Man, they don't make adult dramas like this anymore. Now this is a real superhero.

70 years old and it *almost* holds up. I like the premise - exploring a setting and ideas that I'm not familiar with. Interesting character dynamics. I can see why Marlon Brando was a star - just oozing swagger. But the execution leans into some melodramatic/cliché moments in ways that feel dated. Some characters feel like caricatures at times (Johnny Friendly and crew). The pacing in the back half and the finale feels a bit rushed. Overall, I can see the sparks of greatness in the writing, but I don't think I'd recommend it to most modern audiences.

This film undoubtedly has its own merit. A powerful story with an amazing performance by Brando at its front, but after reading some of the backstory of the director and screenwriter, the politics behind this movie feel very questionable. Still, I’ve been curious to see Brando’s earlier roles and he did not disappoint. He makes the movie for me.

The politics here, as envisioned by Kazan, have not aged well, as he seems to be arguing a moral equivalence between informing on organized crime and naming names in front of HUAC. It's icky to ignore the context here, but the movie as a self-contained work is absolutely masterful. Brando is such a live wire, but I also appreciated Eva Marie Saint's raw, tenacious performance. (Also shoutout to the background cast of union mobsters, which have the meanest set of mugs this side of the Sopranos.)

On the Waterfront is truly one of Marlon Brando’s peak films in his early days before he goes on to establish more iconic roles. Not just Brando but also the other cast such as Karl Malden and even Eva Marie Saint that gives off a wonderful performance. The scene that everyone have talked about, being the taxi cab scene perhaps one of the greatest speech scenes I’ve seen in a film, and also the Malden monologue towards the dockworkers is just also as amazing. Leonard Bernstein score here is amazing as usual and the cinematography is great as well headed by non other than Boris Kaufman. On the Waterfront is still not only one of Marlon Brando greatest films but also one of the greatest films that have ever been made.