by Steve Painter
Daily Lobo
"On the Waterfront" is the Russian doll of '50s Hollywood history and storytelling.
The stories surrounding the making of this movie present a multi-layered slice of cinema intertwined with politics and propaganda.
In the 1950s, the government created the House Un-American Activities Committee, which sought out communists in Hollywood. Many writers and directors were asked to testify before HUAC. Some agreed to testify. Others didn't. One who agreed was "On the Waterfront" director Elia Kazan. He testified before the committee and was subsequently treated as a pariah by those Hollywood writers and directors who declined to testify.
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The 1954 film stars Marlon Brando. It won eight Oscars and left a mark on the film industry still felt today.
There's corruption on the New York docks. Mob boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) and Charlie (Rod Steiger), the brother of Terry Malloy (Brando), decide who works and who doesn't.
After Terry's childhood friend, Joey, is murdered by the mob for threatening to cooperate with police about the corruption, Terry has to make a decision. He must either help out a crusading priest (Karl Malden) and Joey's sister, Edie (Eva Marie Saint), or remain loyal to his brother and his boss. As Terry's relationship with Edie progresses, he begins to realize that Charlie and Johnny never actually helped him.
He ultimately defies their threats and the "deaf and dumb" code of the docks to testify against the mob. After giving his testimony, Terry is a pariah on the waterfront and still has to deal with Johnny Friendly outside of the safety of the courtroom.
For director Kazan, the creation of "On the Waterfront" was an artistic statement about testifying before the HUAC. Like Terry, Kazan stood up for what he believed was right and testified against communism. And, like Terry, he also faced the consequences of making such testimony.
Besides being an allegory of sorts for Kazan, the film was based on the true story of longshoreman Anthony DiVincenzo. In 1949, a 24-part series of articles titled "Crime on the Waterfront" ran in the New York Sun. The series won the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting.
Originally, Frank Sinatra was cast as Terry Malloy. In retrospect, it's hard to fathom that anyone else could have pulled off a performance equal to Brando's. It earned him the first of two Academy Awards. In her acting debut, Saint also excels. As Edie Doyle, Saint won the best supporting actress Oscar.
"On the Waterfront" is best known for Brando's "I coulda been a contender" speech. Along with Humphrey Bogart's "Caine Mutiny" speech and Peter Lorre's final "M" monologue, Brando's "On the Waterfront" speech is a must-see for all actors and cineasts.
Modern viewers might initially be challenged by the film's slow pacing when compared to contemporary flicks. And the monochrome cinematography might take a little getting used to.
But "On the Waterfront" has something that is missing from many of today's fast-paced, color-saturated movies - a meaningful story and great acting.
