Opening

72% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
21% The Hangover Part III May 23
63% Epic May 24
97% Before Midnight May 24
88% We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks May 24
83% Fill the Void May 24
17% A Green Story May 24
—— Alyce Kills May 24

Top Box Office

87% Star Trek Into Darkness $70.2M
78% Iron Man 3 $35.8M
50% The Great Gatsby $23.9M
46% Pain & Gain $3.2M
69% The Croods $3.0M
77% 42 $2.8M
55% Oblivion $2.3M
99% Mud $2.2M
36% Peeples $2.2M
8% The Big Wedding $1.2M

Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31
90% The East May 31

On the Waterfront (1954)

tomatometer

100

Average Rating: 9.1/10
Reviews Counted: 55
Fresh: 55 | Rotten: 0

With his electrifying performance in Elia Kazan's thought-provoking, expertly constructed melodrama, Marlon Brando redefined the possibilities of acting for film and helped permanently alter the cinematic landscape.

100

Average Rating: 8.8/10
Critic Reviews: 11
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 0

With his electrifying performance in Elia Kazan's thought-provoking, expertly constructed melodrama, Marlon Brando redefined the possibilities of acting for film and helped permanently alter the cinematic landscape.

audience

93

liked it
Average Rating: 4.2/5
User Ratings: 48,965

My Rating

Movie Info

This classic story of Mob informers was based on a number of true stories and filmed on location in and around the docks of New York and New Jersey. Mob-connected union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) rules the waterfront with an iron fist. The police know that he's been responsible for a number of murders, but witnesses play deaf and dumb ("plead D & D"). Washed-up boxer Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) has had an errand-boy job because of the influence of his brother Charley, a crooked union

Unrated,

Drama, Romance, Classics

Budd Schulberg

Oct 23, 2001

Sony Pictures

Watch It Now

Cast

ADVERTISEMENT

All Critics (55) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (0) | DVD (17)

On the Waterfront has a script that is a work of love and shows it.

February 18, 2009 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Under Elia Kazan's direction, Marlon Brando puts on a spectacular show, giving a fascinating, multi-faceted performance as the uneducated dock walloper and former pug, who is basically a softie with a special affection for his rooftop covey of pigeons.

January 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's hard to deny that Marlon Brando's performance as a dock worker and ex-fighter who finally decides to rat on his gangster brother (Rod Steiger) is pretty terrific.

December 12, 2006 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's pretty electrifying.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

You miss this, you're buyin' a one-way ticket to Palookaville.

March 3, 2005 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Indisputably one of the great American films, its power undiminished.

December 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A powerful watch, thanks largely to an incredible cast, Leonard Bernstein's strong score, and a handful of iconic scenes, none better than the moving "I coulda been a contender" sequence.

March 7, 2013 Full Review Source: Creative Loafing
Creative Loafing

a watershed moment in cinema history; it remains one of the greatest films of the 1950s

February 26, 2013 Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk
Q Network Film Desk

Criterion deliver a long-overdue tribute to Elia Kazan's astounding 1954 drama, which boasts one of moviedom's game-changing performances.

February 18, 2013 Full Review Source: OK! Magazine
OK! Magazine

This Criterion Collection presentation of a strange classic is very much a contender.

February 17, 2013 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine

An astounding drama that's still a contender almost 50 years on.

February 15, 2013 Full Review Source: Total Film
Total Film

Allow me to suggest On the Waterfront is one such 'classic' that holds up; a declaration that deserves only one, dismissive response: "No duh."

February 12, 2013 Full Review Source: Quickflix
Quickflix

Raises important issues about the nature of power.

December 26, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

A strong morality tale about corruption and redemption, On the Waterfront is a timeless classic that features two masters at the top of their craft.

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: Matt's Movie Reviews
Matt's Movie Reviews

Elia Kazan's seminal American classic.

