On the Waterfront Reviews and Ratings



  • April 12, 2008
    Great mafia movie.Brando is incredible,the story is deep with great dialogues and great scenes.A very memorable movie.
  • April 11, 2008
    Marlon Brando is THE man!!!
  • March 27, 2008
    Oo. La mejor actuacion de Brando. No, no fue la de "El Padrino"... I coulda been a contenda...
  • March 23, 2008
    Marlon Brando is swoonful but I just failed to see the point
  • 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.
  • 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...( read more) 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.
  • 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
  • March 3, 2008
    Brando makes acting look so effortless...
  • March 2, 2008
    This film is one of the first that I had ever seen that seemed to transcend so many different genres.
  • March 1, 2008
    Even in an era a widespread hardship, unity brings down the powerfully corrupt. One of the greatest films of all-time.
  • February 22, 2008
    this film is amazing for the stunning performances if for no other reason, and there are many other reasons to love this movie. brando gives possibly his best performance and every other actor from the biggest roles to the smallest roles was at the peak of acting. possibly one ...( read more)of the best acted movies in history. the sermon given by the priest at the dock was possibly the best movie speech ive ever seen and the plot was very good. i do think that the story was a bit shifty at the end keeping this film from being perfect, but it was as close to perfect as a film can get. wonderful picture.
  • February 17, 2008
    True Classic, On The Waterfront is a extremely powerful masterpiece with Marlon Brando who is scintillating as a heroic lead.
  • February 17, 2008
    AWESOME. Brando is so explosive and I can't get enough of him! The famous "I coulda been a contender" scene is so great. Awesome Kazan movie.
  • February 15, 2008
    The scene when the preacher gives the speech after Dugan's killed is the best part of the movie.
  • February 2, 2008
    Watched this movie for about the 7th time last night. Riveting performance by Steiger and Brando. Steiger understands the subtlety required to play off a powerful character.
  • February 2, 2008
    Great movie about a young trouble maker who takes a stand for justice. Beaten and bruised, but still fighting until the end, he manages to find strength through love.
  • January 28, 2008
    One of the finest films ever made.
  • January 22, 2008
    Beautifully made film. Elia Kasan's best film. States that although it may be tough to do there are situations in which you should tell the authorites what you know.
  • January 16, 2008
    Fantastic movie,with a great performance from the peerless Marlon Brando and a good supporting cast.
  • January 15, 2008
    Brando & Rod Steiger 2 method actors fighting it out with their screen performances with Brando taking his first Oscar. Great storyline of how Unions controlled "the waterfront".
  • January 8, 2008
    BRANDO.....
    "STELLA STELLA!!
  • January 7, 2008
    a terrific, memorable film. Brando is absolutely superb. A true classic that tells the enduring tale of corruption and overcoming it.
  • January 4, 2008
    Downtrodden and guilt-ridden, Marlon Brando puts in a stellar performance as Terry, an overrun union worker who finds himself torn between loyalty and morality. Things take a little while to shape up, as we are bluntly shown the mean streets of which Terry resides, post-mortem ...( read more)of his boxing career, but it becomes quite the involving affair. There are definitely some firey and passionate scenes in this one, that shows off the change endured by Brando, who finally cracks after being tugged by everyone from the priest, his brother, his mob boss, and his new love interest. This ultimately shows how one man can redeem himself, and "become somebody". Not the most entertaining movie, but definitely significant.
  • January 3, 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.
  • December 26, 2007
    Brando when he was handsome and good at acting and not crazy and fat.
  • December 24, 2007
    Early Marlon, what a character, an idol of several generations
  • December 18, 2007
    The classic tale of man stuck between good and evil. Marlon Brando as that man, Karl Malden as the Priest trying to help the union dockworkers stand up for themselves - and a beautiful Eva Marie Saint in her very first role. Directed by Elia Kazan. This swept the Academy Award...( read more)s in 1955 in nearly every catagory.
    But wondering - just where is, "Palukaville"?
  • December 16, 2007
    why not? 'i coulda been a contenda...'
  • December 9, 2007
    In my humble opinion, this is the greatest movie I've ever seen. It was the first that opened my eyes and showed me how amazingly moving a film can be.
  • November 25, 2007
    I don't know what to say about this movie that hasn't been said. It's good on so many levels, in fact, that I might just not know what to say. (Having just watched Raging Bull, though, it will be watched again shortly!)
  • November 20, 2007
    Marlon Brando is the best actor in the history of acting!
  • November 18, 2007
    A little overblown, but still a classic.
  • November 17, 2007
    My favorite movie, and a searing expose of the dark side of the labor unions in those days. Brando is electric and at his simmering peak in this one, and the overall cast is superb. In a way this movie was probably a decade or two before its time.
  • November 10, 2007
    And it's obvious that Brando was exceptionally good. It's a sad story but very, very good.
  • November 9, 2007
    I just saw this movie for the first time. I fell in love! Brando is magnetic !
  • November 4, 2007
    a classic,n'est pas?
  • November 2, 2007
    Classified as a classic = Interested.
  • October 28, 2007
    Another Brando classic.
  • October 24, 2007
    If you ever doubt if Marlon Brando was a good actor... watch this. He's phenominal in this.
  • October 23, 2007
    Brilliant. Great story, great acting. Its one of them films that is unpredictable. Brando is a great actor.
  • October 22, 2007
    Marlon Brando in his youth
    and the director Elias kazan , made a marvellous film with criticism in society ..the film took 8 Oscars

Summary


On the Waterfront Summary