Rate It
|
||||||||||||||||
Rating Averages
My Friends |
Not rated. () |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
All Flixster |
(11088) |
5786 |
17821 |
Female |
(3423) |
1786 |
5502 |
Male |
(7665) |
4000 |
12319 |
More Like This
If you liked this, then you'll also probably like...
Got another recommendation for someone who liked this movie? Add it to the list!
Got an opinion? Use the buttons to vote on all the suggestions people have added.
If lots of people vote, the best suggestions will rise to the top.
| This Sporting Life (100%) |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Dial M for Murder (67%) |
|
|
| Raging Bull (100%) |
|
|
| To Kill A Mockingbird (67%) |
|
|
| Le Quai des Brumes (Port of Shadows) (0%) |
|
|
Plot:
Marlon Brando's famous "I coulda been a contenda" speech is such a warhorse by now that a lot of people probably feel they've seen this picture already, even if they haven't. And many of those who hav...( read more 
)
Meet Other Fans
ONLINE NOW
Recent Reviews
-
MCT:July 26, 2008Marlon Brando! This is definitely one of his best films. Elia Kazan is stunning. One of the few movies I watched that I was completely blown away with.
-
MCT:July 23, 2008
One-Sentence Review:
"Gripping, powerful drama of corrupt unions for dock workers and how one man Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) fights back."
(Marlon Brando's solid performance is in here.A Classic Film that must-see) -
MCT:July 3, 2008
There isn't an actor in this is who isn't spot on. The "contendah" scene is as great as everybody says it is, but for my money, you can't beat the last shot of the door coming down at the warehouse.
-
MCT:July 1, 2008The Waterfront Crime Commission is about to hold public hearings on union crime and underworld infiltration. As workers are turned against each other, Terry Malloy inadvertently participates in the murder of fellow longshoreman Joey Doyle. Union boss Johnny Friendly orchestrates the murder along with other illegal dockside activities, aided by Terry's brother Charley. Terry begins to feel pangs of conscience. When Joey's sister Edie sees more in Terry than he sees in himself and Father Barry urges him on, Terry reassesses his past and begins to regain responsibility for his actions.
On The Waterfront has the perfect mixture of love, suspense, and crime.
The acting not just by Brando but the whole cast is great and the ending the final redemption of Terry Malloy iis terrific.. -
MCT:June 12, 2008
''You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.''
An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.
Marlon Brando: Terry Malloy
Karl Malden: Father Barry
Lee J. Cobb: Johnny Friendly
Rod Steiger: Charley 'the Gent' Malloy
On The Waterfront tells the captivating story of Terry Malloy previously an Ex-Fighter and now currently doing errands for Johnny Friendly. The Gangster-esque turbulent trouble that follows, we the viewers are treated to, begin when Terry leads an interfering yet charitable and good worker to his demise on a roof by some of Johnny's men.
Waterfront then proceeds to introduce characters and an unlikely romance blossoming out of the impending strife. When Terry meets Edie Doyle you can feel the chemistry there between them but also the revelations that lie, lurking under the surface about her brother who happens to be the worker who died.
The complications are apparent and Waterfront does not hide this in any way.
Terry's guilt is plain to see although really it isn't all his fault. What's fascinating to behold is the evolution of his character, the change or turn if you will, which manifests as his redemption. What we find is that Terry at heart is a good soul and that shines ever so brightly amongst the darkness that is the Waterfront.
Marlon Brando as Terry justly won Best Actor for his performance in Waterfront in 1954. To comprehend what that means you really should witness this pivotal man at work and this film, absorb yourself and bask in it's glory.
Eva Marie Saint as Edie Doyle gives a connection of immense magnitude with Marlon who deserves credit again for her, as mentioned before, chemistry.
Lee J. Cobb as Johnny Friendly plays a good lead Mobster and a fitting villain. Another Vintage Actor from a fave film of mine 12 Angry Men.
Rod Steiger as Charley the Gent manages to play the crooked brother with flying colours.
Karl Malden as Father Barry sees whats happening to the people around him, sees the corruption and helps Terry see it too. Wonderful to behold as he is jeered by his fellows.
Directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg, you instantly know you've struck gold. A drama that haunts, that electrifies and leaves you in awe.
The harshness and hardship of the Waterfront is wonderfully realised. The taint of the Mob has infected and submerged the dock, not to mention it's denizens, as Terry begins to see this and stand up against it, this is what makes great men great. Without a doubt, Waterfront is what makes a film great, like it's hero Terry, it refuses to be beaten down and comes out triumphant.
A timeless masterpiece. -
MCT:May 31, 2008I love this! It had a great message, and the characters were so well developed. There's a killer kiss scene... one of the best ever in a film.
-
MCT:May 20, 2008
Brando puts in a powerhouse performance in this powerful drama. Leonard Bernstein composed the music.
-
MCT:May 14, 2008
On the Waterfront is one of those movies in which the last 30 minutes are better than the movie in whole. It isn't that the rest of the movie is bad, but rather that it just wavers above average. Meanwhile, although Marlon Brando gives a great performance, it is unmemorable. On the bright side, Leornard Bernstein's score is brilliant, but like Brando's performance, it is unmemorable. As for the final 30 minutes, they were thrilling and well shot. This doesn't change the film's blandness, though. On the Waterfront remains mediocre.
