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On the Waterfront

 On the Waterfront
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TVTItem
 On the Waterfront
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On the Waterfront
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OnTheWaterfront
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On the Waterfront is a 1954 crime drama film directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg, starring Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, and Rod Steiger.Terry Malloy (Brando) is a former prizefighter now employed as a dockworker in New Jersey, who gets work courtesy of his brother Charley (Steiger). Charley is a lawyer for mob boss Johnny Friendly (Cobb), who corruptly runs the local dockworkers' union. One day, Terry inadvertently participates in the murder of his friend Joey Doyle (Ben Wagner), a dockworker who had planned to testify before the Waterfront Crime Commission and expose Friendly's illegal activities. As he comforts Joey's sister Edie (Saint), and meets Father Pete Barry (Malden), a firebrand priest intent on putting an end to the mob's graft and violence, Terry is urged to help expose Friendly's crimes before someone else dies. How long can Terry go on before he finally has to act against the corrupt men who own the docks?Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, the film won eight of them including Best Picture, Best Director (Kazan), Best Actor (Brando), Best Supporting Actress (Saint), and Best Screenplay (Schulberg).note The other Oscar wins: Best Black & White Cinematography, Best Black & White Art/Set Decoration, Best Film Editing. Cobb, Malden, and Steiger were all nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but none of them won, likely due to splitting the vote. Bernstein's score was also nominated but didn't win. It is also notable for being the only film scored by Leonard Bernstein that is not a musical. Fred Gwynne plays one of Friendly's goons and Pat Hingle and Martin Balsam turn up in uncredited bit parts.Yaphet Kotto has cited this film — and Brando's performance therein — as his inspiration to get into acting.
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2024-04-06T14:46:28Z
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2024-04-06T14:46:28Z
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Dropped link to PunchedAcrossTheRoom: Not a Feature - ITEM
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 On the Waterfront / int_1235f055
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Dirty Coward
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Dirty Coward: The only reason Terry lost the fight with Friendly was because Friendly called his guards to help him pry Terry off. The dockworkers, witnessing this, lose all respect and fear of Friendly.
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 On the Waterfront / int_13e1c444
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Plot-Triggering Death
 On the Waterfront / int_13e1c444
comment
Plot-Triggering Death: The story begins with the murder of Joey Doyle.
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 On the Waterfront / int_14e31793
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Unions Suck
 On the Waterfront / int_14e31793
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Unions Suck: The Stevedore's union is controlled by mob boss Johnny Friendly, who uses it to extort workers to line his own pockets and sliences or kills anyone who tries to stop him.
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Title Drop
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Title Drop:
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 On the Waterfront / int_1a2636ee
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Crucial Cross
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comment
Crucifixion is also an important symbol in the film. Crucifixion is tied up with the death of Jesus, and the idea of sacrificing oneself for the greater good. And, in this film, Father Barry applies this symbol to Joey and Dugan, who've both been killed by Johnny's mob after word got out that they were planning on turning police informant. He references this in one of his peptalks to the remaining rebelers. Also, it's not just the villains committing them. It's the cowardice and indifference of bystanders. If the other longshoremen followed Joey's lead and turned against Johnny — who hadn't been helping them at all, anyway — Johnny wouldn't have stood a chance. Terry's act of courage at the movie's end finally shakes everyone out of their cowardice and makes them abandon Johnny together, once and for all.
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 On the Waterfront / int_21f60711
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Good Is Not Soft
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comment
Good Is Not Soft: Father Barry. He's a kind man who believes in Christ's teachings, but not only is he not intimidated by violent goons, he's willing to stand up with them with his fists. It helps that he's quite a large and intimidating man in his own right.
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 On the Waterfront / int_2cf282ea
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She Is All Grown Up
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She Is All Grown Up: Edie, she was said to have had very thick braids, glasses, and braces as a kid and is told "you grew up very nice".
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 On the Waterfront / int_2dc0d2bf
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Hidden Depths
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comment
Hidden Depths: Terry. Charley as well. Although he's lived the life of a ruthless gangster, he still cares for his brother.
