Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in "On the Waterfront," Kazan directed a simple story of good against evil, moral values against corruption, and what it means to sacrifice oneself for the good of others. The author believes that Kazan's direction turned this simple message into an incredibly powerful film that will never age. The author points out that Kazan assembled a brilliant cast: Marlon Brando as the protagonist, Rod Steiger as his brother, Lee J. Cobb as the union mob boss, Karl Malden as the local priest, and Eva Marie Saint as Brando's love interest. The paper relates that Kazan used simple and uncomplicated shots, thus adding more power to each scene.

From the Paper:

"There were several scenes that Kazan's direction made powerful and memorable. To show just how Friendly ran the docks and how this effected the men, Kazan shot a scene in which one of Friendly's goons throws tokens up in the air and watches the men scramble for them. A man had to be picked, had to have a token to work on the docks. This scene shows the desperateness of the men and how Friendly operation controlled their livelihoods. Kazan used the roof scenes with Terry and his pigeons to give a glimpse into his character, the real Terry. The taxi cab scene with Terry and Charlie shows the intimacy between the two brothers as Charlie breaks down upon hearing Terry's confrontation that Charlie was responsible for ending his fighting career. Kazan used the ship's horn to block Terry's confession to Edie, allowing the audience to only hear bits and pieces, however, the look on her face lets the audience know that he has told her the truth. Kazan could have used complicated dialogue to convey the message of these scenes; however, he instead, shot them simple and uncomplicated, thus adding more power to each scene, the less said the better."

Visitors who viewed this Essay also liked these:

• Analytical Essay # 123541 : "Kazan's 'On the Waterfront'"
• Comparison Essay # 92158 : "Chinatown" and "On the Waterfront"
• Comparison Essay # 114711 : "On the Waterfront" and "The Crucible"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: