On The Waterfront

Tom

Mrs. Burgess

Enriched English 10

26 November 2007

On the Waterfront: A Lesson on Class

“You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.” Oh, if only Mr. Brando knew how wrong he was. These lines, now immortalized in the film On the Waterfront, show no foresight into Marlon Brando’s later success in his acting career and the overall prosperity and excellence of the movie. Where other mob dramas before its time fail, On the Waterfront thrives and is able to depict a truly gripping story of the fall from grace of an ex-boxer turned mobster and the woman who helps him take down the corrupt organization from which he had come. On the Waterfront seems to take the best from all aspects of the movie industry and fuse them together into an experience that can only be described as “explosively eurphoic”. Whether it be Marlon Brando’s superb acting ability that, like an international ring of theater robbers, captures the audience and never lets go, Elia Kazan’s suspenseful and real directing style, or Leonard Bernstein’s over-the-top dramatic and heart-pounding score, On the Waterfront dominates every element of the art of cinema. As a result, this masterpiece creates a true delight for the viewer and is now widely regarded as the golden standard for both movies of that era and now.

Perhaps the most obvious and central theme in On the Waterfront is the struggle between good and evil; altruism and egoism. Terry Malloy, played by Marlon Brando, best exemplifies this theme. At the beginning of the film, Malloy is in cahoots with the mob and assists in the murder of Joey Doyle, Edie’s brother, who was planning to testify against Johnny Friendly, the mob leader and the source of evil in this film. This clearly demonstrates the doctrine of egoism: that Terry’s interests are more important than equal treatment for all dock workers, as the mob control the workers union. However, after learning about Joey Doyle and how the community reacts to the incident, Terry starts to question the ethicality of his actions. This gradual transition to altruism is furthered by Father Barry and Edie and their impact on Terry. Edie, the altruistic beacon of light in On the Waterfront, slowly convinces Terry that one has a greater responsibility to their community with lines such as “Shouldn’t everyone care about everyone else?”, but perhaps the final straw that finally forces Terry to end this injustice is when his brother, Charley, is murdered by the mob for not turning Terry over to them. Terry finally snaps and sets out to take down the institution which has caused him and the other workers so much pain. He testifies against them and is able to bring Johnny Friendly’s illegal actions into the spotlight in order to fulfill his responsibility to the workers. But the struggle between altruism and egoism finally climaxes at the boatyard between Terry and Johnny Friendly’s gang. Johnny and his goons absolutely pulverize Terry in front of all the dock workers, believing that they have won the war. However, much to their avail, the dock workers revolt and throw Johnny Friendly into the water after they see that Terry is able to stand, thus demonstrating altruism’s victory over egoism.

However, Elia Kazan may have thrown some of his own bias into the film. For example, just look at the static point of view throughout the movie. The viewer only gets to see the events from Terry and Edie’s eyes. As a result, Johnny Friendly and the other mobsters are cast in a very negative light and everything Edie or Terry does is automatically assumed to be “right” or “good”. This could just be because it was the cliché thing to do at the time, but it could also represent Elia’s preference of altruism over egoism. This bias carries into the many symbols that Elia uses in the film. Edie best demonstrates Elia’s bias with her fluorescently blonde hair, which comes off as white on the screen. This could demonstrate that Edie’s altruistic views are “holy” or “light”, which is furthered by the fact that Edie is training to be a nun. However, if one looks at the other side of the struggle, egoism, there are many clear negative symbols. For example, Charley Malone, Terry’s brother, is killed by the mob, or egoism. This is represented by the manner in which Terry finds him: hanging from a hook that is used at the dock where the mob works. Clearly, Elia uses both symbols and point-of-view to express his belief on the struggle between altruism and egoism.