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 On the Waterfront / int_32da548d
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Arch-Enemy
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comment
Arch-Enemy: Johnny Friendly to Terry Malloy.
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 On the Waterfront / int_34dcfc96
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Kick the Dog
 On the Waterfront / int_34dcfc96
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Kick the Dog: Terry's beloved pigeons are killed by the kids.
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 On the Waterfront / int_38da8916
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Uncommon Time
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Uncommon Time: The score includes a very fast, drum-heavy theme whose bars alternate between alla breve and 3/4.
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 On the Waterfront / int_392372f9
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Actor Allusion
 On the Waterfront / int_392372f9
comment
Actor Allusion: As something of an inside joke, Fred Gwynne plays a character named Mladen Sekulovich, which happens to the be real name of co-star Karl Malden.
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 On the Waterfront / int_40cc0c7e
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Bittersweet Ending
 On the Waterfront / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: Terry survives the beating of Friendly's goons and while Friendly still has power, he's lost the fear everyone had of him. It's also quite likely that Friendly will eventually be indicted due to the testimony against him.
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 On the Waterfront / int_41d5f145
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Fluffy the Terrible
 On the Waterfront / int_41d5f145
comment
Fluffy the Terrible: Johnny Friendly, despite his non-threatening name, is a cruel mobster.
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On the Waterfront / int_41d5f145
 On the Waterfront / int_44c279ae
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Guilt-Ridden Accomplice
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Guilt-Ridden Accomplice: Terry is duped into luring Joey Doyle to his death; he spends the rest of the film trying to make amends.
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On the Waterfront / int_44c279ae
 On the Waterfront / int_44fc28e8
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Honor Before Reason
 On the Waterfront / int_44fc28e8
comment
Honor Before Reason: The dock workers are afraid of informing on Johnny Friendly but their children grow up believing ratting someone out is bad period. This leads some of them to kill Terry's pigeons for deciding to testify even though he really is doing the right thing.
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 On the Waterfront / int_4a852458
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Big Good
 On the Waterfront / int_4a852458
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Big Good: Father Barry, the town priest who ultimately becomes a mentor-like figure for Terry and encourages Terry to stop the union in a non-violent way, or he'd be no better than them.
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 On the Waterfront / int_4d2dd53c
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Pan and Scan
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comment
Pan and Scan: Inverted; Director of Photography Boris Kaufman shot the movie in the 4:3 Academy ratio, leaving enough space for projectionists to matte it to 1.85:1 widescreen. TV prints and video releases mostly present the movie with its full height, until The Criterion Collection also included two matted versions on their DVD and Blu-ray sets. Criterion's discs default to 1.66:1 widescreen — retaining more of the height than the 1.85:1 prints do — and include a "visual essay" comparing it to the other two aspect ratios.
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 On the Waterfront / int_4ef92d0b
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The Atoner
 On the Waterfront / int_4ef92d0b
comment
The Atoner: Terry is unwittingly used in Johnny Friendly's plot to kill Joey. Terry's guilt over causing Joey's death is what sets him on the path to fighting Friendly's malign criminal influence in the dockworker's union.
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 On the Waterfront / int_554063c6
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If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!
 On the Waterfront / int_554063c6
comment
If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him! : Terry is talked out of killing Friendly by Father Barry, who urges him to testify against Friendly instead.
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 On the Waterfront / int_5ce7dbb9
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Central Theme
 On the Waterfront / int_5ce7dbb9
comment
Central Theme: "Conscience, that stuff can drive you nuts".
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 On the Waterfront / int_5e032315
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One-Book Author
 On the Waterfront / int_5e032315
comment
One-Book Author: Thomas Handley, who played Terry Molloy's teenage friend Tommy, was hired by the production to feed the pigeons on set. His father, a longshoreman, had been blackballed for anti-union activities, and disappeared when Hanley was 4 months old. Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg had him audition for the role, and coaxed an angry response out of him by calling his father a rat. He was paid $500 for his role, but never really acted again. He went on to become a longshoreman, and in 2002 was elected recording secretary of his union after yet another corrupt leadership was ousted.
