100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #44: On the Waterfront (1954)

Directed by Elia Kazan. Written by Budd Schulberg. Starring Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb.

In secular circles, On the Waterfront has a rather infamous reputation as the film where director Elia Kazan defiantly defends his 1952 testimony in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), in which he had named several people in Hollywood as members of the Communist Party, hurting their careers at the height of McCarthyism. On the Waterfront tells the story of Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), a dockworker who testifies in court about the criminal activities of his local union. It’s not hard to link that story with Kazan’s own testimony about Communists in his industry. As such, the movie is often despised by those of a certain political bent. As eminent as personage as Orson Welles called Kazan a traitor and denigrated On the Waterfront as a “celebration of the informer”.

However, looking at this film through such a simplistic lens strips it of all its power and meaning. On the Waterfront is such an enduring classic not because it is a defiant anti-Communist screed but because it examines fundamental questions of justice, loyalty, and virtue. Ultimately, however, it shows how a remarkably common man can become a true hero by following in the footsteps of Christ and undergoing a crucifixion to bring an end to the reign of sin.

The main conflict of the film is centered on a criminal racket run by union boss Johnny Friendly. Friendly controls who gets to work on the waterfront from day to day, unloading cargo from the hulls of ships in New York City. If you want to work, you have to pay dues to the union and take predatory loans from Friendly’s organization. In addition, he illegally extorts ship owners and skims large profits for himself and his lackeys without doing any actual work. The whole system is possible because everyone working on the waterfront is “D&D”: deaf and dumb. As Terry Malloy tells the cops when they initially question him, “I ain’t seen nothin’ and I ain’t sayin’ nothing.” The D&D system is ruthlessly enforced by Friendly’s men through intimidation and ultimately murder.

This is where the story really begins: Terry Malloy witnesses; nay, is an accomplice to the murder of his friend Joey Doyle by mob thugs before he could testify against Friendly in court. Malloy is shocked by the killing, believing they were just going to talk to Joey, but he initially is committed to being D&D. However, his eyes are now opened to the more unsavory elements of Friendly’s organization and his conscience is further pricked by his developing romantic relationship with Edie, Joey’s sister (Eva Marie Saint). She works with the local priest, Fr. Barry (a magnificent Karl Malden), to try to organize the local dockworkers against Friendly and get some justice for her brother. Terry is torn between his loyalty to the union and his conscience, sickened by the injustice and murder. This culminates in the murder of another dockworker, Kayo Dugan, who had been convinced by Fr. Barry to testify. This murder happened during the middle of the work day, an “accident” meant to send a message to the rest of the waterfront. But Fr. Barry is there and he delivers a message just as powerful, one which strikes a chord with Terry and the rest of the dockworkers.

"Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. Well, they better wise up! Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a Crucifixion. And dropping a sleigh on Kayo Dugan's head because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow--that's a Crucifixion! And every time the mob puts the pressure on a good man, to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a Crucifixion! And everyone who sits around and lets it happen, and stays silent about something that he knows has happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Our Lord to see if He was dead."

Fr. Barry tells the dockworkers Christ is right alongside them, working with them, understanding their frustrations and experiencing the injustice of the Friendly organization. Whatever you do to the least of my brothers….

At this point, On the Waterfront becomes a passion play. The second act of the film is a prolonged Agony in the Garden, with Terry wrestling his conscience about whether to testify against the union bosses, one of whom is his brother, Charlie, or to remain D&D, more or less comfortable, and blind to injustice. Charlie Malloy and Johnny Friendly, the head of the union, play the part of the demons in this Agony, cajoling him with promises and threats to take the easy way out, whereas Fr. Barry is the voice of God, showing Terry the cup of agony he must drink if he is to save his fellow dock workers. Fr. Barry is rarely the voice of comfort and solace; he can only promise Terry pain through which to persevere. But through the pain, through the Passion, comes the power to release the world from the grip of the devil.

There are many moments in this film which are reminiscent of the Passion narrative; for example, after Charlie reveals that he has betrayed Terry's best interests ever since his involvement with Friendly, he is hung like Judas, abandoned by those to whom he sold his soul. Again, before his final passion Terry is given Joey Doyle's jacket by Edie, his love interest but also virginal parallel to Christ's mother. This is not only parallel to the seamless garment worn by Christ to his passion, traditionally supposed to have been woven by the Blessed Virgin, but also symbolizes Terry taking up the mantle of the prophets who came before him, as the jacket has been worn by both Joey Doyle and Kayo Dugan, both murdered victims of the mob.

However, the most obvious parallel and the climax of the movie is Terry's personal Via Crucis. After he testifies against Friendly in court, he is beaten down by Friendly's thugs, lying bloody on the docks like the scourged Christ in Mel Gibson's Passion. He is helped to his feet by Fr. Barry and Edie. However, from this moment he must walk alone, bloodied but unbowed, from the docks to the warehouse, to show his fellow man that Friendly's power has ended. Edie wishes to help him as he stumbles towards his goal, but Fr. Barry holds her back. You can almost hear Terry cry "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani"; I almost screamed at the television "Father Barry, help him! Support him! He is about to fall!" But Terry must walk alone, the desolate savior leading his people into a new era of peace and justice.

There are many spiritual observations and parallels that can be drawn from this film. It's one of the very rare films that one can meditate on and draw spiritual lessons from, rather than just use for entertainment. The spiritual journey of Terry Malloy serves as an example for all of us. In order to truly work for justice, we will have to ignore bad advice and false loyalties. The journey will not be easy; rather, we must pick up our cross and follow in the footsteps of Christ.