Review of On the Waterfront (1954) by Tim L — 19 Mar 2009

I'm chuffed I finally got to see this great movie. Brando is mesmerising in it and gives his all in what is one of his defining roles. The rest of the cast are also brilliant, and the story presents more of a resonant essay on the difficult nature of morality and standing up for what's right than I think I have seen before in a film.

It's gritty realism seems surprising for 1954 (it reminded me somewhat of Saturday Night, Sunday Morning in the way it's main character is trying to find meaning in the toughest of lives), but it still has the power to move a modern audience and many of the issues it raises are very much relevant today.