On the Waterfront (1954)

I know Marlon Brando is a famous actor of times long past, but I haven't seen very many movies with him in them. I saw A Streetcar Named Desire back in March, and I've seen a few others like Godfather and Apocalypse Now. I thought I should see some more from when he was younger though, so I choose to watch On the Waterfront. It was rated very highly, and the name was slightly familiar, but to be honest I didn't know much about this one going into it. I'm sure any film fans, or big movie buffs will shake their heads at me for that. So this is a film about corruption, mobs, romance, and standing up for what's right. It's got a little bit of everything. Lets just hope its still fun to watch!


There is corruption on the docks and the unions are the source. The work and jobs aren't handed out in a fair way, and there is preferential treatment all over the place. Worse still, if anyone speaks out against the way things are, or go to the cops, they generally wind up dead due to an... unfortunate accident.

Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) used to be an aspiring prizefighter, but after being influenced to take a few dives, his career took a dive of its own. Now he works for the mob that runs the waterfront union. One night he does a favor for them, tricking a man named Joey to go to the roof of his building. Terry figured they were just going to put some pressure on him since he was starting to speak out about the injustices of the waterfront, but instead Joey takes another kind of dive; Off the roof of the apartment building and into the sidewalk. Tensions are starting to rise as the workers start getting sick of being used while the mob gets rich, but no one wants to stick their own necks out. With the pressure of Father Barry (Karl Malden) will Terry finally stand up for himself and the men? What will it finally take to get him to do the right thing?

Terry Malloy is just another dock worker, what can he do that anyone else can't?

At first this movie was really boring me. The character of Terry Malloy was really basic and seemed very one dimensional. He came across as just a dock worker who did what he was told, like some kind of dumb hired muscle. But it's clear he wasn't comfortable in the way he was used to lure Joey to the rooftops. As the film progresses, however, he starts to open up to the characters around him, like Joey's sister Edie, who he becomes fond of, and Father Barry who is encouraging men to stand up against the corruption. Later there's an even more revealing conversation that he has with his brother in a car. It all at once reveals details about his past, his disappointment in his older brother, and his dissatisfaction with being used by the mob. It also has one of the most famous movie quotes ever, but that's besides the point. Basically, as the movie continues, Terry's character becomes deeper and more interesting, growing the whole time.

Eva Marie Saint as Edie Doyle with Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy

Not only does Terry grow through the story, but so did the story itself. Like I said, at first I was really bored by almost everything about the film. But as I watched, the characters all became more interesting, the story got bolder, the script got better, and the stakes were raised in the plot. I'm not sure what it was, but On the Waterfront had that special something that really drew me in. By the end I was fully engrossed and rooting for Terry as he walked along in front of his fellow dock workers.

"I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum"

I would definitely recommend On the Waterfront for watching. Seeing Marlon Brando in his prime and at his best was really great. I complained that in A Streetcar Named Desire that there was too much overacting. Most of that complaint was for the female lead, but Brando had his own fair share in that film too. In this he comes across to me as much more realistic. The relationship he forms with Edie and the Father is great. All the characters have a real chemistry with each other that just make you believe these are real people. Give it a watch, it's a definite classic that totally holds up. In fact, I wouldn't mind watching it again right now.