On the Waterfront
Dir. Elia Kazan
USA, 1954 ($39.95)
Winner of eight Academy Awards and nominated for twelve, On the Waterfront
is a bona fide classic. Directed by Elia Kazan and starring Marlon
Brando and Eva Marie Saint, with a score by Leonard Bernstein, the film
follows Terry Malloy (Brando) as a boxer turned dockworker who gets
mixed up with the mob that controls his union. When Terry is
inadvertently involved in the murder of Edie’s (Saint) brother by the
mob, the two of them join a local priest in an attempt to put a stop to
the corruption.
Bonus materials on the Criterion Collection edition include: the film’s original trailer as well as trailers for Picnic and Suddenly, Last Summer;
production notes; filmographies of the central figures involved in the
film’s production; commentary from film critic Richard Schickel and
director Elia Kazan; an interview with Elia Kazan; and a video photo
gallery with behind the scenes footage mixed with dialogue from the
film. These extras do a fantastic job of situating the film in its
contemporary context and help the audience understand its cinematic
importance.
- Janelle Gera
