Method acting has gotten something of a bad name for itself in recent years. All too often is it left to blame for erratic behavior by actors, both on set and off. This ranges from unhealthy weight fluctuations (seeRobert De Nirogaining 60 pounds forRaging Bull), to actors staying in character at all times (Daniel Day-Lewisin anything), to simply gross misconduct (Dustin Hoffmanverbally harassing and even slappingMeryl Streepon the set ofKramer vs. Kramer). All of this can make it very easy to forget that, when it came onto the scene shortly after World War II, Method acting was nothing short of a revelation. The first major instance of Method acting on film,Marlon Brando’s turn as Stanley Kowalski inA Streetcar Named Desire, may just be the single most influential performance in film history.
To fully understand Brando’s impact, it’s helpful to know just what Method acting is beyond the antics. Its primary focus is for an actor to get into the head of the character they portray on a deep emotional level. It was developed in two major variations by actorsLee StrasbergandStella Adler. Strasberg’s approach is more well known, and he was later called the “father of Method acting.” For him, it was necessary that the actor establish direct connections between their own life and that of the character. In place of important character developments, actors were to think of real life personal experiences that would naturally stimulate appropriate reactions during a scene. This technique is known as substitution, and it allows for emotional responses that appear real rather than labored. Around these natural emotions, the actor can then make conscious improvisations to fully embody what they feel. One of the many important figures who studied under Strasberg wasElia Kazan. Kazan would soon become known for directing many early Method actors in films which highlighted their talent, including the Brando-led 1951 adaptation ofTennessee Williams’ play,A Streetcar Named Desire.
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Brando himself, on the other hand, studied under Adler. Adler disagreed with Strasberg’s fundamental ideas, even calling the substitution technique “sick and schizophrenic.” For her, it was necessary that the actor instead find truth in the script itself. To do this, actors were to familiarize themselves with the circumstances surrounding each scene, studying anything that may help them further understand the motivations and tasks of their character. Once they gain a profound enough understanding of their character’s situation, the empathy that grows between character and actor should allow for an authentic sense of emotion. Like in Strasberg’s variation of the Method, this raw emotion (though achieved through different means) is then employed in calculated improvisations. Adler further stresses that the choices made by the actor in this improv should seek to command as much attention, and stimulate as much interest, from the audience as possible.
It’s no wonder, then, that Brando is so fascinating inStreetcar. Kazan’s film followsVivien Leighas Blanche DuBois, a mentally unwell schoolteacher whose visit to her sister is complicated by the latter’s animalistic husband, Stanley (Brando). Leigh was a classically trained actress, and though her performance is strong in its own right, she serves to contrast Brando’s Method acting and draw out the differences between the two styles. Before Method, there was a certain mannerly quality to film acting, particularly in Hollywood. A character could be losing their mind, just as Blanche eventually does in this film, and yet the viewer gets the sense that the actor is still somehow maintaining their composure. This isn’t to demean classical Hollywood acting. Many powerful performances came in the days before Brando, but there’s a certain believability that Method brought to the table, a depth of feeling that seems real despite (or perhaps because of) its excessive exaggeration. It’s very clear that Brando isn’t afraid to act ugly inStreetcar, and he is thus able to fully resign to the ugliness of Stanley.
Brando’s Stanley is always covered in sweat, oil, grease—any available slime. There’s a danger to his presence, an unpredictable violence that seems genuinely responsive to his surroundings. Even so, he’s nothing if not a well rounded individual. One can see Adler’s effect on Brando, as his focus always appears to be on completing any number of minute tasks that one would expect Stanley to do in reality, with the violence an additional something that lies beyond his conscious control. Brando tries to find something to do with his hands beneath every emotional interaction, from straightening his clothing to carefully opening a beer. Stanley’s simple minute-to-minute motivations are therefore always visibly apparent. He never lies in wait to enact his violence on those around him as the script dictates, but lives and breathes. Whether he’s simply chewing a toothpick or throwing an all out tantrum, Brando’s improvisatory choices make the most of each moment, enriching this sense of life and giving Stanley a presence that is both convincing and compelling.
Seeing Brando inStreetcartoday feels like seeing a contemporary actor in a classic film. It’s certain that his performance was pivotal in bringing the Method to the screen, and with it, reshaping popular conceptions of acting to this day. Looking at the demeanor of De Niro, Hoffman, Day-Lewis, and others like them confirms this. But then, where does all the erratic behavior come into play? One can point to the piece in Adler’s variation about learning the character’s circumstances. Some actors have taken an extreme approach to this, going far beyond Brando’s equal prioritization of Stanley’s insignificant daily tasks and more dramatic moments. The extreme approach is said to help the actor further embed themselves in a character, but at what cost? The ugly truth is that Brando helped popularize a method that has been consistently conjured to permit bad behavior. There are examples of Method actors going above and beyond without harming themselves or others (such as De Niro’s time as an actual taxi driver to prepare forTaxi Driver), but many more instances seem to involve the destructive alternative. Thus, the public perception of Method acting is damaged, and the only way it can heal may be for more actors to look at the Method as an artistic ideal rather than an excuse.
