100 All-Time Films (To see the entire list, click here)
Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront (1954)
After their wildly successful film A Streetcar Named Desire, director Elia Kazan and actor Marlon Brando teamed up again to make an equally historical film. Kazan was a namer of names for HUAC (House of UnAmerican Activities Committee) during a time when communism was rampant. He was criticized immensely for naming eight former Communists in the film industry. In On the Waterfront, Kazan wanted to show there could be nobility in a man who “named names.”
Using a setting of a dock where union violence and corruption among longshoreman takes place, Kazan has a great place to send his message. The iconic Brando (who at the time is still altering the face of acting forever) plays Terry Malloy, the main character who stands up to the mob. It is a fantastic piece of acting by himself and supporting actors like Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Rod Steiger, and Eva Marie Saint.
On the Waterfront is a stunningly personal tale of guilt and moral decency. It shows you the cost of making a moral choice, right or wrong. We hear about wrong moral choices being made all of the time whether it be Enron, steroids in sports, or most recently, the Penn State scandal. Society tells us that being a “rat” is one of the worst things you can do. On the Waterfront reminds us of the power of the individual and the change we can accomplish if things around us are immoral and wrong. Being a snitch isn’t always respected, but sometimes its exactly what needs to be done.