-
MCT:May 13, 2008
Marlon Brando's portrayal of "coulda-been-a-contender" Terry Malloy is his best work. Too many this film is nothing more than Elia Kazan's self-defense of testifying to the HUAC. I think the movie has less to do with that than with expressing the theme of standing up for your own principles
-
MCT:April 27, 2008
"Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy of life? Do it to him before he does it to you."
On the Waterfront is a classic film that tells a remarkable tale of one man's struggle with his conscience and the union bosses that he works for.
The film is brutal, gripping, hard-hitting and categorically astonishing. It's just such a monumental shame that this film (along with a majority of classics) is so criminally overlooked during the time of modern cinema.
Marlon Brando, in one of his early performances, is an ex-boxer named Terry Malloy. Terry now works at the docks for a group of corrupt union bosses. But when a worker attempts to tell the authorities of the corruption that is occurring at the docks, the bosses send a clear message and have him eliminated. The dead man's sister Edie (Saint) is determined to find her brother's killer. When Terry and Edie strike up a relationship, Terry realises that he can no longer turn a blind eye to the corruption at his work-place that caused the untimely murder. Thus Terry must question where his loyalties lie, and has to make a decision about whether to stand up and testify against his corrupt bosses.
On the Waterfront is a gripping, groundbreaking masterpiece. It takes an uncompromising look its subject matter without holding back on the violence.
Marlon Brando is exceptional as Terry. He looks so young and dashing, yet every line he delivers is so powerful. I could barely recognise Brando due to him being so youthful. Eva Marie Saint, in her starring debut, is so potent and beatific. The chemistry between Brando and Saint feels so natural and real. And all the rest of the supporting cast add to the genuine feel of the whole experience.
The film's pacing is slow, and it requires heavy patience, but the performances from the cast are just so mesmerising. The scene in the back of the taxi is still one of the most moving and most powerful scenes in cinema history. The scene would not have been as good without the aid of such great character portrayals from all those in the cast.
The cinematography is another immensely brilliant aspect here. The use of grainy black and white makes it feel even more authentic. The great story is complimented by the remarkable direction of Elia Kazan. He won an Oscar for such inspirational directing. The music is used meagrely, but it is always loaded with so much power.
On the Waterfront is an astoundingly brilliant production and a marvellous movie. The film is so gripping and so compelling, with drama that keeps one engaged for the film's duration. Over 50 years on and the film has not lost any of its original impact. Highly recommended for those with enough patience. Winner of 8 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing and Best Art Direction. -
MCT:April 22, 2008
You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.
-
MCT:April 21, 2008
Very inspiring for Brando's performance and the ending. The whole cast acts very well. I particularly like Karl Malden's role. He is charismatic.
-
MCT:April 12, 2008
Great mafia movie.Brando is incredible,the story is deep with great dialogues and great scenes.A very memorable movie.
-
MCT:April 5, 2008
Very amazing movie with a good message in it. Brando did a really great job in this movie. And the directing was more than just great.
-
MCT:March 8, 2008
This classic was pretty disappointing to me. The acting was terrific and everything and the plot was very good. But I found it quite boring in many parts. Still a good movie.
-
MCT:March 4, 2008
Everything Brando did before was just a warm up to this, his greatest achievement. Elia Kazan's metaphor for the Hollywood blacklist is still an important film over 50 years later. Brando's charisma as the broken down pugilist, now a strong-arm for the mob, stands as one of the most memorable performances in cinema history. But what most people don't remember is the supporting cast. Karl Malden as the crusading priest stands as one of his best performances (behind Streetcar Named Desire). Eva Marie Saint is stunning as the object of Brando's affections. But you will never forget Lee J. Cobb's Johnny Friendly, the boss of the docks who decides who gets to work...and who dies for betraying the code of silence. Laced with stereotypical 60's noir dialogue and brilliantly shot by cinematographer Boris Kaufman, this is a slice of 50's pop culture that should be remembered for hundreds of years. The famous back seat taxi scene is always a stunner, but a lot people should remember Brando's speech about pigeons, the death of Saint's brother and the final moment on the docks as Brando faces the full fury of Friendly. If you never have, you must see it.
-
MCT:March 4, 2008
the best actor in his finest hour, brando's oscar was a just tribute to an exceptional performance, kazan adds a deep meaning with his own experiences in a cry for true justice, a cornerstone of american cinema
-
MCT:March 3, 2008
Magnificent, powerful and gripping drama. Wonderful musical score and excellent use of black-and-white cinematography.
This has been sitting in my collection for a while now, and I've finally just got around to watching it, and I must say I definately regret the long wait.
Brando excels in his performance giving a truly moving portrayal of Terry Malloy, definately worth of his Oscar. Eva Marie Saint is also sensational but angelic in a supporting role. The chemistry between the two, sizzles.
Good story, powerful acting, superbly directed, although it needs to be watched with patience. Highly recommended. -
MCT:March 2, 2008This film is one of the first that I had ever seen that seemed to transcend so many different genres.
-
MCT:March 1, 2008
Even in an era a widespread hardship, unity brings down the powerfully corrupt. One of the greatest films of all-time.
My Friends Said...
On the Waterfront Recent Reviews
Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !
Comments
This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "On the Waterfront" !
