On the Waterfront – Review

On The Waterfront

with Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Karl Malden
Directed by Elia Kazan
(Columbia, 1953)
by Mark Phinney

In the wake of the recent Oscars, I sit in my room, digging out noteworthy contenders of Academy Awards past, and browse as I might, I can’t find a match for On The Waterfront. At one point in my naïve youth I proclaimed this film my most beloved of all time… and I find it still is. This film is a virtual encyclopedia of classic scenes and lines, and it’s just as beautiful to look at. Terry Malloy (Brando) is a boxer who’s had his day and has fallen into the sad life of a common hood. Muscled out by the dock boss and his mob-affiliated brother, Terry wants out of this trashy life. The strain is etched on Brando’s face, and it’s enough to make you cry. Karl Malden is ghostly as the shaky priest who tries to coerce Terry into giving up the thug who offed a local dock worker. The world these men inhabit is one of violence and codes of silence. This is not merely a mob flick – it’s the story of a man who finds a new way of life and only wants out of the one he’s in, but can’t do it without a fight. On The Waterfront continues to hold up because of a great cast, crew and story, maintaining its timeless appeal four decades on.