Released in 1951, Eliah Kazan’s adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire tells of disturbed Southern belle, Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh), who arrives in New Orleans seeking refuge with her sister, Stella (Kim Hunter), following the unexpected loss of her family plantation. Bullied and tormented by her brutish brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), the secrets of Blanche’s past slowly reveal themselves as she is gradually driven deeper into her own despair. Leigh’s face tells the whole story. Blanche is terrified by the violent dynamic between Stella and Stanley and yet captivated by every male she sees. With her longing eyes and pouting lips, Leigh is constantly expressing newfound love as Blanche seeks solace with one man after another, exposing her desperate desire for protection long before the script does.
But this is Brando’s show. His Stanley is a picture of unrestrained masculinity; his handsome features and imposing physique suggesting he’s equally capable of seduction or violence. His muscular arms are there for Blanche to grasp when startled by an alley-cat, but they also belie an aggressive streak. With his T-shirts perpetually drenched in sweat and his drawling voice coming from a mouth that is almost always mid-chew, he is – as Blanche describes – “an animal”, eating, mating and ruling over the territory of the small apartment set. With Brando’s ability for both restrained anger and outbursts of rage, Stanley’s every smile has the potential to turn to intense wrath. One second he is Blanche’s confidant, the next her attacker, throwing her down and cruelly mocking her. It’s hard to believe a face can simultaneously convey both belittlement and lust, but as Stanley advances on Blanche, jaw still chewing, Brando’s displays just that. A thug to be hated, played by a force that cannot be resisted; like Stella, we want more of him, but are unable to explain why.
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