On the Waterfront
On the Waterfront
An ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 3, 2025
Sometimes all aspects if a film production come together so perfectly, that it seems effortless—Elia Kazan’s direction, Kaufman’s cinematography, Leonard Bernstein’s score and winning performances from Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint. I’m only familiar with Brando’s later filmography, so this was a nice intro into seeing his early work that made him a star. A compelling crime drama following widespread corruption amongst the longshoremen’s unions on the waterfronts of New Jersey. Though it certainly had echoes of the McCarthyism of the era, more than anything it’s a timeless tale of standing up for what is right.