STORY STUDY - CRITERION WEEK 647. “On the Waterfront”
In this part of town, you better stay “D and D” (deaf and dumb) if you want to keep your job as a longshoreman… and your life.
Directed by Elia Kazan, and written by Budd Schulberg, On the Waterfront is the story of dockworker and former boxer Terry Malloy who is in the middle of a moral crisis when he unwittingly causes the death of another dockworker, Joey Doyle.
The docks are controlled by Johnny Friendly, a ruthless, mob-connected waterfront union boss who has committed murders, specifically dockworkers who have planned to testify against him. His right-hand man is Terry’s brother, Charlie.
Terry’s guilty conscience is brought to the forefront when he slowly falls in love with Edie, the sister of Joey Doyle, Edie. When Terry is now called in to testify against Friendly, he must decide whether to stay loyal to Friendly and Charlie, or to do the right thing, even if it means losing the respect of his co-workers and neighbors.
On the Waterfront is one of the prime examples of everything coming together to create a resonant film; the direction, the acting, the screenplay, the cinematography, etc. It’s one of those films that people would use as an example when they want cinema to go back to the way it was before: pure, character-driven stories. Well, pretentious snobs, but still.
The film is predominantly an acting and writing piece. Anytime the main actors appear, they command the screen; when together, they perfectly complement each other. The best example is the iconic scene with Terry and Charlie when he threatens him with a gun to coerce him to keep quiet. Terry calmly speaks, casually lowering the gun, and says his equally iconic line about how his boxing career could’ve taken off, but he was forced by Charlie and Friendly to throw his final fight so they could earn some money.
I came across the film when looking through the Criterion Collection’s inventory of films. They don’t have a lot of American films, so I thought I’d give this a try. I was familiar with the iconic quote, so it was nice to finally see it in its full context.
For a contemporary context, I would say On the Waterfront is a great example of independent filmmaking. Compelling story, great acting, and a common workplace environment make a great source of excellent films. It’s using what is easily accessible to create something special.
Become a contender and check it out.
https://www.criterion.com/films/27899-on-the-waterfront
