Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy communicates the angst and
confusion of an inarticulate speaker trying to form his own identity
in familiar but newly threatening surroundings. He strives to be
an individual with strong principles, and his movements reveal his struggle.
He chews gum expressively, shrugs, lags behind, pulls his collar
up, and stuffs his hands in his pockets. All of these nervous, almost
evasive gestures and behaviors represent a stark contrast from the
goons in Johnny Friendly’s gang. Though they are just as verbally
inexpressive, the henchmen stand strong in twos and threes, in solid
hats and long overcoats, sure of what they’re doing at all times.
The henchmen make eye contact, while Malloy frequently looks away.
Brando must convey Malloy’s interior life through these physical
gestures, since the script gives Malloy so little verbal eloquence.
Kazan worked with Brando at the Actors Studio, so he
knew his talents and knew the benefits of improvisation in acting.
Improvisation means deviating from the written script and exploring
an urge, a path, a riff, or an intuition because it feels right
or “in character.” Improvisation can become scripted if, for example,
an exploration works extraordinarily well in rehearsal. The famous
“white glove” scene began as improvisation. Brando’s seemingly unconscious
fiddling with the glove throws off the entire rhythm of the scene
and adds to the unexpected nature of each step. It creates a second dynamic.
The first dynamic is their private, delicate conversation, and the
second gives meaning to their physical interaction. Dropping the
glove makes Edie unsure of what she wants to do with her body. Should
she reach out to grab the glove, or politely await its return? She
cycles unconsciously and hesitantly through various options, even
as she keeps up an intimate conversation. Each parry and thrust
of her initial step and Malloy’s teasing counterstep sends an electric
charge through the scene.
Strong acting is also notable in Charlie and Terry’s
scene in the taxicab. Rod Steiger and Marlon Brando are large men
stuck in a cramped environment, navigating through charged emotional
territory. The actors choose unconventional reactions to throw the
audience off guard. Steiger’s ultra-cool Charlie can’t stop fiddling
with his gloves, for example, and Terry doesn’t flee the pistol
but rather calmly turns it aside. The men speak very few words,
and the words, too, are rather conventional. The actors’ symphony
of facial expressions makes those few words eloquent. The pauses
and ellipses between and around the spoken words, combined with
the expressiveness of the faces, create volumes of meaning and emotion.
The scene in the taxi was shot three times. Once the
crew rolled in a two-shot, with both Brando and Steiger visible.
Once the camera closed in on Brando so that Steiger wasn’t seen,
even though he was there with Brando as someone for Brando to interact
with. However, when it came time for Steiger’s close-ups, the notoriously
complex Brando had to leave for a psychotherapy appointment—so Steiger
did all his close-ups with an extra on the set playing Terry Malloy
off-screen. That the scene is such a success is a testament to the
power of the acting.
