On The Waterfront is a 1954 black & white film starring Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, and Rod Steiger. It was directed by Elia Kazan and produced by Sam Spiegel. The film won 8 Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor (Brando), best actress in a supporting role (Saint), and best director (Kazan).
This film truly lives up to the hype. It has one of the most famous scenes in all of film history, the clip of which is included below.
The film has some great themes, including: gathering the courage to stand up against evil, standing up for others, integrity triumphing easy money, adhering to one's conscience to turn from evil and choose good.
Below is a passionate speech given by the character Father Barry. He gives the speech after arriving at the scene of a murdered man named Kayo Nolan, who was killed by the mob. The killing took place at the waterfront; i.e., at the docks where the workers labor, which is the workforce the mob has a stranglehold on. The speech may be a bit lengthy for a blog, but it is well worth the read:
Father Barry: "I came down here to keep a promise. I gave Kayo my word that if he stood up to the mob I'd stand up with him all the way. Now Kayo Nolan is dead. He was one of those fellows who had the gift of getting up. But this time they fixed him good— unless it was an accident like Big Mac says.
"Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up. Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion— Dropping a sling on Kayo Nolan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow— that's a crucifixion. Every time the mob puts the crusher on a good man— tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen— it's a crucifixion.
"And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows has happened—shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of Our Lord to see if He was dead."
A voice cries out to Father Barry: "Go back to your church, Father."
Father Barry responds: "Boys, this is my church. If you don't think Christ is here on the waterfront, you got another guess coming. And who do you think He lines up with?
"Every morning when the hiring boss blows his whistle, Jesus stands alongside you in the shape-up. He sees why some of you get picked and some of you get passed over. He sees the family men worrying about getting their rent and getting food in the house for the wife and kids. He sees them selling their souls to the mob for a day's pay.
"What does Christ think of the easy-money boys who do none of the work and take all of the gravy? What does He think of these fellows wearing hundred-and-fifty-dollar suits and diamond rings—on your union dues and your kickback money? How does He feel about bloodsuckers picking up a longshoreman's work tab and grabbing twenty percent interest at the end of a week?
"How does He, who spoke up without fear against evil, feel about your silence?
"You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's love of a lousy buck. It's making love of a buck— the cushy job— more important than the love of man. It's forgetting that every fellow down here is your brother in Christ."
As Father Barry's voice rises to a climax: "But remember, fellows, Christ is always with you—Christ is in the shape-up, He's in the hatch—He's in the union hall— He's kneeling here beside Nolan and He's saying with all of you: 'If you do it to the least of mine, you do it to me!' What they did to Joey, what they did to Nolan, they're doing to you. And you. And YOU. And only you, with God's help, have the power to knock 'em off for good! Amen."
Here is the famous scene between Terry (Brando's character) and Terry's brother, particularly the last two minutes of the clip:
Soli Deo Gloria
This film truly lives up to the hype. It has one of the most famous scenes in all of film history, the clip of which is included below.
The film has some great themes, including: gathering the courage to stand up against evil, standing up for others, integrity triumphing easy money, adhering to one's conscience to turn from evil and choose good.
Below is a passionate speech given by the character Father Barry. He gives the speech after arriving at the scene of a murdered man named Kayo Nolan, who was killed by the mob. The killing took place at the waterfront; i.e., at the docks where the workers labor, which is the workforce the mob has a stranglehold on. The speech may be a bit lengthy for a blog, but it is well worth the read:
Father Barry: "I came down here to keep a promise. I gave Kayo my word that if he stood up to the mob I'd stand up with him all the way. Now Kayo Nolan is dead. He was one of those fellows who had the gift of getting up. But this time they fixed him good— unless it was an accident like Big Mac says.
"Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up. Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion— Dropping a sling on Kayo Nolan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow— that's a crucifixion. Every time the mob puts the crusher on a good man— tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen— it's a crucifixion.
"And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows has happened—shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of Our Lord to see if He was dead."
A voice cries out to Father Barry: "Go back to your church, Father."
Father Barry responds: "Boys, this is my church. If you don't think Christ is here on the waterfront, you got another guess coming. And who do you think He lines up with?
"Every morning when the hiring boss blows his whistle, Jesus stands alongside you in the shape-up. He sees why some of you get picked and some of you get passed over. He sees the family men worrying about getting their rent and getting food in the house for the wife and kids. He sees them selling their souls to the mob for a day's pay.
"What does Christ think of the easy-money boys who do none of the work and take all of the gravy? What does He think of these fellows wearing hundred-and-fifty-dollar suits and diamond rings—on your union dues and your kickback money? How does He feel about bloodsuckers picking up a longshoreman's work tab and grabbing twenty percent interest at the end of a week?
"How does He, who spoke up without fear against evil, feel about your silence?
"You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's love of a lousy buck. It's making love of a buck— the cushy job— more important than the love of man. It's forgetting that every fellow down here is your brother in Christ."
As Father Barry's voice rises to a climax: "But remember, fellows, Christ is always with you—Christ is in the shape-up, He's in the hatch—He's in the union hall— He's kneeling here beside Nolan and He's saying with all of you: 'If you do it to the least of mine, you do it to me!' What they did to Joey, what they did to Nolan, they're doing to you. And you. And YOU. And only you, with God's help, have the power to knock 'em off for good! Amen."
Here is the famous scene between Terry (Brando's character) and Terry's brother, particularly the last two minutes of the clip:
Soli Deo Gloria
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