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On the Waterfront 1954 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Elia Kazan
NR, 108 min. (mature themes) |
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Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Madden, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning, Leif Erickson
Producer: Sam Spiegel
Screenplay: Malcolm Johnson, Budd Schulberg
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Released: 1954 |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
It's safe to say that On the Waterfront changed the movies forever. With its simple message
of standing against corruption even if it means sacrificing yourself for the good of others, it leaves
the viewer with the sense that man together can conquer corruption. Marlon Brando turns in arguably
one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema, and Eva Marie Saint's debut as his courageous
girlfriend is also a stunning piece of acting. Although the movie had alterior motives by director
Elia Kazan, who testified in real life against corruption, it still stands today as one of the best
pictures of all time.
We are introduced to Terry Malloy (Brando), a former prize fighter, who now works for a corrupt union boss named
Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) and his mob. After being the set-up man for a man's death, Terry begins
to question what exactly he is involved with. The dead man's brother, Edie Doyle (Saint), tries to
track down the killer with no success since the entire waterfront labor workers are controlled by the mob,
meaning no one will give any information to who the killer may me. Desperately, she turns to Malloy, who
by now has an interest in her. Slowly she begins to convince Malloy that he is playing on the wrong side,
and that he can do something about it (Malloy has been issued a subpeona to testify against Friendly in court).
This is when the truly powerful scenes of the movie take place. Edie's conversations with Malloy, who
is only interested in her at first, turn from romance to a question of conscience. What is is the right
thing to do? This is the defining theme of the movie. We watch Malloy's struggle with his own conscience
that will ultimately lead to his testifying against the mob. Brando's complete control and convincing
facial expressions show us that Malloy truly is struggling with his conscience.
The climactic scene takes place when Malloy's cage of pigeons, which he cares for on the rooftops of buildings
on the waterfront, are killed after he testifies against Friendly. His devastation at the
realization that the mob will do anything to protect itself, even if they liked Malloy, compels him to
the final showdown between he and Friendly. Only a strong man can break the mob and allow the labor
workers to work in peace.
With its visually stunning performances, which includes a great performance by Karl Madden who plays a
priest trying to convince the labor workers to stand together against the mob, to its serene look at how
corruption can control even the bravest man, this picture transforms the film industry forever. It won
11 Oscars including including best picture, actor, actress and director.
© 2000 Jonathan Cornwell
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| Masterpiece - Classic; Movie perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See; One of the year's best films |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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