One of the many areas of the cinema that On The Waterfront excels in is acting. But, of course, with two powerhouses like Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint, how can it not? Much like the rhinoceros and tick bird, Brando and Saint play off of one another beautifully to create something that is mutually beneficial. Saint’s light and good girl attitude creates a wonderful contrast to Brando’s icy cold “tough guy” façade and helps the viewer appreciate the ongoing struggle. Perhaps the best scene in the entire film is the bar scene where Brando and Saint are able to remove themselves from other actors and truly show what they can do together. Just by viewing that lone scene, one can fully appreciate the entire struggle that is taking place. Of course, the debate between egoism and altruism has its not so subtle extremes too, exemplified by Karl Malden as Father Barry and Lee J. Cobb as Johnny Friendly. While Eva Marie Saint plays the more conservative and refined altruistic guide, Malden is able to let loose and go crazy with passion. Malden gives fiery speeches and takes action against the mob bosses, as opposed to Saint, who takes a more diplomatic stance on the issue. On the other side, Cobb takes the stereotypical “bad-guy” image to the extreme. By the end of the film, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he picked up a puppy and started sucking its blood. In addition, Cobb may have been an important tool in helping Kazan express his thoughts on the theme. Johnny Friendly is often more evil than necessary in order to get the viewer to see the greed and destruction that lie in egoism. There is much more to each character than there appears on the surface.

In addition to this fantastic acting, Kazan employs a variety of lighting styles that are able to truly define the mood for a scene. For example, in the scene in the beginning of the film where we are first introduced to Johnny Friendly, Kazan makes the entire scene very dark, with a small overhead light shining partially on Terry. This may be in part because it is a bar, but because of Kazan’s constant hinting at theme throughout the movie, it is extremely plausible that he is using light and shadow to demonstrate his tendency to favor altruism and cast egoism “in a negative light”, literally. However, on the other hand, in scenes that feature Edie, Kazan is always sure to make her illuminated and almost seem holy or divine, such as in the scene where Edie and Terry attend the wedding. In doing this, Kazan exposes his bias yet again, as Edie represents altruism. Clearly, both acting and lighting play a huge part in On the Waterfront’s success.

To complement the many other areas of film that On the Waterfront perfects, Kazan absolutely dominates the cinematic aspects of film, and when coupled with a deep and engaging story, helps the movie become a true masterpiece. Kazan is able to “feel” the story, so to speak, and as a result, creates a directing style that is visually exhilarating. One of the many surprisingly stimulating scenes is when Terry first meets Edie in the park. Although most directors would only capture the mundane and sappy walk together, Kazan is able to capture the terrific and exhilarating shoreline in the background. In doing so, Kazan hints that although Terry and Edie may be falling madly in love, they are still part of a bigger community and there is still a war to be fought. Many directors, on the other hand, would only use close-ups of the couple and turn an emotionally moving story into a sappy love drama. In addition to this unique and innovative take on a scene, Kazan demonstrates his mastery of the art of cinema in the scene on the docks where Dugan is killed by Friendly’s men. Father Barry and Pop Doyle rise out of the cargo hold of ship on a crane that is used to hoist crates, but this is not what is original. What is captivating is the way Kazan shoots this, with a low angle, from the viewpoint of the other workers. In this shot, Father Barry and Pop Doyle appear like saviors, rising from the ashes and ascending above the mob and workers, demonstrating altruism’s victory over egoism, Terry’s victory over Friendly. However, these shots would be lost and meaningless if there was not a powerful score to back it up and boy is there ever. Leonard Bernstein does not disappoint and delivers a selection of music that feels as if the power of a ban hammer has been released into sound waves and has ascended into your spiral ganglion. Just one of the many scenes where Bernstein’s music plays a crucial part in setting the tone is the scene right before Charley talks to Terry during the cab ride. As Charley exits the mob meeting house, loud, angry brass and the tenor drum blast out syncopated rhythms that throw the viewer off balance, yet at the same time, foreshadow the coming confrontation. By simply hearing the heavy music, one can imply that something big, dangerous, and plot changing is going to go down. Truly, Elia Kazan’s and Leonard Bernstein’s work supplement each other to round off this amazing piece of art.

Although seemingly removed from each other, All My Sons and On the Waterfront share many of the same characteristics and underlying themes. The strongest connection between the books is between Terry Malloy and Joe Keller. Both demonstrate changes from caring only about themselves and believing in egoism, to shifting over to altruism after seeing the devastating effects that egoism can have. Terry starts out in cahoots with the mob and receiving the benefits of selfishness, but after witnessing the death of Joey Doyle and the later murder of his brother, Charley Malloy, Terry realizes the error in his ways. After talking to Edie and Father Barry and learning about the crimes that the mob has perpetrated, Terry is finally convinced that he has a responsibility to society and wellbeing of his fellow man, as well as himself, and sets out to take down egoism in favor of altruism. This almost directly mirrors Joe Keller from All My Sons. At the beginning of the novel, Joe Keller, although he feels badly about what he did to Steve Deever, believes that he has a greater obligation to his family and his own prosperity than what is deemed right or wrong by society. As a result, he allows fractured cylinder heads for airplanes to go through to the army and 21 pilots die due to the error. This, combined with the fact that his son, Larry, killed himself after learning of his father’s involvement in the deaths, and that his other son, Chris, cannot forgive him for what he has done and refuses to accept his money, forces Joe to see the error in his ways. In one of Joe’s last lines before succumbing to his incredible guilt and killing himself, he utters, “Sure, he was my son. But I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were, I guess they were” (170). In this quote, Joe realizes that although he may have an obligation to support his biological sons, he also must do what is best for the community because, in a sense, they are all part of his family. Although both protagonists come from extremely different backgrounds and are placed in dissimilar plot lines, they both share the transition from egoism to altruism.

