My Film Review For On The Waterfront

The film On The Waterfront was amazing. Everything about it seemed thought out and well executed including the acting, cinematography, and costumes. On The Waterfront effectively showed the plight of an ordinary man and his conscience, without being overly dramatic or cheesy. In conclusion, On The Waterfront is a quality film that successfully shows how hard it is to make the right choice, especially when one is facing peer pressure.
The main literary aspects of the film On The Waterfront are the setting, the characters, and the symbols. The setting of On The Waterfront is in New York in the 1950’s. The accents, costumes, and occupations of the characters all coincide with this time period and location. Also, as many shots were down on the waterfront docks, there is a lack of women and racial minorities in this film, showing the lack of roles in the workplace for both in the 1950’s. Next, a symbolic figure of the film is Edie Doyle, who represents everything virtuous and noble. She is the only character with blonde hair in the film, so in every scene she appears in, she give off an almost holy looking glow.
The most important dramatic trait of the film On The Waterfront is the acting. The actors and actresses of the film are all perfect for their parts. For example, Marlon Brandon, who plays Terry Malloy is a gorgeous, talented actor. He portrays a tough, but sensitive man, who is not bright but knows the difference between right and wrong. Next, Lee J. Cobb, who plays Johnny Friendly, is a talented actor. He physically looks the part of a mob boss, as he is large, but not plump, and appears like he could tear his enemies apart with his bare hands. He also has a very good sneer and a convincing voice. Last, Eva Marie Saint, who plays Edie Doyle, is perfect for her part. She is supposed to portray an innocent, naïve girl, and she does so with grace. Eva Marie Saint is also very beautiful, and has blonde hair and blue eyes that make her stand out from the rest of the cast. Her soft, ladylike voice is very convincing.
Another dramatic effect in On The Waterfront is the lighting. The lighting throughout the film is very dark and somewhat eerie. An example of this is when Terry is calling to Joey Doyle, it is at night, in the dark, so the streetlamps cast a mysterious shadow across Terry’s face. The use of dark and night show that something sinister is going to happen. Another example of the filmmakers use of dark lighting to set the mood is when Terry goes to find his brother. Edie follows him, and finds him in a dark alley. As she finds him, a truck swerves around the corner, careening towards them. The shock of suddenly being thrust into the bright lights projecting from the headlight creates an atmosphere full of blind panic. The lighting whenever Edie is around Terry is much lighter than when he is surrounded by Johnny Friendly and his mob. Her light hair and pale skin make her appear to be glowing, and this represents how angelic and moral she is. The lighting in this film is effectively used to show the contrast between good and bad.
The three most useful cinematic aspects of the film On The Waterfront are the different angles of the shots and the music and sounds. After Terry unknowingly aids in the murder of Joey Doyle, there is a scene where he and Glover are sitting on top of the roof by the pigeons. The high angle shows how powerless and depressed Terry felt about being involved in such a crime. Another type of shot used to create a mood in this film was the low angle. An example of a low angle shot is when the men trying to get work on the waterfront get into a fight with the man who gives out the work tickets. The low angle makes the men look even more foolish and desperate than they already are. Like in most films, the music and sounds were used to show the characters emotions. When Terry tries to admit to Edie that he was a part of the murder of her brother, a train whistle drowns out his voice. Then he tries more loudly to explain that he didn’t mean to help the mob, but again the train whistle overrides him. Then the music cues in, louder than the whistle, and then all you can hear is Edie sobbing hysterically and see her run off. The sound in this scene show how desperate and trapped Terry feels about being involved in the murder, and also how helpless Edie feels about trying to find out about her brothers’ death. In conclusion, the cinematic aspects of the film On The Waterfront are used to convey an emotion to the viewer.
The novel All My Sons is similar to the film On The Waterfront because both of the protagonists deal with moral dilemmas that have to do with the deaths of innocent victims. Joe Keller knowingly sold faulty airplane part, which broke down and killed the pilots flying the planes. Terry Malloy lured Joey Doyle outside resulting in the death of Joey by the mob. Neither of these men meant for their victims to get harmed, but because of their actions, they each killed innocent people. Terry could not admit that he was a part of the murder, or he would be blacklisted from getting jobs or even could get killed. Joe Keller’s company would have been ruined if he would not have sold those airplane parts. His economic stature would have been destroyed, leaving he and his family in shambles. Both of these men had to make decisions about moral dilemmas, and this goes to show that if you go against your conscience, you will regret it later in life.
I would recommend the film On The Waterfront to everyone because it has high quality plot, characters, and cinematography. Even though the film is old, it is not only for those who adore old films, as the moral dilemmas Terry faces apply to the world today. I am not the only one who thinks this movie is great, as the film won eight Oscars.