"A Streetcar Named Desire"

“A Streetcar Named Desire” makes very good use of symbolism, as well as lighting and camera angles. In the beginning of the film there is a scene where Blanche and her sister, Stella, are having drinks at a table. Blanche becomes uncomfortable with the nearby lamp and turns it away from herself, stating that she doesn’t care for the harsh lighting. For many scenes in the movie, she stays in dim lighting for fear that people will see how old she is. Her room is lit for the most part with a single light bulb that she covers with a lantern to soften the light. Other than that, her room is very dark and full of shadows, which the film uses a lot. This also gives the setting a dark, gritty feeling and sets the serious tone for the movie. When Blanche is having delusions of her old life back on the family plantation, she is standing in an almost dark room to hide from the light, which would mean facing her grim reality. At the end of the film, when her brother in law, Stanley, rips the lantern from the light bulb, she is finally crushed by reality and has a complete breakdown. In one particular scene, the camera is set up from a very high angle so that Blanche is shown through the ceiling fan while being on the verge of a mental breakdown, therefore she is depicted as powerless. For sound, there is always very low jazz music playing in the background, which also helps depict the setting as very dark and seedy. This is definitely a movie worth checking out.