On the Waterfront by Elia Kazan - Text Analysis Essay
Terry says to Charley: “ I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum. Which is what I am.” Does the film support Terry’s judgment of himself?
Elia Kazan’s film, “On the Waterfront”, tells the story of a washed up ex-boxer named Terry Malloy and his fight against the organised crime syndicate controlling the shipping docks of Hoboken, New Jersey in 1954, but more importantly, according to Kazan himself: “This motion picture is about one thing only: a young man who has let his dignity slip away, and regains it.” Under Kazan’s direction, a variety of filming techniques and repeated symbols and motifs are carefully utilised to constantly support Terry’s self-perception throughout the film. However, it is this judgement of himself which evolves as a result of his profound development in both his character and his conviction to act upon his underlying moral values during the course of the film; from a lazy, insignificant “bum”, to a “somebody” who is respected for the sacrifices which he makes on behalf of his community. This transformation is not entirely self-induced, but rather brought on by a number of factors including his unwitting participation in Joey Doyle’s murder, his growing relationship and often intimate interactions with Edie, and Father Barry’s pressing care and Catholic influence.
In the beginning of the film, Kazan reveals Terry as lazy, selfish and insignificant, and due to the way he is treated by others in the community, Terry also believes himself to be nothing more than a “bum”. Since he is no longer his own man, but rather a mere pawn for Friendly to take advantage of, Terry is even held in a lower regard than the homeless man outside the church who refuses his charity and calls him a bum. Through this event, Kazan supports Terry’s negative self-perception by suggesting that despite the guarantee of security and money that comes with being loyal to Friendly’s mob, even the life of an impoverished beggar is
Elia Kazan’s film, “On the Waterfront”, tells the story of a washed up ex-boxer named Terry Malloy and his fight against the organised crime syndicate controlling the shipping docks of Hoboken, New Jersey in 1954, but more importantly, according to Kazan himself: “This motion picture is about one thing only: a young man who has let his dignity slip away, and regains it.” Under Kazan’s direction, a variety of filming techniques and repeated symbols and motifs are carefully utilised to constantly support Terry’s self-perception throughout the film. However, it is this judgement of himself which evolves as a result of his profound development in both his character and his conviction to act upon his underlying moral values during the course of the film; from a lazy, insignificant “bum”, to a “somebody” who is respected for the sacrifices which he makes on behalf of his community. This transformation is not entirely self-induced, but rather brought on by a number of factors including his unwitting participation in Joey Doyle’s murder, his growing relationship and often intimate interactions with Edie, and Father Barry’s pressing care and Catholic influence.
In the beginning of the film, Kazan reveals Terry as lazy, selfish and insignificant, and due to the way he is treated by others in the community, Terry also believes himself to be nothing more than a “bum”. Since he is no longer his own man, but rather a mere pawn for Friendly to take advantage of, Terry is even held in a lower regard than the homeless man outside the church who refuses his charity and calls him a bum. Through this event, Kazan supports Terry’s negative self-perception by suggesting that despite the guarantee of security and money that comes with being loyal to Friendly’s mob, even the life of an impoverished beggar is