Where do I start? Possibly the best week of films I've had in a long time. In the Heat of the Night--excellent. Other than A Fistful of Dynamite, it was my only Rod Steiger film I'd seen, and he is absolutely fantastic in it, as is Sidney Poitier. A must-see that tackles racism as well as an intriguing crime. I started my Kubrick boxset off with Lolita, and what a start it was. Brilliant; despite lacking in purpose at times, the acting is a treat throughout. After Lolita, I watched Dr. Strangelove for the first time: it would definitely be my Film of the Week, but for the fact that I will be reviewing it in the next few weeks anyway, for the MFA Top 100. David Lynch's The Grandmother is a for-fans-only film; far too bizarre to be enjoyed, but a fine example of the disturbance which would later overshadow the director's (brilliant) work; Twin Peaks, the feature-length pilot for the show, got another viewing, as did Finding Nemo and 2001: A Space Odyssey, which, after two viewings, enters my four stars elité. And last night, on BBC4, there was The Sorrow and the Pity, a four-hour-long documentary about the German Occupation in France during the Second World War, after which I stopped up ('til four in the AM) watching Lacombe, Lucien and The Last Metro; all three are highly recommended French films. This afternoon I immensely enjoyed Falling in Love, which puts expert players into a plot with little substance.
On the Waterfront
Before this, I hadn't seen an Elia Kazan film, nor one starring Lee J. Cobb, or the rest of the cast for that matter; Brando's excellence was only previously available to me via The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. I always tend to avoid in-depth reviews of such films, as it normally precedes my viewing and its overall impact is thus lessened. So, with little known about On the Waterfront other than the players involved and rough outline of the plot (thanks to references in films such as Pulp Fiction), you can imagine the force with which this hit me.
Brando is a good place to start; his "Method" was, at the time, revolutionary in cinema, and since, as a result, we have been treated to such legends as De Niro, Pacino, Nicholson et al, who grew their careers in the wake of Brando's changing of acting forever. The character of Terry Malloy is superbly played in capturing the audience's sympathy, empathy and attention. And, after watching this after being used to seeing the padded-cheeked Don Vito, it comes as a surprise that we don't really notice that Malloy is acted by Brando. Malloy is Malloy, and nobody else, utterly convincing as the ex-prize fighter who, through his love for the sister of someone in whom's death he played a role, finds his own conscience and learns to stand up for newfound principles. Staying on acting: after watching Steiger in the Heat of the Night, I was a little disappointed to see so much little screen-time from him in this--but his acting is flawless once he gets on screen. Cobb, as the general consensus seems to be, is totally believable as the bad guy, in an awesome performance. And, after reading a few reviews after seeing it, I am surprised at the lack of attention Karl Malden as the priest gets for his performance; for me, he perhaps is the secret weapon of this film's fantastic arsenal of treats.
The direction goes without saying; brilliant, and perfectly capturing the mood of the docks. This is not a glamorous place. This is not, as the Hollywood of the time liked to show, a legitimate place run fairly. The waterfront is, in all its fog, steam and harshness, a grim place to work, and Kazan depicts the dodgy dealings perfectly.
Boris Kaufman's cinematography, which won one of the film's eight Oscars (the others, incidentally, went to writer Budd Schulberg, Elia Kazan's directing, art director Richard Day, Brando, Eva Marie Saint and Gene Milford for editing, and the Best Picture award itself) gives the film it's timelessness; with its semi-documentary style, the film could have been made in the seventies or eighties instead of 1954.
Controversial in its unconventional depiction of the illegal rackets atthe time, On the Waterfront stands today as an undoubted masterpiece. A tense, exciting melodrama with a unique flair of authenticity; much imitated and seldom surpassed, the directing, acting and photography are all notable highlights.
8.5/10
****
#59
Up next week, the (likely) contenders for Film of the Week are: Cape Fear (both versions), Ben-Hur, Boyz N The Hood, Don't Look Now, Blow, Zulu, Leaving Las Vegas and possibly more (or less, if Idon't get round to watching them).
Mick
