On The Waterfront

How to even start writing about a film as widely regarded as a classic as this one? I watched it because of the line in Lloyd Cole's "Rattlesnakes" and didn't particularly expect to enjoy it, but found myself gripped by the movie in its own right. Somehow, the canonical nature of this film, and the Kazan/House Un-American Activities Committee back story, and the endless parodies of the film didn't detract from the experience, because, I'm convinced, On The Waterfront really is a great film. Through these modern eyes, it attains that greatness by paying attention to all of the basics of film-making, and doing them nigh on perfectly - the screenplay and characterisation is wonderfully taut and economical (there isn't a single superfluous scene or unnecessary shot) while still being very rich, the acting is uniformly compelling (Brando, Saint and Rod Steiger are all perfect - Brando tough yet vulnerable, brilliantly conveying his internal struggle between the dictates of conscience and self-interest, Saint luminous and Steiger conflicted and tragic - though Father Barry came across as a bit stagey), and while it's shot in a realistic style, the unavoidable hints of stylisation only add to the sense of the largeness of the film's subject...it makes for a powerful whole - as much now, I think, as in 1954.