Review of On the Waterfront (1954) by John P — 09 Jun 2014

It's interesting...

The most popular scene in this movie is the "I could'a been a contender" scene. It's most likely what sealed the deal in terms of Brando's Oscar win, and it's without a doubt the most enduring part.

And I think it's the worst part of the movie. I think Brando chews the scenery to a pulp, and the famous "contender" line took me right out of the movie due to its overacting silliness.

But, I think that's the only bad part, so I guess it doesn't matter in the end.

Every actor in this movie gives the performance of their career. Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, and Rod Steiger should have all tied for Best Supporting Actor.

It's interesting how the supporting roles work. The whole movie is about external factors pressuring Brando's character into doing the "right" thing. Malden and Saint are the angels on his shoulder, which would make Steiger and Cobb the devils.

There's a ton of religious imagery and themes in this, from Brando's redemption, to the power Malden's character has.

It also has a commentary on Elia Kazan's "selling out" of communists that he was aligned with. Whether his "betrayal" of his friends at HUAC was a good deed or not, Kazan's feelings on the matter are undeniably reflected here, and it's very interesting.

Some may see the ending as sappy, but I think it's really powerful. I also see Brando's climb following his fall from grace as being really powerful.

The style of this movie is beautiful. I read that there were troubles making a gritty, 1.33:1 black and white film when there were Technicolor and Cinemascope epics being made, and it's a pity that it almost got lost in the shuffle. The slightly-deep depth-of-field, matched with the black and white cinematography really goes a long way of setting up this realistic style, and I can't imagine the film would be as effective if made in color or in widescreen.

So, it's amazing, it's one of the best American films ever made, and it's got some great acting.

So what's stopping you from seeing it if you haven't already?