Sexual Desire as Dangerous or Ominous
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Sexual Desire as Dangerous or Ominous
The films A Street Car Named Desire and Blaze both portray sexual desire as dangerous or ominous. In both films there is a sense that sexuality is what harms the main characters in the movies. In both movies there is a strong connection between sexuality and flawed morality, however in both movies sexuality is depicted in different ways. In Blaze the depiction of sexuality is very explicit and in the audiences face however in A Street Car Named Desire it is the complete opposite.
Blaze follows a young girls quest to find stardom after leaving her mothers small wooden cabin in rural West Virginia. After discovering her real talent was not her voice but however her body she becomes an exotic dancer and finds herself in a New Orleans Club where she catches the eye of the state governor Earl Long. Men in the movie are depicted, as very sexually beings in the film as well as Blaze, however how society accepts them is slightly different.
For example, there is a scene in the movie when Earl invites Blaze to his dinner party. She arrives wearing a tight red dress with cut outs that has a plunging neckline that reveals her perfectly matched brazier. Her hair is teased, she has red lipstick, and her accessories are overstated as compared to the wives at the table. She exudes sex; she is making no effort to hide her sexuality. The womens reactions to her arrival is very unwelcoming, their reactions are saying to the audience she does not belong, she is beneath us. Her choice in attire is suggesting that she a lowly women. Women who wore colors that stood out where seen as women looking for attention, and generally worked in profession that dealt with sex, especially the color red. In fact most prostitution districts were called red light districts. Women of high society did not dress in a flamboyant fashion, they were very modest and they did not wear make up. Prostitutes were believed to wear make up not ladies. Blaze is seen wearing red in just about every scene the movie, suggesting she is a sexual being.
When she enters the room the gentlemens wives are horrified by the reaction that their husbands have to this lowly women. They are gawking, because of her appearance or out right display of sexuality. On one hand she is getting a relative positive reaction from these men however on the other hand she is getting the opposite from their wives. Sexuality in this scene is depicted as dangerous and something to be concerned about because she went against the gender norm. Women are not to be sexual beings they are not to express their sexuality. With Earl however it is the opposite in some cases. Many of the male characters in the movie are depicted jealous of him while some suggest he is of bad moral characters for having Blaze as a companion. For example the scene the State Capitol the gentlemen he is arguing back and forth is trying to portray him as a man with bad moral character, this is done later on in the film when his is campaigning and after he finishes dancing to “You are my Sunshine” his moral character once again is called into question by the opposing candidate. Showing that a mans outward or flamboyant display of sexuality is dangerous to his reputation.
Another way sexuality is depicted as dangerous in the movie is with Blaze s pet panther. Female gentle in vernacular is often associated with felines. By Earl buying the panther for Blaze it could demonstrate his wish to control her sexuality, in order to obtain his goal of being intimate with her, which he had not done previously to buy the panther. By Blaze being able to tame and control her pet panther it might also suggest that she is in control of her sexuality. By her talking to Earl like he was her panther when he sat its cage with the reporters had arrived it could be suggesting she was in control of him and his sexuality, she had power over him that others did not. Also the use of panther, a wild animal, instead of a domesticated cat shows that sexuality is wild, dangerous, and possible unpredictable, even when thought to be tamed. Sexuality is innately dangerous and shown through the symbol in Blazes pet panther.
Sexuality in Blaze is very explicit however in A Street Car Named Desire it is not as much. Sexuality is shown as dangerous through the relationship of Blanche and Stanley mostly however also with the character of Stella. Blanche from her first interaction with a male in the film is depicted as a sexual being due to her mannerism. She is portrayed as very vulnerable from the very first scene in the movie when she is asking the young sailor for directions. This idea vulnerability is deemed as an attractive trait for women to poses by her relationship with Mitch who thinks she is a good girl because of this trait. She is appears to be upholding the values and expectation of The Old South and its gender norms. However it is when she goes out of these set expectations does she find her self into trouble in the film.
Her interaction with Stanley and how she is constantly searching for affirmation that she is attractive and Blanche stating “I like magic, I dont like being simple, and I dont like telling the truthI like magic” (Kazan, Street Car Named Desire) and Stanleys instance on changing that. The issue of sexuality becomes an issue of complex subjectivity. Stanleys brute personality portrayal makes seem mysterious and dangerous. His sexuality is depicted by his appearance like Blaze. When Blanche gazes upon the bear chest of Stanley, her eyes are filled with desire and longing, suggesting she is of a sexual nature however she cannot express it and his stance or posture is very aggressive and assertive unlike Blanches. She is clinging onto to a door while she is gazing at him appearing to be weak and in awe. Stanley sexuality is very threatening.
Sex is also depicted as a means of control. After Stanley strikes Stella in the face she is seen crying and upset. However the scene after that, where she is lying in the bed smoking a cigarette after having intercourse, she is happy it is as if nothing had ever happen. Stanley used sex to pursued Stella to stay as well as a way to make right is wrong. By doing this film is stating with sex there are power and a very powerful method of control.
Lastly the film shows how sexuality is primitive and dangerous by the rape of Blanche by Stanley. Stanley as stated before is depicted as a brute, Blanche considers him primitive as stated before his sexuality is very assertive and aggressive. By him forcing himself upon Blanche is depicting that is dangerous