There's a reason why the role of Stanley Kowalski made the 27-year-old Marlon Brando's career, and it's pretty evident from the first time he appears. He struts into his apartment, unfairly handsome and exuding a raw, masculine sexual energy as he changes shirts and makes small talk -- poor, delicate Blanche never had a chance. Brando as Kowalski aggressively commands the physical space, casually flirting with Blanche and forcing her to cling tighter and tighter to her comfort zone until she hardly knows where to look. Like the rest of his actions throughout the film, this machismo is an attempt to avoid feelings of inadequacy, a power play to maintain control over his surroundings, including his pregnant wife Stella and her tragically unstable sister Blanche.