On The Waterfront [1954] Movie Reviews on CinemaClock

I know it's heresy to say so, but I don't think that this is a good movie. Okay, Brando was brilliant in it, and Karl Malden was good in almost anything he did. But, overally, this is a shameless piece of Cold War self-justification by Elia Kazan, who wanted to justify ratting on his friends during the McCarthy era by pretending that highmindedness rather than naked self-interest and cowardice motivated him. And the film has aged badly, the lighting is corny and the writing not much better. You need to see it just so you can see Brando at his best, but don't fall for the hype or the blatant propaganda.

This is the ultimate of all the classic Brando films! Putting aside MB's masterful performance, it is as close to a perfect film, in every aspect, as I have ever seen (and I've seen a lot! ): Kazan's flawless direction and attention to every detail; the gritty, realistic slum setting; wonderful performances by Eva-Marie Saint, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger to say nothing of Malcolm Johnson's beautifully written screenplay. This movie was a leader in the 50's revolution of realism in American cinema. It not only established Brando as the acting innovator of his generation, but it, in my humble opinion, changed movies forever.

Title	Vote
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Star Wars IV: A New Hope [1977]	10/10
Spartacus [1959]	10/10
Sleepless in Seattle [1993]	10/10
Slap Shot [1977]	10/10
The Silence Of The Lambs [1991]	10/10
The Shining [1980]	10/10
The Shawshank Redemption [1994]	10/10
Seven [1995]	10/10
Schindler's List [1993]	10/10
Saving Private Ryan [1998]	10/10
The Rocky Horror Picture Show [1975]	10/10
Rear Window [1954]	10/10
Raiders Of The Lost Ark [1981]	10/10
Pulp Fiction [1994]	10/10
Psycho [1960]	10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [2003]	10/10
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On The Waterfront [1954]	10/10
Moulin Rouge [2000]	10/10
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Midnight Cowboy [1969]	10/10
Memento [2001]	10/10
The Matrix [1999]	10/10
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The Godfather [1972]	10/10
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Toy Story 2 [1999]	9/10
Top Gun [1986]	9/10
THX 1138 [1971]	9/10
Thelma and Louise [1991]	9/10
Terminator 2: Judgment Day [1991]	9/10
The Terminator [1984]	9/10
Shrek 2 [2004]	9/10
Speed 1 [1994]	9/10
Pretty Woman [1990]	9/10
A Streetcar Named Desire [1951]	9/10
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back [1980]	9/10
Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace [1999]	9/10
Simon Birch [1998]	9/10
Shakespeare in love [1998]	9/10
Rain Man [1988]	9/10
Seabiscuit [2003]	9/10
Pleasantville [1998]	9/10
Platoon [1986]	9/10
The Perfect Storm [2000]	9/10
Monsters, Inc. [2001]	9/10
North By Northwest [1959]	9/10
The Nightmare Before Christmas [1993]	9/10
Natural Born Killers [1994]	9/10
Men In Black 1 [1997]	9/10
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl [2003]	9/10
MAS*H [1970]	9/10
The Lion King [1994]	9/10
Life As A House [2001]	9/10
L.A. Confidential [1997]	9/10
Jaws [1975]	9/10
Groundhog Day [1993]	9/10
Grease [1978]	9/10
The Graduate [1967]	9/10
Gosford Park [2002]	9/10
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Good Will Hunting [1998]	9/10
Gladiator [2000]	9/10
Gattaca [1997]	9/10
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Excalibur [1981]	9/10
The English Patient [1996]	9/10
Duck Soup [1933]	9/10
Die Hard [1988]	9/10
Dead Poets Society [1989]	9/10
The Crying Game [1992]	9/10
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [2000]	9/10
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind [1977]	9/10
A Bug's Life [1998]	9/10
Braveheart [1995]	9/10
Big Chill [1983]	9/10
Alien [1979]	9/10
The Departed [2006]	8/10
The Lake House [2006]	8/10
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The Da Vinci Code [2006]	8/10
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The Wedding Singer [1998]	8/10
Wag The Dog [1997]	8/10
Peter Pan [2003]	8/10
Tucker [1988]	8/10
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Poltergeist [1982]	8/10
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Stripes [1981]	8/10
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Star Trek: First Contact [1996]	8/10
Star Trek III: Search For Spock [1984]	8/10
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan [1982]	8/10
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Independence Day [1996]	8/10
