change forced by censors to ensure Stanley was "punished" for his actions.
How did the author define the role of symbolic cutting?
The author suggests that Kazan used symbolic cutting—such as phallic imagery and camera cuts to the mirror—to implicitly convey the intensity and violence that could not be shown directly on screen.
Why was the "raw meat" scene removed from the film?
The scene was perceived by censors as being morally questionable because it hinted too strongly at the animalistic and passionate sexual relationship between Stanley and Stella.
- Quote paper
- Eva Tüttelmann (Author), 2006, From Stage to Screen - The influence of censorship on Elia Kazan´s A Streetcar Named Desire, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/75877
