"On the Waterfront"

"On the Waterfront" is yet another timeless black and white film that pushes the viewer to look at the world in a different way. I actually learned something watching this movie, something that movies today sometimes have a tendancy not to do. The social and economic problems that take place in "On the Waterfront" don't just relate to the world in the 1950's, but relate to the world today as well. These problems are hard to overlook when evaluating the world back then to the world now. Nothing has changed. That is why this film in my opinion is considered to be "timeless" because it related to the world back then, it related to the world now, and in another fifty years it will probably be the same. This film helps the viewer realize this.

The thing that I enjoyed most about the film was the change between Terry at the biginning of the movie to Terry at the end. The main reason for the change is Edie, the sister of Joey, whom Terry wisnessed being murdered. Edie eventually persuades Terry to rebel against the corrupt union and bring justice to Joey death.

Terry is a washed-up, former boxer that never really got his boxing career off the ground. He was told to lose in fights that were fixed, therefore ending his boxing career. In the scene between Terry and his older brother Charly, Terry blames his brother for his failure saying, "... I could have been somebody, instead of a bum..." However, little does Terry know that by testifying against the corrupt union and standing up the the union leader, he became somebody. Although it wasn't through boxing, it was through heart and determination to do the right thing; he became a hero, without even putting his boxing gloves on.

"On the Waterfront," like "Casablanca," also correlates to the text. In the same list of ideas explained in the review of "Casablanca" below, the film "On the Waterfront" possesses many of those ideas. The first is moral implications. Morallity takes place in the film because Terry knows what is right and seeing past the threats of the union is he "sings," Terry still does what he believes is right, a true example of morality.

Social problems is also a big idea that stands out for the viewers of this film. The corrupt mob made life miserable for the workers and the families of everyone connected. It forces the viewer to think and feel what the characters are going through. The struggle for human dignity also makes itself know in this film. The scene where Edie's father looses his work ticket and Edie fights Terry to get it back shows a clear relation to the desperation these people faced on a daily basis. If the man in the family couldn't work, that means no bread on the table for his family, an experience that is ever-so prominent in today's society as well.

The story of "On the Waterfront" and is relation to society is undeniable after viewing this movie. It holds a mirror to American and asks "What has changed?" and it is up to the viewer to analyze the answer to that question.