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 On the Waterfront / int_619985d7
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Sacrificial Lion
 On the Waterfront / int_619985d7
comment
Sacrificial Lion: Kayo Dugan's death, made to look like an "accident" at the docks, shows us what happens to anyone who stands up to Johnny Friendly and his goons. We saw this earlier with Joey's death, but unlike Joey who was killed off at the beginning, the audience gets to know Dugan.
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 On the Waterfront / int_63d861f8
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Even Evil Has Loved Ones
 On the Waterfront / int_63d861f8
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Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Charley The Gent is a murderous gangster and Friendly's right-hand man, but he does genuinely love his kid brother Terry, a love that gets him killed.
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 On the Waterfront / int_6439de78
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Heroic Sacrifice
 On the Waterfront / int_6439de78
comment
Heroic Sacrifice: Charley lets Terry out of the cab rather than delivering him to Friendly, knowing that his claim that he never found his brother wouldn't be believed. Shortly after, Terry finds Charley's body riddled with bullets and hanging from a longshoreman's hook.
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On the Waterfront / int_6439de78
 On the Waterfront / int_676e942c
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We Hardly Knew Ye
 On the Waterfront / int_676e942c
comment
We Hardly Knew Ye: We don't get to know much about Joey Doyle before he dies towards the beginning of the movie.
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 On the Waterfront / int_68cf9795
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Ironic Nickname
 On the Waterfront / int_68cf9795
comment
Ironic Nickname: Johnny Friendly's one of the good guys, right? Wrong.
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 On the Waterfront / int_707193f6
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Aloof Big Brother
 On the Waterfront / int_707193f6
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Aloof Big Brother: Charley. This veneer is probably caused by Charley's subconscious guilt over ruining Terry's boxing career, and it's shattered when Johnny tells him to kill Terry.
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 On the Waterfront / int_7464705c
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Arc Words
 On the Waterfront / int_7464705c
comment
Arc Words: The word "bum", usually spoken in regards to Terry.
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 On the Waterfront / int_7abba202
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The Faceless
 On the Waterfront / int_7abba202
comment
The Faceless: Mr. Upstairs is only seen briefly with his back to the camera.
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 On the Waterfront / int_7d89315b
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"The Reason You Suck" Speech
 On the Waterfront / int_7d89315b
comment
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: After Terry testified against Johnny Friendly, he finds himself alienated from his fellow dockworkers and unable to get work on the dock. He decides to confront Johnny himself on how much of a rotten crook he's been in front of the all the longshoremen.
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 On the Waterfront / int_7f0f19e5
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I Coulda Been a Contender!
 On the Waterfront / int_7f0f19e5
comment
I Coulda Been a Contender!: Trope Namer.
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 On the Waterfront / int_814356cb
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White-Dwarf Starlet
 On the Waterfront / int_814356cb
comment
White-Dwarf Starlet: Terry always regretted taking that dive.
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 On the Waterfront / int_8411ab92
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Red Oni, Blue Oni
 On the Waterfront / int_8411ab92
comment
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Terry and Father Barry respectively.
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 On the Waterfront / int_85557b38
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Reality Is Unrealistic
 On the Waterfront / int_85557b38
comment
Reality Is Unrealistic: Some people (including the people who do the commentary track for the DVD version) are fond of claiming that the film's one weak link is Father Barry. According to the critics, his didactic sermons and high moral tone sometimes stand in contrast with the naturalistic dialogue in the rest of the movie, and Karl Malden occasionally overplays the part by being sanctimonious and one-dimensional. What they seem not to realize is that, according to writer Bud Schulberg, about 80% of Barry's "unrealistic" "Sermon on the Docks" was taken from the speeches of the real-life waterfront priest Fr. John Corridan, S.J. Not only that, but Karl Malden lived with Fr. Corridan for several days before shooting (he purchased Corridan's hat and coat and wore them onscreen), and was specifically asked by Corridan not to play the character as "holier-than-thou", and therefore made deliberate efforts to tone it down.
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 On the Waterfront / int_85bb40b8
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Dramatic Timpani
 On the Waterfront / int_85bb40b8
comment
Dramatic Timpani: The soundtrack by Leonard Bernstein has the quiet title music followed by a pounding fugato for three drummers (though the third is actually on tuned drums rather than timpani).
