On the
Waterfront is a movie I enjoyed. The famous lines—"You don't understand! I
coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody instead of
a bum, which is what I am."—are exciting to hear, but after a while, the
movie drags until the great ending, where Terry has to battle it out with
Friendly.
Shot over 36
days, the film is based on a 24-part series of articles in the New York Sun by
Malcolm Johnson, detailing the crime and corruption on the waterfronts of
Manhattan and Brooklyn. Titled Crime on the Waterfront, the series won the 1949
Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting.
The movie
follows Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), a former boxer who once took a dive in
the ring so that mobster Johnny Friendly could cash in. Now, Terry works for
Friendly, thanks to his brother Charley, who is one of Friendly’s closest
associates.
Friendly uses
Terry to lure a dockworker, Joey, out of his apartment, where Joey is killed—a
show of Friendly’s control over the docks.
Joey’s sister
arrives in town, seeking justice for her brother. No one wants to snitch on the
mob, but Terry’s growing relationship with her pushes him toward breaking the
code of silence. Charley warns Terry to stay away from Joey’s sister, but their
feelings for each other keep drawing him back.
Some of the
movie’s characters are based on real people. Terry Malloy’s character was
inspired by Anthony DiVincenzo, who testified before a real-life Waterfront
Commission and was ostracized for it. The film was made based on what seemed to
be his story, leading DiVincenzo to sue Columbia Pictures. They later settled.
The movie
received critical acclaim upon release. It was a box office success and won
eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, and
Best Director for Elia Kazan.
Kazan himself
faced heavy scrutiny in real life. In 1952, the House Committee on Un-American
Activities (HUAC) summoned him to name suspected communists, and he gave up
eight names. As a result, he lost many friends. In a way, On the Waterfront
reflects that experience.
Elia Kazan is a
masterful director, drawing the best from his actors and delivering the drama
and emotion needed to push the story’s message.
On the Waterfront is a well-written movie and a solid watch, I do not feel the classic strength it is said to have, but I did enjoy watching it.
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