It's simply amazing what they could do when skirting around Hollywood's decency standards. What some consider the heart of this Tennessee Williams play had to be cut -- in 1958, one simply did not have your leading man play a closeted homosexual. And while that may have ruined the film adaptation for Williams, who hated it so much he encouraged people to leave the theater, what's left is a talky, dramatic storm of a film.
Elizabeth Taylor is simply unforgettable as Maggie the Cat. She's so alive she practically vibrates off the screen, and her aching need for love is palpable. It's a confident, rich performance, and is justly considered to be one of her best.
And Paul Newman does what he can with the role of Brick, which is still a damn fine performance even if his role got chopped for the censors. Burl Ives is larger-than-life as the insensitive, domineering Big Daddy, and its wonderful how Newman makes his portrayal so different from Ives and yet so much the same. You can tell that Brick is a chip off the old block.
If anything spoils this movie, it's the happy Hollywood ending. Nothing would, or should, be tied up so neatly -- not for these people. That's one thing the play did much better.
Watch it for the performances, then read the play. It's the best of both worlds.
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