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 On the Waterfront / int_868409c
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Broken Pedestal
 On the Waterfront / int_868409c
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Broken Pedestal: Terry looked up to his brother Charley, until he owned up to the fact that it was Charley who ruined his boxing career and that no good could come of Charley's gangster lifestyle.
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 On the Waterfront / int_86b21114
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Badass Boast
 On the Waterfront / int_86b21114
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Badass Boast: Father Barry vows to stand up for the workers against Johnny Friendly's goons as long as they're willing to stand up for themselves.
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 On the Waterfront / int_916c72b3
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Rule of Symbolism
 On the Waterfront / int_916c72b3
comment
Rule of Symbolism: Pigeons in the same family as doves — as in the symbol of peace and the symbol of urban infestation and white splotches on a car are basically cousins. They're certainly treated that way in this film. Joey Doyle, himself a saintly symbol of goodness and innocence, likes to keep pigeons as pets on the roof of the apartment building where he lives. This seems like a pleasant hobby...and it also shows us that Joey is a nurturing sort of guy. But the downside to being a pigeon — or Joey and that their easy prey. Johnny's gangsters shove Joey off a roof and, later, a kid named Jimmy kills all the pigeons in order to get back at Terry for snitching (Terry takes care of the pigeons after Joey dies). So, pigeons symbolize goodness and innocence, but also the vulnerability of being good and innocent. During one point in the film, Terry appropriately makes a hawk analogy to Edie (Joey's sister). Hawks are often prey for pigeons, and here the hawks are people like Johnny Friendly and Charley — predators — while the pigeons are defenseless good guys like Joey and Kayo Dugan. The pigeons just don't have big enough talons to defend themselves. Additionally, the phrase "stool pigeon" is synonymous with "police informer" which is what Joey, Kayo and Terry are. Crucifixion is also an important symbol in the film. Crucifixion is tied up with the death of Jesus, and the idea of sacrificing oneself for the greater good. And, in this film, Father Barry applies this symbol to Joey and Dugan, who've both been killed by Johnny's mob after word got out that they were planning on turning police informant. He references this in one of his peptalks to the remaining rebelers. Also, it's not just the villains committing them. It's the cowardice and indifference of bystanders. If the other longshoremen followed Joey's lead and turned against Johnny — who hadn't been helping them at all, anyway — Johnny wouldn't have stood a chance. Terry's act of courage at the movie's end finally shakes everyone out of their cowardice and makes them abandon Johnny together, once and for all. Terry goes from accidentally helping a murder at the beginning of the movie to being a symbol of redemption at the end. A pretty impressive character arc for a washed-up ex-boxer. After doing the right thing and testifying against Johnny, all he gets in return is a near-lethal beatdown. He doesn't even get medical treatment, not even from Edie and Father Barry, but they do give him encouragement to get back up and keep walking. By doing so, he's showing the world — and Johnny Friendly — that he's not beaten down. Additionally, if Terry walks into work, the other workers say they'll follow him, telling Johnny off once and for all. So, Terry makes it into the warehouse, and everyone follows him, leaving Johnny behind to rage and yell, stripped of his power. This scene is not only symbolic of the "hard road" of redemption, but of the movie as a whole. Kazan is basically distilling the entirety of the film down into a several-minute long scene. Because the whole movie was about a dude who has been beaten by life doing the hardest thing: getting up, dusting himself off, and doing the job that needs to be done. And that, in its most literal form, is what's happening in the last scene of the movie.
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 On the Waterfront / int_957e5fc2
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Villainous Breakdown
 On the Waterfront / int_957e5fc2
comment
Villainous Breakdown: Johnny Friendly at the end.
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 On the Waterfront / int_9591377d
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Heel Realization
 On the Waterfront / int_9591377d
comment
Heel Realization: What Terry goes through as he realizes what working for Friendly costs him. His turn also affects his brother Charley who tries to first talk and then threaten Terry not to testify. It takes Terry's "I coulda been a contender" speech to make Charley realize how he ruined his own brother's life, and he relents. Friendly kills Charley for it.
