20 Films From The 1950s That Everybody Should Watch

5. A Streetcar Named Desire

Drama students and film buffs alike will be all too familiar with 1951's A Streetcar Named Desire, notable for featuring nine actors who reprise the roles they played in the adapted Broadway show. The film version actually features a slightly different storyline, with certain elements of the play being removed for the sake of getting a more accessible certificate upon release. But despite the changes made, the film remains one of the hardest-hitting pictures of American cinema, praised for its authentic depiction of inner torment and taboo subjects. Unsurprisingly for a film that holds a 98% rating on RottenTomatoes, it too has been preserved by the Library of Congress. Some have described it as "morally repugnant", no doubt due in some part to its controversial portrayal of rape, homosexuality, and violence, but whatever you may think of its contents, it needs to be seen. A Streetcar Named Desire is also lauded as Marlon Brando's greatest performance, notable for introducing method acting to Hollywood. Although giving an extremely influential portrayal of Stanley, he later said that he privately detested the character.