On the Waterfront
“On the Waterfront” is a film that follows Terry Malloy’s life at the docks. He is a man who once dreamt of becoming a fighter, but now lives on the docks working for Johnny Friendly. Johnny Friendly is the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder committed by Friendly’s thug, but refuses to talk. Later in the film, he meets the murdered man’s sister and develops a crush on her. After befriending her and a local priest, Terry Malloy starts to feel a deep sense of regret and wants to speak against Johnny Friendly.
Overall, the film was a pretty compelling drama film. I enjoy the black and white aspect to the film. I found myself agreeing with Mr. Manriquez, in that the film would not be better in color. The situation the men that are living on the docks face is a very bleek and grim one. The black and white reflects that. No sunny days, no bright colors, etc. The film is also very atmospheric. They make you remember that this place in the docks, such as when you hear the boats in one of the men’s conversation.
I saw many techniques used throughout the film, but the most common ones were the medium shots and close ups. There were also long shots, and they did a great job of providing a good sense of the environment they lived in. There were also a lot of straight cut transitions.
