FILM CHALLENGE: 21) On The Waterfront

21) On The Waterfront

Director: Elia Kazan

Year: 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.

Just by looking at the plot summary you can tell that On The Waterfront is a little conservative. However, it is also one of the most powerful and well made dramas that cinema has ever produced.

One thing I have always loved about the film is it's clever use of symbols to foreshadow events in the film or represent ideas and concepts. On this second watch, I noticed, for example, the way Joey's jacket foreshadows a character finding themselves in a position where they want to speak out about what is happening on the waterfront. Moreover, pigeons appear throughout the film and appear to symbolise Terry Malloy's conflict; the pigeons are cooped up in a cage and, while their natural impulse is to fly, but they’ve been trained not to. The fact that Malloy is only ever shown on the rooftop when at home helps to reinforce this idea that he is like the pigeons. Moreover, this rooftop is a place far away from the docks and one in which Malloy can contemplate what is right and wrong away from the pressures of the world below.

The cinematography is also beautiful with the distant, silhouetted skyline of New York representing Malloy's ambition to break away from the docks and be somebody. Moreover, every shot in the waterfront sequences are incredibly well framed; high shots with hooks and grapples hanging down above the characters below are able to perfectly capture the inner-turmoil of the characters who are watched over menacingly by Johnny Friendly and his crew.

The choice Terry makes to inform on the union officials echoes the choice Budd Schulberg and Elia Kazan made to speak out to HUAC about many of their creative, intelligent, and politically active peers who were former communist in the 50s. This also makes On The Waterfront a very interesting watch because it's obvious that Kazan uses the character of Terry Malloy to try and justify his actions. In the movie, the people Malloy speaks out against are portrayed as criminals and, in the end, despite the initial backlash, his decision was for the greater good and in everyones best interest. It's clearly a very personal film from a director who was haunted by his actions.

But what is undoubtedly the stand out feature of this film is Marlon Brando who, for my money, gives one of the most amazing screen performances of all this as Terry Malloy. His famous "I could have been a contender" speech is one of the most moving moments I can think of in any movie past or present. However, that's not to ignore the breathtaking acting of Karl Malden, the always spectacular Lee J Cobb, the beautiful Eva Marie Saint and the Oscar winning Rob Steiger.

5/5

By Daniel Sarath with 5 comments