Streetcar Named Desire

In my opinion Vivian Leigh did a better job bringing Blanche alive from the pages to the big screen. Her performance was more believable as she seemed to become Blanche more than the 1995 actress did. I believe that one factor that could have played into Leigh's better performance could be the time period in which the movie was made. It was closer to the time period in the book, and I feel that the 1995 version was more of a modern interpretation that did not capture the full effect of what Tennessee Williams essentially had in mind. Leigh used her naturally born talent to convince the viewers that she was Blanche, and not any other character she had played in the past. Her ability to seem calm in the beginning of the scene, and then becoming hysterical towards the end really showed her true talent. Although she had a totally different performance in Streetcar Named Desire, I believe that her previous experience as an actor was reflected in her portrayal of Blanche. For example, in Gone With The Wind, she played Scarlett O'Hara, a strong, stubborn, "Southern Belle" from Georgia. Her love of the land on which she was born (Tara) was deep in her heart, and when anything tried to come in between her life at Tara or her dreams, she did everything in her power to change that. In some of the scenes in Gone With the Wind, Leigh shows her versability by acting hysterical or acting sweet and pretty.
All in all, I believe that Vivian Leigh did a better job portraying Blanche because of the timing in which the movie was made, her acting ability, her experience on the big screen, and her versability as an actor. I believe that even though Blanche seemed fragile, in reality she was a strong woman who acted hysterical sometimes, and I believe that Vivian Leigh did Tennesse Williams' Blanche justice.