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On the Waterfront / int_9591377d
 On the Waterfront / int_95b7c400
type
Faux Affably Evil
 On the Waterfront / int_95b7c400
comment
Faux Affably Evil: Superficially at least, Johnny Friendly lives up to his nickname as long as you're loyal and unquestioningly obedient. The moment you even try to contradict or challenge him over anything, he drops the "friendly" facade.
 On the Waterfront / int_95b7c400
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_95b7c400
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_95b7c400
 On the Waterfront / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 On the Waterfront / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Johnny Friendly.
 On the Waterfront / int_970c790a
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_970c790a
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_970c790a
 On the Waterfront / int_973d220f
type
Never My Fault
 On the Waterfront / int_973d220f
comment
Never My Fault: Charley claims that Terry's trainer and manager ruined his career by pushing him too far too fast. In reality, of course, it was Charley (and Johnny Friendly) who ruined Terry's boxing career by pressuring him to throw a high profile fight so that they could win a lot of money by betting on Terry's less skilled opponent.
 On the Waterfront / int_973d220f
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_973d220f
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1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_973d220f
 On the Waterfront / int_9b06e314
type
Greater-Scope Villain
 On the Waterfront / int_9b06e314
comment
Greater-Scope Villain: The wealthy “Mr. Upstairs�, who Johnny Friendly is apparently employed by.
 On the Waterfront / int_9b06e314
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_9b06e314
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_9b06e314
 On the Waterfront / int_9bfb2f41
type
Dead Guy on Display
 On the Waterfront / int_9bfb2f41
comment
Dead Guy on Display: Towards the climax of the film, the corpse of Terry's brother Charlie is found strung up on a wall.
 On the Waterfront / int_9bfb2f41
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_9bfb2f41
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_9bfb2f41
 On the Waterfront / int_acecb17d
type
Chekhov's Skill
 On the Waterfront / int_acecb17d
comment
Chekhov's Skill: Terry's boxing skills from his past career come in handy when he's fighting Friendly in the dock and also helps him survive the beat down he got from Johnny and his guards.
 On the Waterfront / int_acecb17d
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_acecb17d
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_acecb17d
 On the Waterfront / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 On the Waterfront / int_ad1db87c
comment
Oh, Crap!: Kayo Dugan, right before he is crushed by a falling load of cargo.
 On the Waterfront / int_ad1db87c
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_ad1db87c
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_ad1db87c
 On the Waterfront / int_ae3d6438
type
Deadpan Snarker
 On the Waterfront / int_ae3d6438
comment
Deadpan Snarker: Kayo Dugan often makes sarcastic remarks about the basic rottenness of the way Johnny Friendly runs the union.
 On the Waterfront / int_ae3d6438
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_ae3d6438
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_ae3d6438
 On the Waterfront / int_b53077b3
type
Take That!
 On the Waterfront / int_b53077b3
comment
Take That!: Elia Kazan, infamous for the rest of his life for naming names on the HUAC committee, made this film to show his critics an informer in a positive-light... Which didn't have much of an effect, given that people were still protesting his choice when he won the Honorary Academy Award in 1999. What's ironic is that mob control of unions was actually aided and abetted by the very authorities Kazan testified to during the Cold War in order to break the back of Marxism in organized labor.
 On the Waterfront / int_b53077b3
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_b53077b3
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_b53077b3
 On the Waterfront / int_ba0d9b95
type
Doves Mean Peace
 On the Waterfront / int_ba0d9b95
comment
Doves Mean Peace: Joey likes to keep pigeons, which is used as Rule of Symbolism to highlight his saintly nature. However, Joey is shoved off a roof later in the film and his pigeons are killed by Jimmy (in a bid to get back at Terry for snitching), showing that while pigeons represent goodness and innocence, these traits are vulnerable to more violent characters.
 On the Waterfront / int_ba0d9b95
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_ba0d9b95
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_ba0d9b95
 On the Waterfront / int_ba112560
type
Throwing the Fight
 On the Waterfront / int_ba112560
comment
Throwing the Fight: "Kid, this ain't your night. We're going for the price on Wilson."
