Summary of The Movie on The Waterfront

The movie On the Waterfront tells a story of a longshoreman, Terry Malloy, who intends to launch a revolt, to expose the crimes of the dock owner and to bring justices to the workers, together with a college student Itty Doyle and the priest Barry. As one of the masterpieces Elia Kazan has directed in 1954, starring by Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint, this movie has brought him eight Oscars at the 27th Academy Awards ceremony.

On the Waterfront is a story about conscience. It is based on a real news report article by Malcolm Johnson, that deals with a labor union who prey on the dock workers who make their living on the waterfront. In this true story-based movie, we can see an extreme realism that has never been seen in any film before. Compared with the popular “film noir” at this time, the moral speculative color contained in this story seems to have a layer of discussion on group values. “Film noir” often focuses on the dilemma of the hero’s individual moral choice, while On the Waterfront radiates the individual confusion – the success of fighting evil forces should not be attributed to the lone efforts of the protagonist, but to the collective awakening of the dock workers. Kazan infuses the temperament of “film noir” into this film with obvious social critical quality. He finds a perfect meeting point between the pursuit of dramatic expression effect and the realistic pursuit of highlighting the real appeal. This story not only tells how these longshoremen overthrow the evil union, Kazan also includes another two storylines, which is Terry Malloy’s awaken moral conscience and his love story with Edie, in order to add inner emotional tension into the film.

This movie has applied a strong realistic style, especially on shaping the lower-class people who work and live in the dock, the warehouse and the tavern. To let the audiences experience a life that is way different from the Hollywood aristocratic luxury life. In terms of details, director Elia Kazan clearly adopts the style of the documentary film, bringing the dirty, roughness and even the sweaty smell into the camera. The film truly reflects life, awakening and the struggle of the longshoremen. More realistic the film is, more powerful and screen-charm the actor needs to be. The actor’s performance gives people a real and impressive impact. In this way, the overall seemingly gloomy tone is made up by a brighter character, and this character is the soul of the film – Marlon Brando. He had a Romanesque face, sensual lips, and a pair of breathtaking eyes that seems to be stripped naked. No one could look at his expressive eyes without revealing the truth, because his eyes display all the feelings of him. Therefore, at the beginning of the film, although he appeared as a ruffian and finally became a hero, it was not abrupt at all during this process. With the change of the eyes, you could understand how an ordinary worker who acted as an accomplice became a leader who rose up against the enemy. Just as the heroine in the film said that she saw something in his eyes, which was the truth.

On the Waterfront is regarded as a work that Kazan has created to defend himself. Shortly before filming began, Kazan testified before the committee, naming several colleagues that tied with the communist party. This “informer” title becomes the moral burden that can’t be relieved in Kazan’s life. Hence, he intentionally uses the role Terry to clarify that he is only temporarily influenced and used by the “gang”. In the scene that a union boss says: “you betrayed us, Terry.” And Terry replies: “I’m standing here, and I’ve been lying to myself for years without knowing it.” This is the time that Terry became an “informer”, he was sidelined and got beaten, but he soon became a symbol of moral awakening. At the end of the film, Terry is defeated in the battle with Johnny, but in exchange for the solidarity of the workers, that they finally have the courage to say NO to the union.