On The Waterfront

Now I'm not a huge fan of Marlon Brando. I generally enjoy his work, but out of a long list of actors he doesn't make the top 10. However On The Waterfront is excellent and Brando's performance is very, very good.

Anyone who hasn't seen this classis is really missing out. Of course it is black and white, but I hardly hold that against a good film. On the surface the film seems wholey predicatable. Terry is going to squeal sooner or later. That much is a given. But the drama that builds is handled quite well so that the surprise is not so much in what he does or how he does it but rather in the more complete change that comes over him in the end.

Terry doesn't suddenly live a charmed life. His friends are no longer his friends and his enemies are still his enemies. His life diminishes but he also sees that the qualities that the longshoremen have valued - hardwork, perserverence, honesty - are all worthwhile. When he walks to work those final yards he puts the final cap on his decision to start to become a better man.

En fin - a movie worth watching.