 On the Waterfront / int_ba112560
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_ba112560
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_ba112560
 On the Waterfront / int_bc3b029b
type
Impairment Shot
 On the Waterfront / int_bc3b029b
comment
Impairment Shot: Terry suffers from blurred vision during his staggering walk to the dock at the climax, after he's beaten by Johnny's goons.
 On the Waterfront / int_bc3b029b
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_bc3b029b
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_bc3b029b
 On the Waterfront / int_c2d04a04
type
Names to Trust Immediately
 On the Waterfront / int_c2d04a04
comment
Names to Trust Immediately: Inverted with the corrupt union boss Johnny Friendly.
 On the Waterfront / int_c2d04a04
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_c2d04a04
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_c2d04a04
 On the Waterfront / int_c40c8b74
type
And Starring
 On the Waterfront / int_c40c8b74
comment
And Starring: Eva Marie Saint gets an "and introducing" credit.
 On the Waterfront / int_c40c8b74
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_c40c8b74
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_c40c8b74
 On the Waterfront / int_c868a42a
type
Freudian Excuse
 On the Waterfront / int_c868a42a
comment
Freudian Excuse: Johnny Friendly claims something of the sort when he tells Terry that his hardscrabble, impoverished childhood entitles him to keep everything that he earned, regardless of what means he uses to "earn" it.
 On the Waterfront / int_c868a42a
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_c868a42a
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_c868a42a
 On the Waterfront / int_ce0722f8
type
Disappointing Older Sibling
 On the Waterfront / int_ce0722f8
comment
Disappointing Older Sibling: During the I Coulda Been a Contender! scene, Terry Malloy calls out his big brother Charley for not protecting him and undermining his boxing career.
 On the Waterfront / int_ce0722f8
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_ce0722f8
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_ce0722f8
 On the Waterfront / int_d03fc3f1
type
Good Shepherd
 On the Waterfront / int_d03fc3f1
comment
Good Shepherd: Father Barry.
 On the Waterfront / int_d03fc3f1
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_d03fc3f1
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_d03fc3f1
 On the Waterfront / int_d22a7df2
type
Troubled, but Cute
 On the Waterfront / int_d22a7df2
comment
Troubled, but Cute: Terry.
 On the Waterfront / int_d22a7df2
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_d22a7df2
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_d22a7df2
 On the Waterfront / int_d39e327f
type
What the Hell, Hero?
 On the Waterfront / int_d39e327f
comment
What the Hell, Hero?: Barry gives one to Terry for nearly giving into his anger and trying to off Friendly after he kills Charley.
 On the Waterfront / int_d39e327f
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_d39e327f
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1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_d39e327f
 On the Waterfront / int_d67e900a
type
Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job
 On the Waterfront / int_d67e900a
comment
Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: The very problem that inspires Terry to say "I Coulda Been a Contender!".
 On the Waterfront / int_d67e900a
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_d67e900a
featureConfidence
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 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_d67e900a
 On the Waterfront / int_dc955e66
type
Inspired by…
 On the Waterfront / int_dc955e66
comment
Inspired by…: "Crime on the Waterfront", a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of muckraking articles about, well, crime on the waterfront, written by Malcolm Johnson and published by The New York Sun in 24 installments throughout 1948.
 On the Waterfront / int_dc955e66
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_dc955e66
featureConfidence
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 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_dc955e66
 On the Waterfront / int_dcbe8a6e
type
Chekhov's Gunman
 On the Waterfront / int_dcbe8a6e
comment
Chekhov's Gunman: Father Barry, the town priest who starts off with a pretty minor role, later comes to Terry's aid and advises him to confess his accidental role in Joey's death to Joey’s sister Edie. Then after Johnny’s goons kill Charley, Father Barry becomes the one who talks Terry out of killing them.
