... or it doesn't. This movie is considered a classic, but it may not appeal to as broad an audience as it once did. Unfortunately, I ended being part of the group that it did not really appeal to. As ground-breaking and artful as this movie may have been, to me, most of the elements were too commonplace by today's standards to be enjoyable.
The movie is about a dockworker (Brando) who witnesses a murder of a fellow worker who was going to testify against the mob. The mob, as it turns out, runs the docking business on the waterfront. Brando's character was comfortable playing "deaf and dumb" to the murder until he meets and falls for the murdered man's sister. Add in a priest that weighs heavily on his conscience, and you can see where the movie is headed.
The ideas involving whistle-blowing, inner moral conflict and even corrupt bosses vs. innocent laborers have been pretty well played out do date ... so as powerful as they once may have been, they are not quite as effective to a modern viewer.
Brando's performance was clearly good and will forever stand the test of time. The way he moves, speaks and even communicates through his body-language is impressive. We can perceive his conflict and struggle through his mannerisms and the delivery of his words. Good as his performance was, it was not quite enough to make up for the familiarity of the plot.
Because this movie is so well respected and celebrated, the prudent thing to say is to check the movie and see what you think. My rating only reflects the fact that it's not an automatic win in everyone's book; my guess is that you'll know in the first 15 minutes if this movie is going to appeal to you.
The movie is about a dockworker (Brando) who witnesses a murder of a fellow worker who was going to testify against the mob. The mob, as it turns out, runs the docking business on the waterfront. Brando's character was comfortable playing "deaf and dumb" to the murder until he meets and falls for the murdered man's sister. Add in a priest that weighs heavily on his conscience, and you can see where the movie is headed.
The ideas involving whistle-blowing, inner moral conflict and even corrupt bosses vs. innocent laborers have been pretty well played out do date ... so as powerful as they once may have been, they are not quite as effective to a modern viewer.
Brando's performance was clearly good and will forever stand the test of time. The way he moves, speaks and even communicates through his body-language is impressive. We can perceive his conflict and struggle through his mannerisms and the delivery of his words. Good as his performance was, it was not quite enough to make up for the familiarity of the plot.
Because this movie is so well respected and celebrated, the prudent thing to say is to check the movie and see what you think. My rating only reflects the fact that it's not an automatic win in everyone's book; my guess is that you'll know in the first 15 minutes if this movie is going to appeal to you.