on the waterfront

we watched this last sunday night as part of a summer film series that a myself and group of friends started (where, i might add, i have been given control over most of the film content (well me and one other person at least (can i use so many parenthesis in one sentence?))). the consensus was that marlon brando is a amazing from start to finish, the film was beautiful to look at, and brando’s coat would look great on me (i volunteered the last one but people seemed to agree).

i didn’t know the context of the film, in terms of what the director was going through at the time, when we watched the film but have read up on it a little bit. i think it makes the premise a lot more interesting and makes the message feel a little more relevant than just obligatory to the story.

i also think that brando was a lot more restrained than i thought he would be. having only really seen him in apocalypse now and the godfather movies (edit: and the score, didn’t even know he was in that. did you? kind of sad that it’s his last film) i had seen that he can get pretty hammy. and from the parody’s of the “i coulda been a contender” line, i was expecting him to get pretty hammy. but he is restrained, and that line has such weight to it that it’s truly a heartbreaking scene.

i don’t get the complaints that the film is too self-serving or the ending is too upbeat. aren’t all films self serving to some extent? and if the ending is too upbeat i’m not sure i want to see a normal, or god forbid, down-beat film. he almost gets pummeled to death!

closing thoughts: brando=great. cinematography=gorgeous. movie=great

edit: oh and how could i forget lee j. cobb? he=awesome.