A Streetcar Named Desire - 2/5

This is a confused movie, with each of the characters being either detestable or impotent, and often both. It’s meandering and vague, which makes its pointless ending an insult to the audience’s time and intelligence. The film tries to convey solidarity through compassion for the main character, but only succeeds in eliciting scornful pity as her villainy is revealed through the film. The only redeeming feature of this story is its tragically poetic dialogue, which is beautiful but falls flat without a meaningful story to tell.

Closest comparison: It’s like Gone With the Wind by way of Sunset Boulevard.

Setting: Drama
Plot: Tragedy
Tone: Tragedy

East of Eden (1955) - 1/5

This film is a pointless look at a troubled young man with a fatalistic woe-is-me attitude. As far as the narrative is concerned there’s no real reason for his disaffected ennui but he mopes about for the duration, before coming to a conclusion without a resolution. Nothing about this movie stands out as worth watching on its own, and the story does not justify its own existence.

Closest comparison: It’s like The 400 Blows by way of Rebel Without a Cause.

Setting: Family Drama
Plot: Self-pity
Tone: Dour Drama