On the Waterfront

Name: On the Waterfront
Genre: Drama, Romance, Crime
Released: July 28, 1954
Duration: 108 min
Rating: 91
Cast: Karl Malden, Marlon Brando

1954

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 15 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 203 Ratings

See All

8.7

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.7	Your Score
8.7	User Score Universal acclaim based on 203 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

On The Waterfront

Now Playing: On The Waterfront

Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: July 28, 1954 | Approved

Starring: Karl Malden, Marlon Brando

Summary: Marlon Brando gives one of the screen's most electrifying performances as Best Actor in this 1954 Academy Award winning Best Film as Ex-fighter Terry Malloy, who could have been a contender but now toils for boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) on the gang-ridden waterfront. [Sony]

Director: Elia Kazan

Genre(s): Drama, Romance, Crime

Rating: Approved

Runtime: 108 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Kate Cameron

Outstanding performances are turned in by Karl Malden in the role of a priest who makes the waterfront characters his particular charge, by Lee J. Cobb, as the big bully who bosses the boys, by Rod Steiger, John Hamilton and a couple of well-known pugilists, Tony Galento and Tami Mauriello. Read full review

100

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

A draining experience from beginning to end, relentless in its portrayal of inhumanity. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

The acting and the best dialogue passages have an impact that has not dimmed; it is still possible to feel the power of the film and of Brando and Kazan, who changed American movie acting forever. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Kazan succeeds in producing a shrewd piece of screen journalism, a melodrama in the grand manner of Public Enemy and Little Caesar. But he fails to do anything more serious—largely because he tries too hard. In searching for the general meaning in little lives, Director Kazan has trained his lens down fine on small events; he has too often watched his characters through the magnifying glass of special prejudice—the old sentimental prejudice that ordinary people are wonderful no matter what they do. Read full review

James Berardinelli

On the Waterfront may have baggage, but that doesn't prevent it from being one of the great American productions of the mid-20th century. Read full review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

It's hard to deny that Marlon Brando's performance as a dock worker and ex-fighter who finally decides to rat on his gangster brother (Rod Steiger) is pretty terrific. Read full review

David Sterritt

Brando made one of his most indelible impressions in this relentlessly dramatic, ever-controversial tale of loyalty and betrayal in the world of working-class unions. Read full review

SEE ALL 15 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

sharathegde1995

Dec 23, 2017

On the Waterfront is and will always remain Marlon Brando-Elia Kazan's quintessential masterwork

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

scarfake

Dec 27, 2015

best marlon brando's performance after vito corleone

and won 8 academy awards

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AMH04

Aug 4, 2020

Brilliantly acted and smartly directed. This film is a must watch for film lovers.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FilipeNeto

Nov 3, 2020

"On The Waterfront" is a classic that instills respect in any cinema lover. The way the film explores the dialogues and interpretive skills of the cast is the best it has: the actors have excellent material and were brilliantly directed by Elia Kazan. The result is evident: a film that is a"On The Waterfront" is a classic that instills respect in any cinema lover. The way the film explores the dialogues and interpretive skills of the cast is the best it has: the actors have excellent material and were brilliantly directed by Elia Kazan. The result is evident: a film that is a work of art and a piece of culture and memory, which won eight Oscars at that time (Best Film, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Black-and-White Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Editing), which is always an achievement.

The story is very interesting and revolves around the control that a small group of criminals have over a New York dockers' union: after the murder of a docker, young ex-boxer Terry Malloy begins to distance himself from the mob boss Johnny Friendly and, greatly encouraged by Father Barry, chooses to denounce what is happening to the authorities, aware that he will pay the consequences.

The strongest point of the film is its excellent story, and the eloquent and excellent way in which the cast worked and performed, reinforced by memorable and extremely high quality dialogues. The film is full of quotes worth mentioning and anthological moments, such as the great and tense dialogue between Terry and Friendly in the back of the taxi or Terry's suffering and pain-filled walk, even in the final part of the film. I have always said that a good story and capable actors are the key to making a great film, and "On The Waterfront" is proof of my idea: without artifices, effects and decorations, it focus on the essential things and get everything it want.

The great cast is excellently directed by Kazan, who achieved with this film one of the most impressive and remarkable works of his career as a director. Marlon Brando is a good actor and achieves stardom with this film, where he was still far from the roles of the sunset of his career. Lee J. Cobb is very good in the role of mobster: discreet, he gave the character a personality that swings dangerously and quickly between sympathy and brutality. Eva Marie Saint is extremely effective in her role, although the film is poorly tailored for female characters and she appears only to be the love interest of Brando and the sister of the dead docker. Karl Malden brings to life the most human and most influential character in the entire film: a Catholic priest who does not shy away from using the pulpit to fight what he believes to be evil and wicked, even if he eventually has to suffer.

