On The Waterfront (1954)

American Film Institute's Top 100 Films, No. 19

Academy Award for Best Picture, 1955

Hey, you wanna hear my philosophy on life? Do it to him before he does it to you. - Terry Malloy

Another of the classic black and white films I found to be quite entertaining. However, unlike many of the others, the dialogue seemed to me to be slightly outdated and the story moved slowly. However, the story line of the dock workers fighting for equality is a classic in itself, and this movie was very well-done.

The idea for the story, according to imdb.com, first came from an expose series written for The New York Sun by reporter Malcolm Johnson. Johnson's 24 articles eventually won him a Pulitzer Prize, and were reinforced by the 1948 murder of a New York dock hiring boss, which solidified the story to the American public. Budd Schulberg, the movie's writer, became obsessed with the subject, and spent years of his life learning everything he could of the killings and extortion going on in docks across the country. He spent a great deal of time in West Side Manhattan and Long Island bars interviewing longshore-union leaders and learning more of the priests from Hell's Kitchen.

Easily one of Marlon Brando's greatest performances, and it's little surprise he took home an Oscar for his work.

3.5 stars out of 5