On the Waterfront is often referred to as one of the greatest American films of all time, a title that is well deserved in the mind of this reviewer. On the Waterfront does something that not many films are able to do to: it dominates every aspect of the art of film. The plot is captivating, the cinematography is breath-taking, the acting is top-notch, and the score is heart-pounding. There is absolutely nothing to not like about this film. It truly has something for everyone and can grab even the pickiest of movie goers. The deep thinker can dive right into the thick and complex plot, the film buff can analyze the way Kazan works the camera and fully appreciate his skill, and the music student can sit back close his eyes, and let Leonard Bernstein’s magical score fill his ears with expertly crafted sound. However, I would not recommend this film to everyone. Some adults may find the themes and actions in this movie too strong or mature for young children, so in that case, there would be an exception. Other than tots and tykes, everyone should go see this film. It is truly one of those pieces that redefines film making for all generations to come.

Outside Reading, Week 3, Post B

I think I am finally beginning to understand why Khaled Hosseini dedicated this book "to Haris and Farah, both the noor of my eyes, and to the women of Afghanistan". After a little research, I found that Haris and Farah are his son and daughter, respectively, and that Hosseini is a goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency. In addition, I found that Hosseini was living in Afghanistan during the time of the Soviet invasion and the following war, which explains why his novel is set in that time period. Because of all these things, Hosseini was able to see first-hand the abuse and mistreatment that women suffered during that time period and even today in parts of the Middle East.
For example, let's look at Mariam. She is a bastard child who is forced to live out in the country with her demented and outcast mother and visited very seldomly by a father who doesn't even love her. Eventually, her mother dies and Mariam becomes old enough to marry off and is given to the highest bidder who only wants her to cook, clean, and reproduce. Needless to say, Mariam's situation is not the typical childhood that an American girl would expect. However, this process is far too common in the Middle East. Hosseini, being the worldly and experienced man that he is, saw this and believed that this injustice must be exposed. Hosseini tells the story from Mariam's point of view and lets us see her thoughts so we can empathize with her. In doing this, Hosseini exposes one of the many forms of abuse that women in the Middle East endure everyday and in turn, lives up to his dedication.

Outside Reading, Week 3, Post A

Vocab
waylaid (137) - to lie in wait for and attack from ambush

perfunctory (129) - performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial

Figurative Language
"She would never leave her mark on Mammy's heart the way her brothers had, because Mammy's heart was like a pallid beach where Laila's footprints would forever wash away beneath the waves of sorrow that swelled and crashed, swelled and crashed." (130)

In this passage, Laila uses as similie to compare her mother's heart to a beach with waves the continually wash away footprints. Laila's brothers have just been killed in the war and Mammy is absolutely devastated. She cared more about her sons than she did about Laila. So, while Laila tries to live up to the expectations left by her brothers, she can never please Mammy. Because of these constant attempts and failures that are seemingly forgotten by Mammy, Laila compares her Mammy's heart to a beach with waves that also wash away and forget.

" The two Buddhas were enormous, soaring much higher than she had imagined from all the photos she'd seen of them. Chiseled into a sun-bleached rock cliff, they peered down at them, as they had nearly two thousand years before..." (133)

In this excerpt, Laila, her father, Babi, and her friend, Tariq, take a road trip to ruins in the mountains of Afghanistan. When they first arrive, Laila is overwhelmed by the massiveness and life-like appearance of the statues at the ruins. So, Laila uses personification to describe the statues in the line "they peered down at them", giving them human characteristics despite being inanimate.

