On the Waterfront (1954)

On the Waterfront is another of those classic movies I've been meaning to watch since always but I kept putting off because you don't simply watch a classic if you're not in the mood for it. Also, I wasn't a huge fan of Elia Kazan's A Streetcar Named Desire which also stars Marlon Brando, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it. 

The film tells the story of Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), a young dockworker with a short, unsuccessful career as a boxer. One day, he witnesses a murder of a fellow worker at the hands of Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), the local mobster and boss of the dockers union he works for. When the dead man's sister, Edie Doyle (Eva Marie Saint), enters the picture, looking for her brother's killer, Terry falls for her, feels guilty about her brother's death and begins to question what's really right. 

The plot is rather simple and predictable, and some portions of it are rather dull as they seem to drag on and on --I'm talking about the romance between Terry and Edie-- and yet it is interesting and compelling, and complex because of the themes it deals with. Conscience and its awakening, corruption and how to fight it, speaking out against the powerful and corrupt, these are some of the themes addressed in the film and they are all explored beautifully.

The main reason why On the Waterfront works as good as it does though is the characters and the cast. Terry Malloy is such a complex character. He is amoral and uneducated, he believes you can either play deaf and dumb and be loyal or be a snitch. But then he falls in love and starts struggling with his conscience. His change and growth throughout the film are quite extraordinary. And Marlon Brando brings to life this tormented soul in such a touching and believable way.

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Eva Marie Saint proves to be the right choice to play Edie, the sweet daughter of an old dockworker (John F. Hamilton) and sister of the dead young man who has a huge influence on Terry, as she adds sensitivity to the film. Karl Madden's Father Barry is also a very important character as he is the voice of reason. I gotta say I wasn't crazy about this religious influence but Madden's performance made up for it. Rod Steiger too does a good job as Charley, Terry's older brother who is comfortable with working with the mob. Lastly, Lee J. Cobb is excellent as the corrupt, brute, ferocious and intimidating union boss Johnny Friendly.

Another aspect of On the Waterfront that I really liked is the cinematography by Boris Kaufman. It's nothing special, it's not even that beautiful, to be honest, but it's atmospheric and the gritty black and white really captures the harsh environment of dockworkers to perfection. The music, on the other hand, while it fits the film's tone very well, is at times overbearing.