Fronte del porto

"On the Waterfront" is basically the story of one man, Terry Malloy, a young dock worker with a little, and unsuccessful, experience as a boxer but not much intelligence or purpose… He wastes his time around the docks, vaguely discontented about his life and revealing a tender trace in his otherwise tough manner as he tends his pigeons caged on the roof of his modest building…

His brother Charley (Rod Steiger), a suave opportunistic lawyer, works for the local dockers' union, headed by Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), the arrogant mob boss…

Friendly takes affectionate interest in Terry and tries to make things easy for him… He also takes advantage of Terry by involving him in the killing of an uncooperative docker… Unaware of their murderous intentions, Terry sets the trap for the man who is thrown from a roof top because he allowed himself to be interviewed by a crime investigating commission…

Terry's alienation from the crooked union leaders starts when he meets the dead man's sister, Edie (Eva Marie Saint), and realizes the grief he has brought into her life… She asks his help in bringing the racketeers to justice, as does Father Barry (Karl Malden), a priest of complete goodness and rightness…

Brando's moral dilemma was superbly drawn in the film… He's an ordinary man finding the courage to stand up and be counted… As portrayed by Brando he is touchingly believable…

The rest of the cast is excellent:

Cobb is extremely good as the brute fury boss who intimidates the workers into silence, stopping at nothing to maintain his position of power on the docks...

Rod Steiger gives his finest performance as the clever and suave opportunistic lawyer who works for the local docker's union...

Eva Marie Saint manages to make the blood go through Brando's valves reviving and creating a heart that never existed before...

Karl Malden is hard and clear as the activist Catholic priest who continue encouraging other longshoremen to testify, inciting Brando to fight for his rights—regardless of the cost—rather than be a pawn in a ruthless system of bribes and killings...

"On the Waterfront" is one of the great American films, not only because it bravely spreads a strong light on the violation of justice, but because it is a powerful piece of cinema, which push forward a classic study of man's responsibility to his fellow man...

The film won eight Academy Awards...

Terry lives in the shadow of his smart brother Charley the Gent working for a double-handed businessman of the underworld. He had his best times of his life during his boxing career, and has brought his dimes in for his brother. Charley's boss named Johnny Friendly is the man who is behind Terry's fame, but he is also the same man who nibbled his dimes from boxing.

The curtain opens with Terry working for Johnny Friendly to be participated in a murder. He does his duty and the murder takes effect. The victim was a labor, whose labor leader also works for Johhny Friendly. Terry turns gloomy when he finds out that the victim has been only seeking his rights when he became a rebel. Especially when Terry meets with the victim's sister his suspects grew. She reasons with him that there are two opposite sides: Johnny Friendly's rich and still-growing syndicate versus the dependent and needy workers who are driven into Johnny Friendly's punitive sanctions. Provided that Terry finds a third side: His own.

A run of the mill plot of the mid-20th century. Everybody is pretty much familiar with labor union issues. Mainly the subject gives nothing more than workers seeking out their rights. However, consider that it's Elia Kazan who ushers a new era of actors who rage the whole scenes and turn out heroes out of bums. On the Waterfront has surely inspired millions. For instance, in Robert De Niro's "Raging Bull", a prize-fighter like Terry Malloy turns out to be a stage actor and affirms Terry's speech of reproach to his brother, where no other words could describe his situation he fell into.

Marlon Brando's can-do attitude created an inspirational movement, imprinting our memory, that "If Terry Malloy can do this, yes; I can do this, and yes; everybody can do this". Subsequently movie makers began to deliver efforts and accomplishments to the silver screen in order to catch viewers' appreciations. On The Waterfront, Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando are those to remember together in the motion picture history.

There's no question that Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando are at their very best in "On the Waterfront". Kazan led a cast of solid talent in a morality play amidst the backdrop of the Depression-era New York waterfront. Brando, much calmer than in his mercurial performance in "A Streetcar Named Desire" (also directed by Kazan), personifies the best in "Method" acting, perfectly engaging the viewer with his genuineness as Terry Malloy.

In the most famous scene, Brando, a has-been prizefighter, confronts his brother (Steiger) who is about to set him up to be executed by the mob bosses of the union. When Steiger reveals his intent to set Brando up, the scene explodes with reality and pathos. Brando's words, "Wow", sum up the intensity and emotion of the scene.