November 1, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

Marlon Brando is outstanding as a former boxing champ torn between family and duty in the magnificent On the Waterfront

November 8, 2006 Full Review Source: Cinema Sight
Cinema Sight

The film is shot on location in black-and-white, semi-docu style, which suits the realistic subject and commonplace characters, particularly Terry Malloy, the passive dock worker forced to become a crusader-fighter, splendidly played by Brando.

July 15, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment (1)
EmanuelLevy.Com

This movie has to be considered one of the very best of all time.

July 5, 2005 Full Review Source: Bullz-Eye.com
Bullz-Eye.com

Do the politics make it bad? Not at all. It's a fictional story, not a soapbox.

June 27, 2005 Full Review Source: LYTRules.com | Comment (1)

The difference between pre- and post-1950s cinema - before and after Brando - is as pronounced as moving from black and white to color.

March 11, 2005 Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Daily Star

Audience Reviews for On the Waterfront

An undisputed classic concerning a former boxer (Marlon Brando), seeking a fresh start as he works along the shore for a crooked mob boss, but suffers a moral crisis after he becomes attached to the sister (Eve Marie Saint) of someone he knows was killed in cold blood by the mob. One of the best melodramas ever, with a legendary, gripping performance from the great, great Brando, that carries this movie from start to finish with effortless grace. Its powerful message is handled deftly by director Elia Kazan, and the ending packs a literal and figurative blow. As said, this movie is all about Brando's character, and the film does an excellent job coloring his character in a variety of ways and attempting to place you in his shoes and understand the moral quandary he is in. An excellent film that should be seen by everyone, especially movie lovers.
October 20, 2007
Dan Schultz

Super Reviewer

An ex-prizefighter and errand boy for a corrupt dockyard union unwittingly aids in the murder of a fellow worker, leading to a crisis of conscience that alienates him from his friends and co-workers. On The Waterfront is one of the great American movies. It's essentially a fable about having the strength to do what you know to be right and standing up to the violent and corrupt in defence of your fellow man. Marlon Brando puts in a career defining performance as Terry Molloy, a man who has known nothing but hardship but rediscovers his humanity when faced with the consequences of his actions and the guidance of his new love and a local priest. It has a wealth of classic scenes, including the iconic "I coulda been a contender" scene with his brother featuring another fantastic performance by Rod Steiger, Terry's confession to Edie and my personal favourite, the electrifying speech given by Karl Malden in the wake of yet another murder. Beautifully shot, brilliantly played and written with nuance and sophistication including a genuine and important message about the human condition, On The Waterfront is an all time classic and worthy of its reputation as one of the best film ever made.
February 24, 2007
garyX
xGary Xx

Super Reviewer

    1. Terry Malloy: If I spill, my life ain't worth a nickel.
    2. Father Barry: And how much is your soul worth if you don't?
    – Submitted by Ivan J (13 months ago)
    1. Father Barry: Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up! Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion. And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan 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, tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it's a crucifixion. And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows that happened, shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of our Lord to see if he was dead.
    – Submitted by Filipe M (15 months ago)
    1. Terry Malloy: You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.
    – Submitted by Achoo S (22 months ago)
    1. Johnny Friendly: Stop breathin' that clam juice on me.
    – Submitted by Debbie V (2 years ago)
    1. Father Barry: You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's the love of a lousy buck. It's making love of a buck - -the cushy job - -more important than the love of man!
    – Submitted by rob g (2 years ago)
    1. Terry Malloy: You don't understand! I could'a had class. I could'a been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it.
    – Submitted by Tyler C (2 years ago)

Discussion Forum

There are no discussion threads for On the Waterfront yet.

Latest News on On the Waterfront

December 15, 2011:
Five Favorite Films with Roger Corman
Movies as we know them just wouldn't be the same without Roger Corman. Sure, filmmakers like...

June 22, 2007:
AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time ... Again
Ten years ago the AFI gave us a list of the Top 100 American Films Ever Made -- and when that was...

Foreign Titles

  • Die Faust im Nacken (DE)
  • On the Waterfront (1954) (UK)
Help | About | Jobs | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Mobile