On The Waterfront

It's a hot, hot Saturday here in Denver. They say it's going to top out at 100 degrees today. After an early morning bike ride to Cherry Creek Reservoir and back (25 miles), I ended up horozontal in front of the television, feeling like I'd earned the right to be a little lazy... I was mindlessly flipping around from channel to channel when I saw Marlon Brando in a plaid workman's jacket on the screen.



I'm not sure if I've ever watched On The Waterfront in its entirety before... It's one of those Saturday afternoon movies that you just sort of happen across, and it feels right so you settle in for the ride. It's like hitchhiking... "Where you headed?" "Wherever you're headed, I guess."

This movie was released in 1954. It was REALLY NICE to be reminded of how much can be accomplished with a simple, powerful story, great acting, smart directing and a score that, although really obvious at times, was still really effective at heightening emotion. In comparison with nearly every Hollywood film I've seen over the last 20 years, it felt odd at first... Direct. Honest. Unadorned. And ultimately, better. Unlike so many of those other, more recent films, I didn't get a hangover immediately afterward... You know that post-movie feeling: "I just got hoodwinked into giving up 2 hours of my life to a glitzy trick." Instead, seven hours later, I'm still thinking about the story. Great film.