Technically, it is an extremely discreet film. There are no visual or special effects that go far beyond the most basic. The cinematography, in black and white, is very good and is loaded with a very welcome elegance. The sets and costumes are equally good and are in accordance with the period, the environment and the social context. The soundtrack is not particularly impressive, but bets on elegant and pleasant enough jazz themes.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MartB.

Jun 18, 2006

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

Spangle

May 3, 2017

Arguably director Elia Kazan's best known work, On the Waterfront features a career-high for both its director and its star Marlon Brando in this dramatic depiction of corruption, intimidation, and ambition. Set on the docks of New Jersey, the film shows the level of control possessed by mobArguably director Elia Kazan's best known work, On the Waterfront features a career-high for both its director and its star Marlon Brando in this dramatic depiction of corruption, intimidation, and ambition. Set on the docks of New Jersey, the film shows the level of control possessed by mob boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). A terrifying presence, his shadow looms over inch of the waterfront, with him and his henchmen deciding who can actually work that day and who must go home. Corrupt and deeply involved in the criminal underworld, Friendly and his men seek to silence any possible "cheese eaters" by any means necessary. Part of the peripheral of their crew is former boxer Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando). Working as a longshoremen, he is the young brother of Friendly's right hand man, Charley the Gent (Rod Steiger). This gives him ample opportunity at the docks, but also puts him in the crosshairs of the criminal case and, as such, finds himself getting squeezed by the cops. Starting a romance with pure girl Edie (Eva Marie Saint), Terry must decide whether he wants to remain loyal to Johnny or to himself.

Opening with one of the best first acts I have seen, in which Terry visits his friend Joey Doyle (Ben Wagner), On the Waterfront's opening sets the tone. Giving Joey a pigeon that he believes belongs to him, Terry is merely there to setup Joey. Professing later on that he thought that Johnny Friendly's men were just going to rough him up a bit and not kill him, this opening scene not only shows the vicious nature of the Friendly gang, but also sets up the conflict that will consume Terry's being. Feeling great remorse for getting his friend killed and then being unable to face Edie, Joey's sister, with the truth even when the two begin going together, Terry realizes his only way out is to rat. However, in doing so, everybody he loves will be put in danger. But, to not do so would be to become complicit in the continued exploitation of the longshoremen by the ruthless mobsters that run the union.

Through this tale of corruption and intimidation, On the Waterfront paints a frightening picture of blue collar America and how easily it can transform into lawlessness if a ruthless criminal gets their hands on it. Easily crushing all opposing forces due to the desperation in the area, Johnny Friendly is the gatekeeper between being broke and being able to work for a living. In essence, he is the man capable of ruining you or helping you. His brutal killings and beatings of those that step out of line only further establishes him as the head honcho in the area and not a man to be toyed with. Leaning on a local priest, Father Barry (Karl Maiden), for help and strength, Terry must overcome his own issues and fears to be able to stand up to this powerful man and tell the truth to the courts. Through this, the film becomes not just scary portrayal of crime and its influence on the poor, but also on the strength and courage it takes to stand up in the face of absolute adversity.

One of the more apparent themes at play in On the Waterfront is ambition and life goals. Having become hardened over time due to his exposure to the crime underworld, Terry has largely given up on his dreams. Once a promising boxer, he had to throw away his career to allow the mob to win its bet on the fight. Now, he opts to avoid having dreams to avoid future pain. As a result, he never reached his potential in life and is left wallowing as a longshoreman that is considered a bum by everyone around him, even Edie's father and often times, Edie herself. Having passed on every opportunity before him and throwing away his life in the name of supporting his brother and Johnny, Terry must finally work towards his own goals. No longer can he put everybody else ahead of himself. Being selfish is a quality he desperately needs to learn, as without it, he is being trampled on by all the men on the docks. He is a man who feels he has failed in life and by ratting on the crime bosses, he can finally live up to his own expectations for himself and not be such a disappointment. He can be more than a bum and not have to worry about becoming a beggar on the streets. He can live in the comfort of the knowledge that he did what was right and lifted the control of the docks away from criminals.

Featuring a career-best performance from Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront may be a bit too melodramatic at times with a poor-to-mediocre romance given too much screentime, but on the back of excellent direction from Kazan and Brando's bravado, it lives up to its classic billing. Brando's authenticity as an actor and his committed performance as Terry really bring the film to life and make it feel akin to something out of the Italian neo-realism due to its intense focus on the harsh reality of life. Now, a lot of this is due to Kazan to be sure, but Brando brings truth to this representation of life. He is Terry Malloy. Terry Malloy is him.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Trev29

Sep 3, 2012

I know it is a classic, blah, blah...it still was not interesting and boring. Some fine acting and well known lines isn't going to make someone fall in love with the movie.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

SEE ALL 17 REVIEWS