Cinema: iconic roles of Marlon Brando

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest actors in history, director, political activist, insufferable man who brought colleagues to hysteria. The man who changed acting as Picasso changed painting.

Marlon Brando took part in about 50 projects, here are 10 most notable roles of his.

Stanley Kowalski, "A Streetcar Named Desire", 1951

Plot summary: Troubled former schoolteacher Blanche DuBois as she leaves small-town Mississippi and moves in with her sister, Stella Kowalski and her husband, Stanley, in New Orleans. Blanche's flirtatious Southern-belle presence causes problems for Stella and Stanley, who already have a volatile relationship, leading to even greater conflict in the Kowalski household. (Written by Jwelch5742)

Mark Antony, "Julius Caesar", 1953

Plot summary: Brutus, Cassius, and other high-ranking Romans murder Caesar, because they believe his ambition will lead to tyranny. The people of Rome are on their side until Antony, Caesar's right-hand man, makes a moving speech. The conspirators are driven from Rome, and two armies are formed: one side following the conspirators; the other, Antony. Antony has the superior force, and surrounds Brutus and Cassius, but they kill themselves to avoid capture. (Written by John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>)

Terry Malloy, "On the Waterfront", 1954

Plot summary: Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers. (Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>)

Johnny Strabler, "The Wild One", 1957

Plot summary: A gang of forty motorcyclists, the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club, gate-crash a legitimate motorcycle race. They are eventually thrown out, but one of the gang steals the second prize trophy and gives it to their leader, Johnny. The gang then ride into Wrightsville, where they race up and down the main street before piling into Bleekers - the local bar. The owner of the bar is happy to let the bikers spend their money, so does not support the sheriff's attempt to address any disturbances. Stuck in town following an accident to a Black Rebel, Johnny falls for the sheriff's daughter and tries to impress her with the trophy. When a rival gang, The Beetles, ride into town, trouble is just around the corner. (Written by Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>)

Major Gruver, "Sayonara", 1957

Plot summary: Major Lloyd Gruver, a Korean War flying ace reassigned to Japan, staunchly supports the military's opposition to marriages between American troops and Japanese women. But that's before Gruver experiences a love that challenges his own deeply set prejudices... and plunges him into conflict with the U.S. Air Force and Japan's own cultural taboos. (Written by alfiehitchie)

Don Vito Corleone, "The Godfather", 1972

Plot summary: When the aging head of a famous crime family decides to transfer his position to one of his subalterns, a series of unfortunate events start happening to the family, and a war begins between all the well-known families leading to insolence, deportation, murder and revenge, and ends with the favorable successor being finally chosen. (Written by J. S. Golden)

Paul, "Last Tango In Paris", 1972

Plot summary: While looking for an apartment, Jeanne, a beautiful young Parisienne, encounters Paul, a mysterious American expatriate mourning his wife's recent suicide. Instantly drawn to each other, they have a stormy, passionate affair, in which they do not reveal their names to each other. Their relationship deeply affects their lives, as Paul struggles with his wife's death and Jeanne prepares to marry her fiance, Tom, a film director making a cinema-verite documentary about her. (Written by Erich Schneider <erich@bush.cs.tamu.edu>)

Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, "Apocalypse Now", 1979

Plot summary: Vietnam, 1969. Burnt out Special Forces officer Captain Willard is sent into the jungle with top-secret orders to find and kill renegade Colonel Kurtz who has set up his own army within the jungle. As Willard descends into the jungle, he is slowly over taken by the jungle's mesmerizing powers and battles the insanity which surrounds him. His boat crew succumbs to drugs and is slowly killed off one by one. As Willard continues his journey he becomes more and more like the man he was sent to kill. (Written by Michael Arndt)

Carmine Sabatini, "The Freshman",1990

Plot summary: Clark Kellogg is a young man starting his first year at film school in New York City. After a small time crook steals all his belongings, Clark meets Carmine "Jimmy the Toucan" Sabatini, an "importer" bearing a startling resemblance to a certain cinematic godfather. When Sabatini makes Clark an offer he can't refuse, he finds himself caught up in a caper involving endangered species and fine dining. (Written by Scott Renshaw <as.idc@forsythe.stanford.edu>)

Max, "The Score", 2001

Plot summary: Nick Wells, a professional criminal, decides to leave the business for good, since he nearly got caught on his last job. His plan is to live in peace with his girl Diane, running his Montreal jazz club. Soon afterward, Max, his good friend and financial partner, comes along with an offer Nick can't refuse: A historical and priceless French scepter has been discovered while being smuggled into the country. It is now under massive surveillance in the Montreal Customs House, and soon to be returned to France. Nick has to team up with Max's man inside, the young, talented and aggressive thief Jack Teller to get the precious item. Only one question remains: Who will trick whom out of their share?

(Written by JungleBunny)