Review of On the Waterfront (1954) by Imgonnaget S — 16 Sep 2010

9.5/10 - On The Waterfront deserves the recognition as one of the best American films of all time. It is a story of the transformation of a man and the overcoming of incredible obstacles against impossible odds.

The setting takes place on the waterfronts of New York, a place where working class citizens labor tirelessly to scrape a living from the boots of the oppressive mobs that control the unions. They are taught to be D n' D, "deaf and dumb", and anyone who becomes a canary and "sings" gets the axe. Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) is a friend of the mob. He's a washed-up boxer who became a sort of oblivious errand boy for the big boss, Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). When Terry unknowingly sets up the death of a dockworker, his whole worldview, "Do it before he does it to you," subsequently becomes muddled, and he doesn't know which way is up. He soon falls in love with the dead boy's sister (Eva Marie Saint) and becomes caught between two worlds, the world of the mob and the world of those who want justice. His guidance comes from Father Barry (Karl Malden), a tough-as-nails preacher who makes it his goal to bring down the oppressive union.

The greatest reason for this film's timelessness is the quality of the acting; I will go on record to say that this is among the top ten acted films of all time. The acting is unlike other Hollywood films of the decade; it is believably natural and grounded in reality-writing played by capable actors who understand the nature of their characters to the "T". Marlon Brando shines as Terry, delivering a powerful, paradigm-shifting portrayal of a man struggling with a blurred conscience. His line "I coulda been a contender, I coulda been somebody..." is nothing short of iconic. Lee J. Cobb is menacing as Johnny Friendly. His portrayal of a crime boss set the bar for every actor who played a crime boss after him, including great films like The Godfather or Goodfellas. While Brando and Cobb are nothing short of fantastic, the film would be nothing without Malden's portrayal of Father Barry. He has a no-holds-barred outlook on total justice and the will and courage to submit his self and others to the pain and hardships that achieving such justice requires. Malden's greatest scene comes in the middle of the film: He preaches like the Apostle Paul at the bottom of a shipping pit, pleading for justice and faith from the dockworkers as he stands over the murdered body of their co-worker--"Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. Well, they better wise up!" The only hindrance of this film is, like every other hindrance of films about crime and men, the woman, Eva Marie Saint. She was still grounded in old-school Hollywood and detracts from the hard-hitting, unsentimental nature of the other characters. That said, she doesn't by any means ruin the film and her character is a necessary plot component.

The cinematography is mostly static and detached from the occurrences on screen; letting the actors and story work itself out alone rather than intruding with overwrought style and pretentious antics (not that those are necessarily bad things!). The world has the gritty feel of the streets of New York and takes on an almost like documentary persona. The whole movie feels like it was shot on location (I think most of it was).

The themes in this movie are as necessary and poignant today as they were when it was made: The importance of protecting humanity over self-preservation, the impact a single act can have on many people, the need for faith in the foundation of society, etc. The movie is inspiring in that it gives empowerment to people who are afraid to act on what they know and believe is right as so to inspire others with the same dilemma. Sacrifice of one's body and future for what is right is only a small problem in the grand scheme of things, a message this film portrays unflinchingly. It may not be what audiences want to hear, but it speaks the truth--it has the balls to speak the truth. Like the characters in the film, it is as real as the world outside the theatre. When Terry walks up that ramp with a bloodied face and beaten body, he could not be more on top of the world.

The triumph of the one's mind and soul over things as petty as one's physical body is what this film celebrates, and in turn we celebrate this film.