"Mammy was now the curator of their lives' museum and she, Laila, a mere visitor." (128)

After Laila's brother's pass away, Mammy becomes extremely depressed and spends most of her days in bed, reminiscing about all the times she had with her sons. Laila uses a metaphor to say that Mammy is now the "curator of their lives' museum", meaning that Mammy is now consumed with talking about her sons. However, Laila is "a mere visitor", meaning that Mammy is overlooking her and neglecting her needs.

Quote

"They both laughed, but briefly, nervously, this time. And when the film ended and they stepped outside, Laila was relieved to see that the sky had dimmed, that she wouldn't have to meet Tariq's eyes in the bright daylight." (142)

I felt that this quote both a) summarizes Tariq and Laila's awkward relationship very nicely and b) hints that there may be more to come between them. The author has been hinting at this the whole section and I feel that this chapter may be leading into something larger.

Theme

After reading about Laila's brother's deaths and the way Mammy reacted to them, I feel that the current theme is "While it is good to mourn and remember, you must move on". Mammy is too caught up on her sons and as a result, continually neglects Laila. Laila realizes this and begs her mother to move on, but she can't and suffers because of it.

Outside Reading, Week 2, Post B

Wow. Just wow. Mariam, you take so much crap, yet you do nothing about it? This is getting absolutely ridiculous. After being lied to by your father and being sold into marriage with a man who only wants you for your cooking skills, you still are submissive to a man's will? You need to man up and act like you have a pair (even though biologically speaking, you don't). You are the best wife that you can be. Despite being abused every day and essentially being forced into slavery, you still strive to cook the best meals possible and keep the house tidy. Why? Does Rasheed ever notice? No, he is an arrogant and unlovable husband. He simply nitpicks everything that you do and then takes advantage of you at every opportunity. And then, on top of all of this, he claims that he is "old-fashioned" and makes you wear a burqa, yet he flirts with other women in the city and looks at porn! How do you put up with this? He doesn't deserve you.
Probably the worst offense that Rasheed has committed was accusing you of ruining your son. How dare he! It was not your fault in anyway that you had a miscarriage. Rasheed is just a generally negative person and is taking it out on you. He is not only assaulting you, but the entire female gender.
However, throughout all of this abuse, there is a lesson to take away. Despite having fewer possessions and lower quality of life with Nana, you were still happier than you are with Rasheed. Nana cared for you and loved you and tried her best to provide for you, but all you did was reject her and claim that you wanted more possessions. But now that you have all these possessions, you realize that it was your family that gave you happiness, not items. I guess the moral would be "The grass isn't always greener on the other side. In fact, sometimes it's brown."

-Tom

Outside Reading, Week 2, Post A

Vocab
disheveled (90) - hanging loosely or in disorder; unkempt

sustenance (87) - means of sustaining life; nourishment.

Figurative Language
"This man's will felt to Mariam as imposing and immovable as the Safid-koh mountains looming over Gul Daman." (64)

Although this reference is pretty obscure to most Western readers, one is able to see to what Hosseini is implying. Mariam's marriage to Rasheed is clearly awkward and loveless and as result, Mariam both fears and hates Rasheed. In this excerpt Mariam is comparing Rasheed's will to large and immovable objects, the Safid-koh mountains, using a simile.

"And the burqa, she learned to her surprise, was also comforting...like a one-way window." (66)

In this passage, Mariam tries on a burqa for the first time. Although she was scared of it at first, it grows on her, as she enjoys the privacy. For this reason, she compares her burqa to a one-way window using a simile.

"She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world." (82)

At this time in the book, Mariam is experiencing her first snowfall away from Nana. She is reminded of this quote by Nana in which she compares each snowflake to the sighs of aggrieved women using a metaphor. Nana doesn't mean that each snowflake is literally "a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman", but rather, she uses snow to represent the large number of women who endure hardships.

Quote
"'Good,' Rasheed said. His cheeks were quivering. 'Now you know what your rice tastes like. Now you know what you've given me in this marriage. Bad food, and nothing else.' Then he was gone, leaving Mariam to spit out pebbles, blood, and the fragments of two broken molars" (94)

After Mariam continually fails to produce a child, Rasheed is fed up and makes her chew on pebbles. I felt that this was significant because up until now, their relationship had just been strained, but not violent. However, now Rasheed may be abusing Mariam, which could shift the focus of the story completely.

