Session One / On the Waterfront

I really enjoyed this movie.  I had never seen a Marlon Brando movie and now I see why he was so popular.  He was an amazing actor, he brought so much emotion and realism to his character.  On the other hand, I did not like the performance of Eva Marie Saint.  It was over-acted and paled in comparison to the strength of performance of other's in the cast.  I know it was her first film, hopefully she matured and got better with age!  I'll have to look for another one of her film's later in her career to see if I like her any better.

Theme:
This film appealed to the moral senses of humanity, corruption of the union on the docks.  The union was meant to protect laborers and their rights,  so the betrayal and fear of a corrupted union penetrated the entire waterfront community.  To complicate the situation, the laborers themselves were afraid to take a stand or speak out against the corruption, dooming it to continue and grow.The theme is very universal and focuses on the struggle for human dignity and choosing to do what is right and moral.

Focus on Character:
 The theme was a main focus of many of the characters.   Take Terry, the tough dock worker who's brother was a main figure in the corruption.  He began the film as a indirect member of the corruption, but eventually became the leader of "doing the right thing".  He spoke the truth and brought the illegal activity of the union into the light of day, giving others the courage to do the same.  Edie, the sister of a murdered dock worker, struggled for justice for her brother.  She put herself in danger to make sure the truth was known about her brother's killer, the union itself.   Father Barry, a catholic priest who chose to step outside of his priestly duties and take on both the union and the dockworkers in the fight for "doing the right thing".   Like so many of the great classics, the romance between Terry and Edie was the underlying theme in the film.

A definite thumbs up for this movie!

Works Cited

Boggs, J. M., & Petrie, D. W. (2008). The Art of Watching Films (7th Edition ed.). Ashford University: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.