You just nailed why she is so great in that movie -- her character, Leslie is tough as nails, hard as stone, strong as iron, and as forceful as flowing river. Yet Leslie is first and foremost 100 percent gentle female; she is soft, beautiful, delicate, and infinitely feminine.
I never recognized it until reading your comment. Not a lot of women can pull off being strong without also coming across as a tad masculine. Taylor was always the apex of sweet, gentle femininity.
And it’s so right and reasonable that the great James Dean (as sexy Jett Rink) is gobsmacked by Liz. Personally, if I were “Leslie,” I would have dumped “Bick Benedict” real quick and taken up with “Jett”!