Review: On the Waterfront (1954)

On the Waterfront is director Elia Kazan's stellar answer to the wave of criticism he faced in the aftermath of his testfying in front of the HUAC, and in creating this film, Kazan gave us a timeless masterpiece, with a central message about the power of truth in the face of adversity that, more than sixty years later, still manages to speak truth.

Kazan's direction, coupled with Budd Schulberg's screenplay, is understated and unpretentious, instead letting the central truth and strength of the screenplay speak for itself. Following the tale of an ex-boxer longshoreman by the name of Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), On the Waterfront traces Malloy's steady and gradual development from union thug to a nobel man who stands up for what's right, no matter the costs.

Brando's performance as Malloy is another remarkably subtle, yet extremely effective piece of acting. From his ambling, shambling gait, to his burly accent, Brando as Malloy feels like a fully human person. He is a man who acts the tough guy, but deep down remains a gentle, loving soul. Forced out of a promising pro-boxing career by throwing a fight, Malloy toils on the waterfront as a longshoreman, plagued by his own lack of self worth, and the continual belittlement from others as being nothing but "a bum". Then, after indirectly aiding in the murder of another longshoreman who had spoken against the criminal activies of the local union, guilt begins to fester inside of him. Brando plays this all remarkably subtly, and his romance with Eva Marie Saint's Edie Doyle, a determined young woman, and sister to the dead longshoreman, is a tender, truly heartfelt affair, with her determined sense of right and wrong, coupled with the steadfast local priest, Father Barry (Karl Malden), steadily helping Malloy work up the courage to face the draconian grip of union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb).

But Brando isn't the only performance here worth laudulating. Karl Malden's Father Barry is a firey, uncompromising man of faith, who's determination and doggedness, coupled with wisdom and insight, helps provide a firm moral bedrock to the film, without ever feeling pretentious or overblown. Eva Marie Saint, meanwhile, in her first film role, is a well rounded, innocent-yet-strong woman, who, like Father Barry, serves as the film's moral compass. Unwilling to take anymore of the rampent crime, and willfully speaking her mind, Saint's performance is strong without loosing gentleness, and her honest, emotionally frank interactions with Brando form the core and heart of the film.

Lee J. Cobb and Rod Steiger round out the main cast as the dominating Johnny Friendly, and his discreet bookie, Charley "The Gent" Malloy, who is also Terry's older brother. Cobb is in his element, using his imposing and magnetic presence to fill his scenes with villainy, while Steiger is subdued and conflicted over his hand in his younger brother's failed boxing career. Both of them play their roles perfectly.

Leonard Bernstein contributes a tense, jagged yet emotive film score, his only actual film score in fact. Its dense, complex music, yet many times helps support the emotional context of each scene, and in the finale comes to a truly glorious crescendo.

So, suffice to say that, 60 years on, On the Waterfront still holds up as a masterpiece, and one with a truly timeless message. Its a film that has stoo dthe test of time, and always will do so.

5 out of 5 stars.