Review of On the Waterfront (1954) by Craig K — 02 Dec 2008

This morality story about speaking up even when it means betraying everyone around you still resonates today because the idea can be applied to so many situations. It also helps that Brando gives a great performance. It's one of those understated roles that allows the viewer to sympathize with Brando and get on board with him which makes his famous line from the film so powerful. One issue I had with it, though, was the ridiculously overbearing score. Some people might like the music, but it completely took me out of the moment every time a musical cue came up that was way too loud and tried far too hard to tell the viewer what they should be feeling in the moment.

Also, the backstory to this is interesting. Apparently Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as a statement about the HUAC hearings and the "witch hunt" that was going on in Hollywood during the 50's. Elia Kazan took offense to this and made this film in response because Kazan was one of the first people to name names in the hearings. So this was a way for him to explain himself in a very elaborate and entertaining way. It may not change the film at all, but it added a layer to it for me.