Review of On the Waterfront (1954) by Danny R — 25 Jul 2015
Elia Kazan's legendary groundbreaking classic motion picture, which opens with a burst of violence as a man named Joey Doyle is thrown from the rooftop of his apartment building to his death by two goons working for the corrupt Union Boss John Friendly, played by Lee J.
Cobb in magnificent performance. Marlon Brando in this film is often credited with revolutionizing male character portrayals with his rawness, masculine vulnerability and pure kinetic energy. No performance from his fruitful early career is better than this, his unforgettable Academy Award winning performance as Terry Malloy, an ex-boxer and New Jersey dock worker caught in the machinery of a corrupt longshoremen's union, torn between opposing forces of moral obligation to himself and an external sense of loyalty.
Brando steals the movie with his stunning performance, but the supporting performances are all extraordinary, starting with Eva Marie Saint, in her amazing Academy Award winning big-screen debut. Her character of Edie is every bit as charged and broken as Terry, and her unwavering moral compass and clarity make her a wonderful foil to the ambivalent Terry.
The three men who earned Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor, all who delivered tremendous turns beginning with; Lee J. Cobb as the ruthless head of the longshoremen's union, who has evident ties to the Mob; Rod Steiger as Terry's brother, and Johnny Friendly's enforcer and right hand man, who pulled strings for Terry and now urges him to stay quiet on the union's corruption; and Karl Malden as a patient and determined priest, counseling those who know to come forward means certain death.
Elia Kazan's Academy Award winning direction is masterful, Boris Kaufman's impressive Academy Award winning black-and-white cinematography is striking. Leonard Bernstein composed the film's Academy Award nominated score which is perfectly moody.
Budd Schulberg's Academy Award winning screenplay is brilliant. The result is one that easily ranks among my favorite films, and one of the greatest American cinematic masterpieces of all-time. Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director: Elia Kazan, Best Actor: Marlon Brando, Best Supporting Actress: Eva Marie Saint, Best Screenplay: Budd Schulberg.
Highly Recommended.
This review of On the Waterfront (1954) was written by Danny R on 25 Jul 2015.
On the Waterfront has generally received very positive reviews.
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