Great acting and directing, however, cannot cover up the transparent political/apologetical intent of the movie. Two years earlier, Kazan had sold out his integrity to the House Unamerican Affairs Committee (HUAC), "naming names" of those who would become the blacklisted Hollywood 10. Kazan, a former communist himself, regretted his involvement with the Party, and evidently decided it was politically advantageous to name his former associates. Likewise, Brando character Malloy finds himself in a mob-run labor union, and in his effort to 'get out', repeats much of what Kazan did in real life. Worse, Kazan, through the allegorical message of the film, brands his former writers as criminals and murders, and himself as the naive innocent. Being a communist was no crime in the 30s, and he was no innocent.

"On the Waterfront" is thus steeped in a right-wing political worldview. Mobs run labor unions. Unions are thus corrupt organizations who exploit workers and make it harder for businesses to thrive. Turn in union leaders into the police. Even the church becomes a tool of the state to further the cause of the police against the union.

Brando was never satisfied with "On the Waterfront". In fact, he later commented that it was indeed a tool for Kazan to justify his actions to the HUAC. One thumb up for the acting, one thumb down for the cheap political message.

This compelling and dynamic drama is set on New York's dock where mobsters control the Union and stevedores . An ex-prize fighter named Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando who deservedly won an Academy Award) turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses (Lee J Cobb) and is embroiled in violence . Malloy faces the terrible dilemma of whether or not to turn informer . While his brother (it was originally offered to Lawrence Tierney , but he asked for too much money so the role went to Rod Steiger who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance) is a crooked lawyer and he meets a beautiful ex-nun (Eva Maria Saint , Grace Kelly turned down the role of Edie Doyle, deciding to make Rear Window instead) and falls in love for her .

This is an interesting and thought-provoking film with attractive plot by screenwriter Budd Schulberg , containing intense drama with pungent lines , emotion , wonderful performances , memorable climax , magnificent direction and classic musical score by maestro Leonard Berstein . For this brooding film and highy charged throughout story writer Budd Schulberg took the idea from newspapers , as he started with an expose series written for The New York Sun by reporter Malcolm Johnson , the articles won him a Pulitzer Prize and were reinforced by the 1948 murder of a New York dock hiring boss which woke America to the killings , graft and extortion that were endemic on the New York waterfront . Marvelous acting by entire casting . Marlon Brando is perfect as stevedore who faces the thorny dilemma of whether or not to become himself into an unfortunate informer . The taxicab scene , one of the most known scenes in the cinema, in which Brando began to improvise some dialogue , while surprising Rod Steiger listened and Kazan simply stood back and let the two actors direct themselves . Along with first-rate main cast : Brando , Steiger , Eva Maria Saint , appearing here and there great secondaries giving nice interpretations , such as : Lee J. Cobb , Leif Erickson , Michel V. Gazzo, Pat Henning , James Westerfield , Martin Balsam , Pat Hingle , Nehemiah Persoff, among others . Being film debuts of Michael V. Gazzo, Pat Hingle, Martin Balsam, and Eva Marie Saint . The leading characters were based on real people: Terry Malloy was based on longshoreman and whistle-blower Anthony De Vincenzo ; Father Barry was based on waterfront priest John M. Corridan ; Johnny Friendly was based on mobster Albert Anastasia. On the Waterfront is widely known to be an act of expiation on the part of Elia Kazan for naming names to the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) during the Joseph McCarthy witch-hunts of the 1950s.

This trend-setting film has a gritty portrait of N. Y. waterfront and stand up well nowadays and resulted to be a huge financial hit , it is a winner all the way , as from a budget of just under $1 million, the film went on to gross ten times its production costs in its initial release. And winning eight Academy Awards , including : Best Picture , Direction (Elia Kazan) , Actor (Marlon Brando), special mention for Eva Maria Saint who gave a debut performance that won her the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, Cinematography (cameraman Boris Kaufman) , Art Director (Richard Day) . The motion picturre was compellingly directed by Elia Kazan , and it seems to be a direct response to Miller's play The Crucible. In fact , Kazan intended it as a direct attack at his former close friend Arthur Miller who had been openly critical of Elia's actions . Rating : Very good , above average , and a real must see . Well worth watching .

Ex prize fighter Terry Malloy is conflicted, between The Mob and his brother, and a woman he's fallen in love with, who's husband fell foul of The Mob.

I haven't long completed Target, The Corruptors, and the wonderful algorithms suggested this film, what a great suggestion. Very much a story of people suffering at the hands of The Mob, and someone forced to bracelet make a stand.

This film is very gritty, very well paced, and boy you get a sense of the poverty and desperation of those men.

Marlon Brando makes this film so incredibly watchable, his performance is nothing short of captivating, he exudes masculinity, anger, rage, conflict and love. He definitely appears haunted in this movie, he has a look in his eyes.

9/10.