Theme
Up until the very last page where Rasheed abuses Mariam, I would say that the book changed to a theme of the potential for good behind every setback. Mariam was beginning to fit into her life with Rasheed and although their relationship was strained, she had a stable life. However, with that very last quote, the theme of the book may be shifting entirely.

Life mimics vocab!

Here

Lol, vainglorious.

Outside Reading, Week 1, Post B

Ouch, that's gotta hurt! I mean, seriously, that is just downright inhumane what Jalil did to Mariam. Throughout her childhood, Jalil led Mariam on, convincing her that he loved her and that it was her no-good mother who was lying to her. Whenever Nana, Mariam's mother, would say something bad about Jalil, Jalil would simply counter it and Mariam would believe it because Jalil treated her so nice. But, now, once the truth has come out that Jalil actually sees Mariam as a disgrace, Mariam is crushed. Her whole life has been turned upside down: her mother is dead, her father doesn't love her, and now she is being forced into marriage by Jalil.
Unlike in The Glass Castle, Mariam doesn't really have anything to live for. She has no discernible talents, family, or place to go. She is simply stranded with strangers who are unloving and selfish. Mariam seems like a nice enough girl; it's just that she was brought into the wrong social class in the wrong matter. Mariam is viewed as scum: the result of a scandalous and ugly affair between Jalil and Nana. However, even though she seems to have no hope for the future, I believe that Mariam still has potential. Mariam is loving, proactive, and somewhat intelligent, and those three things will get her pretty far in life. I realize that she is trapped in an oppressive and suffocating environment, but she has to plow forward in order to reach something better. Her situation reminds me of a Winston Churchill quote: "If you're going through hell, keep going". Mariam, listen, I realize how dire your situation may seem, but you must keep pushing forward. You still have Mullah Faizullah, your spiritual guide and true father figure. All is not lost.

Outside Reading, Week 1, Post A

YAY NEW BOOK!
This quarter I am reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

Vocab
woebegone (35): beset with woe; affected by woe, esp. in appearance.

amiable (40): having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qualities; affable

Figurative Language
"Mariam always stood in the doorway and watched him exit the clearing, deflated at the thought of the week that stood, like an immense, immovable object, between her and his next visit." (22)

This passage demonstrates the use of a simile in the line "...the week that stood, like an immense, immovable object". Mariam is comparing the week between Jalil's visits to an immense, immovable object because Jalil is the only source of happiness in Mariam's life at the time.

"Mariam remembered him telling her that on the screen a human face looked as big as a house, that when a car crashed up there you felt the metal twisting in your bones." (25)

This excerpt demonstrates the use of an hyperbole in the line "...when a car crashed up there you felt the metal twisting in your bones." Jalil didn't actually meant that one could feel metal twisting in their bones, but rather that the image and sound appeared very lifelike.

"A gust of wind blew and parted the drooping branches of the weeping willow like a curtain, and Mariam caught a glimpse of what was beneath the tree: the straight-backed chair, overturned." (34)

In this passage, the author compares the way the wind blew the weeping willow branches to the way a curtain opens using a simile. I feel that that author used the word "curtain" rather than another similar word to also represent Mariam's future revealed unto her: her mother had hung herself (revealed by the swaying branches) and now Mariam had to live with her father, Jalil, who was also revealed to be a liar.

Quote
"One afternoon, a week later, there was a knock on the door, and a tall woman walked in. She was fair-skinned, had reddish hair, and long fingers.
'I'm Afsoon,' she said. 'Niloufar's mother. WHy don't you wash up, Mariam, and come downstairs?'
Mariam said she would rather stay in her room.
'No, na fahmidi, you don't understand. You need to come down. We have to talk to you. It's important." (41)

This quote comes later in the reading, after Mariam has moved in with Jalil and his family. Mariam is treated as an unwanted visitor and stays in her room all day. However, this disturbance in the natural order of things and the urgency of the dialogue indicates that there is going to be a major change in Mariam's life.

Theme
Right now, the novel seems to have a very pessimistic theme. Mariam lived with her mother and loved her very much, but then after going into the city (against her word), her mother killed herself. Also, Mariam always viewed Jalil as a source of joy in her gloomy life and saw him as the type of man she wanted to marry. However, it is revealed to her that Jalil is a liar and a crook and in fact, does not love Mariam. So, I'd say that the theme is "Do not attach yourself to anyone or anything, because you will only be betrayed".