Review of On the Waterfront (1954) by Drlowdon — 06 Jun 2013

Winner of no less than eight Oscars at the 1954 Academy Awards On the Waterfront is quite rightly considered a classic. Based on a series of articles that appeared a New York newspaper at the time it tells the gripping story of union violence and corruption amongst longshoremen on the docks of Hoboken, New Jersey.

For a film that is now close to sixty years old On the Waterfront has aged remarkably, largely thanks to Brando in what must still be amongst the greatest ever screen performances. There are a few signs of the films era, such as the slightly intrusive music, and as with many early Hollywood movies it is a little slow in places. None of this can detract from the overall quality of the film however and it remains an example of 50's Hollywood cinema at its best.