 On the Waterfront / int_dcbe8a6e
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_dcbe8a6e
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_dcbe8a6e
 On the Waterfront / int_e2ccee25
type
Animal Motifs
 On the Waterfront / int_e2ccee25
comment
Animal Motifs: The entire move is a battle of John Friendly's Hawks vs the dock workers - pigeons. The beginning scene where Joey gets push off the roof. The Thugs (hawks) are on the roof top waiting for their prey - Joey the pigeon. Terry runs with the Hawks but is a pigeon from the onset. He raises pigeons, is seen several times in their cage or through the cage. On the dock the boss throws the tokens. All of the dock workers run after them bobbing up and down exactly the way pigeons go after seed when its thrown. Terry even gives a speech about the town having Hawks and going after pigeons. There several more examples throughout the movie.
 On the Waterfront / int_e2ccee25
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_e2ccee25
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_e2ccee25
 On the Waterfront / int_e4b69188
type
Very Loosely Based on a True Story
 On the Waterfront / int_e4b69188
comment
Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Terry Malloy's fight against corruption was in part modeled after whistle-blowing longshoreman Anthony DeVincenzo, who testified before a real-life Waterfront Commission about activities on the Hoboken Docks and suffered a degree of ostracism for his deed. DeVincenzo sued and settled, many years after, with Columbia Pictures over the appropriation of what he considered his story. DeVincenzo claimed to have recounted his story to screenwriter Budd Schulberg during a month-long session of waterfront barroom meetings. Schulberg attended DeVincenzo's waterfront commission testimony every day during the hearing.
 On the Waterfront / int_e4b69188
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_e4b69188
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1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_e4b69188
 On the Waterfront / int_e567510d
type
Determinator
 On the Waterfront / int_e567510d
comment
Determinator: Terry, barely alive after a brutal beating by Friendly's goons, wills himself to the front of the worker's line to demand he work that day in spite of Friendly's death threats.
 On the Waterfront / int_e567510d
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_e567510d
featureConfidence
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 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_e567510d
 On the Waterfront / int_f1492605
type
Redemption Equals Death
 On the Waterfront / int_f1492605
comment
Redemption Equals Death: Terry's able to make his older brother Charley regret costing him his boxing career, and grow a conscience after Terry tried to shoot him for not keeping quiet about the murders. Unfortunately, Friendly and his goons found out about this, and... guess what happens next.
 On the Waterfront / int_f1492605
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_f1492605
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_f1492605
 On the Waterfront / int_f4a8142d
type
Victorious Loser
 On the Waterfront / int_f4a8142d
comment
Victorious Loser: Johnny Friendly technically "wins" his fight against Terry, but he had to get a bunch of his goons to help him out. Terry managing to pull himself together and the dockworkers ignoring Johnny's impotent threats proves who really won in the end.
 On the Waterfront / int_f4a8142d
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_f4a8142d
featureConfidence
1.0
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_f4a8142d
 On the Waterfront / int_fea42091
type
Badass Preacher
 On the Waterfront / int_fea42091
comment
Badass Preacher: Father Barry. This guy punches former boxer Terry halfway across a room as Terry threatens people with a revolver, and in the final scene is ready to do the same to Friendly's goons. At the outset of the film, he's the only character willing to stand up to Friendly.
 On the Waterfront / int_fea42091
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_fea42091
featureConfidence
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 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
On the Waterfront / int_fea42091
 On the Waterfront / int_ff7f34c5
type
Pet the Dog
 On the Waterfront / int_ff7f34c5
comment
Pet the Dog: Terry's love of pigeons should be one of your first hints that he's a good guy. Also helps he talks to a few kids and is kind to them as well. This makes it worse when those same kids kill his birds simply because he testified against Friendly.
 On the Waterfront / int_ff7f34c5
featureApplicability
1.0
 On the Waterfront / int_ff7f34c5
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 On the Waterfront
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On the Waterfront / int_ff7f34c5
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ItemName
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On the Waterfront / int_name
 On the Waterfront / int_name
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On the Waterfront

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 OntheWaterfront
sameAs
On the Waterfront
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Badass Preacher / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Crucial Cross / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Doves Mean Peace / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Dramatic Timpani / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Good Shepherd / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Irish Priest / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
My Greatest Second Chance / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Names to Trust Immediately / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Open Matte / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
Plot-Triggering Death / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
The '50s / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
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Throwing the Fight / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
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Unions Suck / int_29d9986a
 On the Waterfront
hasFeature
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies / int_29d9986a