Classic Hollywood - A tribute to Elizabeth Taylor and Tennessee Williams

Last week, I began a voyage into classic cinema in honor of what would be Tennessee Williams' hundredth birthday. However, the week took a turn for the worst when it also had to be a look back at the fantastic career of Elizabeth Taylor after her passing. Strangely enough, the two coincided well considering Taylor's frequent collaborations with the great playwright.

The most famous adaptation of Williams' work is the 1951 adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh. It involves all the typical features of a Tennessee Williams play including a souther setting, hints of homosexuality that have been sadly repressed by the censorship of the time and some sort of love story although never a pleasant one. The southern belle in this story comes to visit her sister and somehow goes crazy and lusts after her sister's husband, who happens to be abusive, all before being sent off in the end. Sounds like a typical melodrama, right? I understand that many classify the film as a masterpiece however, I found a disconnect between reality and Vivien Leigh's character. Of course, a person who is insane would not have much of a touch with reality but her character seemed to lack all reason for insanity and her over-dramatic style of acting, while common at the time, did nothing to bring true sympathy to the role. Despite this, I still enjoyed the film but found that Marlon Brando and even Kim Hunter outshone Vivien Leigh and overall, the story lacked part of the spark that makes Tennessee Williams' work so special.

Any of these flaws that could be identified in Streetcar are easily remedied in the other Williams' adaptation I viewed, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, this time starring the late Elizabeth Taylor. As with most plays of Williams, the central focus is both on family and sexuality in a way that easily demonstrates the friction between the two. Paul Newman's character shows signs of both repressed homosexuality and a longing for his past glory, which can also be found in Williams' other play, The Glass Menagerie. This has caused great strain in his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor's character because their lack of sex has led them to be without an heir to the family fortune, which angers Taylor's character. This story felt much more like a Williams classic and was fantastically supported by the performances of the leads. While the story dragged a bit, it beautifully addressed all the issues you expect to find within Williams' work yet does not feel like a retread at all. 

The final film I watched had nothing to do with Tennessee Williams however it was still a film adaptation of a play and it also has the Elizabeth Taylor, therefore it's a worthy addition to this post. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the story of a married couple who invite a young couple to their house for drinks which quickly turns into a night of shouting, swearing and lots of drinking. This is one of those plays(and films) that is such an excuse for great actors to act that it helps to demonstrate just how talented the actors are. The fact that Elizabeth Taylor gives a world class performance in this movie displays not only the strength of the script but her true talent as an actress and elevates her above the media status that is sometimes all she is remembered for. There are lots of amazing things about Elizabeth Taylor but it can take a truly fantastic film like Woolf to remind us that she is, first and foremost, an actress. If you ever have doubts about the talent of this legend, watch this movie and you'll instantly realize why she is considered the last great Hollywood star.