Ein Mann besiegt die Angst

In this rarely seen black-and-white film, blacklisted director Martin Ritt (Nuts, Norma Rae) explores the complexities of racial brotherhood and tensions through the characters brilliantly played by Sidney Poitier and John Cassavetes. This emotionally charged drama follows the story of Axel (Cassavetes), a drifter newly arrived in New York City, who goes to work in the West Side Terminal as a porter and immediately makes the acquaintance of Tommy (Poitier), an experienced and cordial porter who is as generous with his friends as he is with his customers. Scenes such as the first meeting between Axel and Tommy's family, as well as the confrontations between Axel and his surly boss (Jack Warden), convey the confidence and compassion that steadily grows between the two men. As the two men confront societal prejudices, Axel is forced to examine himself and his community. In a film often compared to On the Waterfront, director Ritt displays an intuitive insight, simultaneously subtle and sharp.

A skillfully directed film by Martin Ritt where a drifter and anti-hero, John Cassevetes lands in N.Y. to escape a tragic incident in his life, where he killed his brother in an automobile accident as well as going AWOL from the army.

Cassavetes, always an intense actor, shows grit in his portrayal of a film. Am surprised that Montgomery Clift didn't get this part.

Ruth White is his mother and does remarkably well in two scenes on the telephone.

Once in New York, he befriends Sidney Poitier as the two work on the docks. Immediately, Jack Warden, a bully and villain in this film,takes a dislike to him and tragedy ensues when Poitier tries to defend his friend.

Ruby Dee, plays Poitier's wife in this film, and is brilliant in a scene where she urges Cassavetes to reveal the killer of her husband.

This is definitely an interesting film of moral values and the loner in society. With the backdrop of tenements, the right mood is depicted in the film.

John Cassavetes is on the run from the law. He is at the bottom of the heap. He sees Negro Sidney Poitier as his equal and they quickly become friends, forming a sort of alliance against a bully of a foreman played by Jack Warden.

As someone who has worked in a warehouse myself when I was younger, I can tell you that the warehouse fights, complete with tumbling packing cases and flailing grappling hooks are as realistic as it gets. I've been in fights like these myself, although no one got killed.

The introduction of Sidney Poitier's widow is a variation on Shakespeare's Shylock "Do I not bleed?" This is an anti racist film, which, at the time, was much needed.

All the three principle characters - Warden, Cassavetes and Poitier - are superb, with Warden the most outstanding of the three.

Although this small film kind of got lost in the wake of On The Waterfront, Edge Of The City can certainly hold its own with that star studded classic. It's another story about the docks and the code of silence that rules it.

Next to the corrupt union that Lee J. Cobb ran in On The Waterfront, Jack Warden is really small time corruption. But he's real enough as the gang boss on one of the docks who intimidates the other workers by being handy with his fists and the bailing hook and he gets the rest to kickback part of their hard earned money. And it's all hard earned money in that job.

One guy Warden can't intimidate is Sidney Poitier another gang boss and when he tries to intimidate newcomer John Cassavetes, Poitier takes him under his wing. The two develop quite the friendship and Poitier and his wife Ruby Dee even fix Cassavetes up with Kathleen Maguire.

Warden is truly one loathsome creature and it's sad how by sheer force of personality and physical prowess he cows almost everyone else into submission. In that sense he's tougher than Lee J. Cobb who did have to rely on an impression collection of goons to enforce his will in On The Waterfront.

Edge Of The City marked the big screen directorial debut of Martin Ritt who did a great job with a good cast of New York based players and spot on location cinematography. The film's low budget does show, but you're so impressed with the ensemble cast you don't really care.

Cassavetes as the loner with a past and the hip and tough Poitier are both fine, but my personal favorite in this film is Ruby Dee. She should have gotten some award for her performance, her final scene with Cassavetes is outstanding.

Catch this one if ever possible. I wish it were out on DVD or VHS.

This is clearly a dramatic film representative of the stylistic period films being made in the 1950's. This was director Martin Ritt's first attempt at delivering a feature film for Hollywood after first tinkering with a few television episodes for various TV series such as Somerset Maugham TV Theatre, and Starlight Theatre. Obviously director Martin Ritt was fortunate that his feature film debut starred two (2) great lead actors such as John Cassavetes, and Sidney Poitier. Subsequent to the mainstream success of this film shot in Harlem New York, Martin Ritt went on to a four (4) decade career directing many other acclaimed films starring a long list of Academy Award winner actors and actresses.

I enjoy a good black and white film and I truly wish other producers would consider this style format. If you recall it worked well back in 2011 for Academy Award Best Picture "The Artist". Edge of the City was filmed in Harlem New York and evolves around the new found friendship between the happy go lucky African American Tommy Tyler played by Sidney Poitier, whose friends simply called him TT or T. Tommy is a crew leader on the docks where he is in a constant battle with another racist dock crew leader named Charlie Malick, played by Jack Warden. When the desperate newcomer Axel Nordmann (played by John Cassavettes) naively joins the con man Charlie Malick's crew, Axel realizes rather quickly how racist and selfish his crew leader is, as well as being the biggest bully on the docks.

The film evolves into the push and pull friendship between Tommy and Axel, as Tommy continues to push Axel into sharing Axel's obvious fears and deepest secrets with Tommy. Axel pushes Tommy away as he feels the only one he could ever trust was his deceased older brother, who Axel feels responsible for his brothers unexpected death. The demons that Axel eventually shares with his new best friend Tommy are issues that many other men (and women) can relate to as they revolve around Axel's estranged relationship with his parents and how his current circumstances and potential future prosecution relate to Axel attempting to make his father proud.

The films ending is not as heroic, nor as vindicating and uplifting as lets say the 1976 Academy Award winning Rocky films ending was but Edge of the City is filled with superior acting by the film stars John Cassavetes, and Sidney Poitier, as well as supporting performances by Jack Warden, Kathleen Maguire, and a young Ruby Dee.

I enjoyed this dramatic 1957 film and I felt both the acting and directing were superb and why this film is so relevant for the time and yet still timeless messages for today's youth.

I give the film a 7/10 rating