270. On The Waterfront (1954)

Directed By Elia Kazan

Synopsis

The waterfront union is ruled by corrupt Mafia thugs. One of the guys who works for them starts getting a conscience when he falls in love with the sister of one of their victims. After his brother gets killed for failing to kill him he really gets miffed! He tells all in court and then stands up to the bosses in a great finale.

Review

I forgave Griffith for his racism, I forgave Riefenstahl for her love of Hitler, I forgave Eisenstein for his love of Stalinist Russia... I think I can forgive Elia Kazan for being a dirty rat fink. I was thinking about talking about how Kazan's analogy of the plight of Brando in the film and his "plight" as an informer on other people's political opinions is a completely failed analogy, but I won't do that. Anyone with a brain will understand that it is a fake analogy and that Brando's character does the right thing while Kazan did the wrong thing.

So, that out of the way, it is a truly great film. The plot works precisely because the analogy with the McCarthy witch-hunts does not work, so you can see it as something else. Brando is an amazing actor, he doesn't merely speak his part, there is always something else that he is doing, playing with a glove, checking his shoes, whatever, it gives it a feeling of realism that is unprecedented.

That feel of realism is compounded by Kazan's appreciation for human faces and the masses in general, there is an almost documentary like feel to the workers in the docks, the film is brilliantly directed by a disgusting stoolie. So I applaud him, but I don't stand up.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

In 1952, director Elia Kazan was a "friendly" witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), in which he identified many alleged Communists in the film industry. That brought him severe criticism. Being "friendly" before the HUAC could be a possible clue towards the name of the mob boss in the movie. Johnny Friendly.

The original screenplay (called "The Hook") was written by renowned playwright Arthur Miller, who was blacklisted as an alleged Communist. He was replaced by Budd Schulberg, also a "friendly" witness before HUAC.

On the Waterfront, being about a heroic mob informer, is widely considered to be Kazan's answer to his critics (including his former friend and collaborator Miller), showing that there could be nobility in a man who "named names". In the movie, variations of that phrase are repeatedly used by Terry Malloy. The film also repeatedly emphasizes the waterfront's code of "D and D" or "Deaf and Dumb," remaining silent at all costs and not "ratting out" one's friends. In the end, Malloy does just that and his doing so is depicted sympathetically. Miller's response to the movie's message is contained in his own play, A View from the Bridge, which presents a contrasting view of those who inform on others.

I coulda been a contender: