1. ‘There’s one thing we have in this country, and that’s ways of fighting back.’ How does On the Waterfront explore the power of the individual? Elia Kazan’s film, On The Waterfront, demonstrates the extent to which a corrupt group can eliminate the rights of a town, yet empower an individual to make a change. Set in 1954, the film portrays the realism of desperation and corruption in the city of Hoboken, New Jersey. The opening scenes of On the Waterfront outline the intense control the mob have over the workers at the Waterfront.
In the end it was not only Charley’s death but Father Barry and Edie’s moral persuasion that helped Terry find himself again, follow his own beliefs and destroy Johnny Friendly with the truth. It is Edie’s love which encourages Terry to alter the choices he makes which motivates him to tell her the truth. Terry had a troubled childhood with the sisters because they didn’t “care enough”. Edie
Originally we as the audience are positioned to see Terry as a segregated ‘nobody’ mainly through camera angles and different costumes. Throughout the film we see Terry not quite realize only he can rid himself of his role as a wharfie ‘bum’, not until Terry gets Joey Doyle’s jacket passed onto him do we see him step up against the mob and strip himself from the title of a bum and finally become a ‘somebody’. Terry Malloy, ex-boxer, now a waterfront ‘bum’, whose weak compliance with the ‘mob’ within the opening scenes and through Kazan’s film techniques show the audience the continuation of Terry’s fall from grace as a prize fighter. Within the opening scene Terry’s segregation is shown through the contrast of costumes worn by the characters in the shot, ‘mob’ members wearing rich suits compared to Terry’s tattered, checkered jacket, this costume choice also straight away shows the audience that Terry isn’t as well off and perfectly fits his role of a wharfie bum. The ‘mob’, Terry’s employees, see Terry as a ‘bum’ since his fall from fame as a prizefighter.
(Richards, 135) The Constable asserts pressure on Sydney, an innocent man who he sees as his enemy, in an effort to make him a criminal; a man who would assault an officer of the law. Morris holds all the cards and sees himself as a "real man" who others cannot "measure up" to. He uses his title and aggressive nature in an attempt to impress Elly. When Morris realizes she will never leave Sydney for him, his bullying behaviour only worsens. Constable Morris understands that
The black and white film “On the Waterfront” directed by Elia Kazan shows the importance of standing up for what you believe in; even if there are consequences. Terry Malloy goes from caring about how he looks to his mob friends to being a man who does not back away from his morals. He tells the court that Mr. Friendly and his friends were the ones who killed Joey Doyle and then does not back down when the mob leader tried to intimidate him. However the coward, Johnny Friendly got the better deal in the fight when he called his ‘henchmen’ to attack Terry, but somehow the hero of the film gets to his feet and leads the longshoremen into the factory.
The ultimate result being the unfixed lock leaves the shop exposed to thieves who ransack the place leaving Farhad without an income source for his family. farhad decides the only justice is to gun down Ruiz for the loss Farhad believes he caused by not fixing the door. In examining how the conflict might have been resolved, it’s important to look at the communication styles of each participant. When we first see Daniel earlier in the film, he is being verbally disrespected by a rich and racist client who believes he is untrustworthy, and possibly a gang member. As this scene unfolds, we see Daniel finishing the locksmithing job quietly.
As the picture progresses and “C: matures and becomes a young man he again witnesses another incident in which Sonny annihilates a gang of bikers. Even though Sonny was defending his image he implicated to “C” that it was okay to hurt people. Besides the fact that Sonny is bad for the most part, he treats “C” as his own. From talking to him to giving him life lessons, the positive side of Sonny penetrates the mind of “C’ as well. Throughout the movie “C” sees a guy who owes him money and “C” would always try to catch him so he can get his revenge.
On The Waterfront reveals the powerlessness of the individual against a corrupt ruling group. “You know this city’s full of hawks?” Kazan’s On The Waterfront discusses how corruption and greed is always prevalent within society. The 1954 film follows the story of Terry Malloy, a man trapped between his loyalty to his conscience and the mob run by Johnny Friendly. The film illustrates how many characters attempt to seek justice and freedom from the corrupt union with differing results. The characters of Joey Doyle and Dugan both attempt to stop Johnny Friendly’s hold over the waterfront but ultimately are unable to make a change alone.
Elia Kazan’s on The Waterfront” establishes that the masculine world influences the characters in a way that makes them incompetent for care and affection. The relationship between Terry and Tommy is largely influenced by this harsh masculine world of the Waterfront. Father Barry to fulfill his role as a Christian missionary cares for the people at the Waterfront despite the not need saving. Kazan also shows us that it is due to those actions by the characters in the movie that justice can be prevailed. The corruption of the waterfront union has made it extremely difficult for the longshoremen to express their true feelings.
On one hand Thesus is compassionate to the widows he encounters on the road and vows to avenge them, on the other he razes Thebes to the ground and strips many citizens of their homes and lives. On one hand he mourns Arcite and can only be consoled by his father Egeus, and on the other he initially threw Arcite and Palamon into prison without ransom or remorse. This contradictory behavior calls into question the knights virtue; because there is a lack of consistency one must question the truth of his unending chivalry. This brings us to the realization that if a