Review of On the Waterfront (1954) by Nisar S — 30 Dec 2012
So I finally got around to seeing Brando's apparent tour de force, and now I see why people laud this film so much. In a post-noir world, here we have the grittiness of that world but with a new realism instead of the dancing shadows and wise-cracks of that previous genre. And to match that visual realism came Brando- perfect as a less-than-bright ex-boxer turned dock worker; a bum. I could go into the plot, but that's not for this review. Eva Marie Saint does a good turn as his 'love-interest' (rather more than just that) and Karl Malden thankfully steps far away from the temptation to overdo his performance as a Catholic priest, making his turn more enjoyable than usual for such a role.
The direction works well, and the cinematography is very good as well. The score is also brilliant, but there are a lot of moments that are an extremely clever riff on the traditional crime/morality tale. Like the ending, which I won't spoil, but wow. There is Christian metaphor like that running throughout this film- and whilst overt, it doesn't overwhelm. What more is there to say? It really is a masterpiece.
Brando absolutely shines.
This review of On the Waterfront (1954) was written by Nisar S on 30 Dec 2012.
On the Waterfront has generally received very positive reviews.
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