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The Green Mile [1999]	8/10
Goodfellas [1990]	8/10
Galaxy Quest [1999]	8/10
The Full Monty [1997]	8/10
The Fugitive [1993]	8/10
Elizabeth [1998]	8/10
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Ed Wood [1994]	8/10
Ed TV [1999]	8/10
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Chocolat [2001]	8/10
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A Beautiful Mind [2001]	8/10
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X-Men 2 [2003]	7/10
X-Men 1 [2000]	7/10
The Phantom of the Opera [2004]	7/10
I, Robot [2004]	7/10
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events [2004]	7/10
Two Weeks Notice [2002]	7/10
Tomorrow Never Dies [1997]	7/10
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Tarzan [1999]	7/10
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The Story of us [1999]	7/10
Spy Kids 1 [2001]	7/10
Spirited Away [2002]	7/10
The Sheltering Sky [1990]	7/10
The Secret Of Nimh [1982]	7/10
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Rock 'N' Roll High School [1979]	7/10
The Santa Clause 1 [1994]	7/10
The Royal Tenenbaums [2002]	7/10
Ronin [1998]	7/10
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves [1991]	7/10
The Remains Of The Day [1993]	7/10
The Princess Bride [1987]	7/10
Peter Pan: The Disney's Original [1953]	7/10
The Pelican Brief [1993]	7/10
Pay It Forward [2000]	7/10
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The Majestic [2001]	7/10
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The Iron Giant [1999]	7/10
Nicholas Nickleby [2002]	7/10
I Know What You Did Last Summer [1997]	7/10
How The Grinch Stole Christmas [2000]	7/10
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone [2001]	7/10
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [2002]	7/10
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The Great Escape [1963]	7/10
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Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within [2001]	7/10
Ever After [1998]	7/10
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Die Hard 2 [1990]	7/10
The Dark Crystal [1982]	7/10
A Clockwork Orange [1971]	7/10
Chicken Run [2000]	7/10
Bridget Jones' Diary [2001]	7/10
Blues Brothers [1980]	7/10
Billy Elliot [2000]	7/10
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Barton Fink [1991]	7/10
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Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me [1999]	7/10
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Antz [1998]	7/10
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Aliens [1986]	7/10
Agnes Of God [1985]	7/10
Anger Management [2003]	6/10
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What Dreams May Come [1998]	6/10
Spider-Man 2 [2004]	6/10
Big Fish [2003]	6/10
Star Trek: Insurrection [1998]	6/10
Six Days, Seven Nights [1998]	6/10
Sabrina [1954]	6/10
Serendipity [2001]	6/10
Planet Of The Apes [2001]	6/10
Ocean's Eleven [2001]	6/10
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Miss Congeniality [2000]	6/10
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Ghostbusters [1984]	6/10
Fantasia 2000 [1999]	6/10
Dogma [1999]	6/10
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood [2002]	6/10
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Deep Impact [1998]	6/10
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Dante's Peak [1997]	6/10
Cruel Intentions [1999]	6/10
Con Air [1997]	6/10
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The Aristocats [1970]	6/10
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The Transporter [2002]	5/10
Space Cowboys [2000]	5/10
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Bruce Almighty [2003]	5/10
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Jumanji [1995]	5/10
Bulletproof Monk [2002]	5/10
Imax: Fantasia 2000 [1999]	5/10
Signs [2002]	5/10
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The Fifth Element [1997]	5/10
Tuck Everlasting [2002]	5/10
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The Jungle Book 2 [2003]	5/10
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Amistad [1997]	5/10
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [2005]	4/10
Star Trek: Nemesis [2002]	4/10
Star Trek V: Final Frontier [1989]	4/10
Star Trek I: The Motion Picture [1979]	4/10
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The Lord Of The Rings [1978]	4/10
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Starship Troopers [1997]	3/10
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Dune [1984]	2/10
The Day After Tomorrow [2004]	1/10