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Overview
Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront is a 1954 American crime drama that examines crime and corruption among dockworkers on the waterfront of Hoboken, New Jersey
. The film stars Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, a former prize fighter turned longshoreman, as he grapples with his conscience after witnessing the murder of a fellow dock worker on the orders of corrupt union boss, Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J. Cobb. Focusing on Malloy’s inner struggle as he weighs personal interest against justice, the film explores the transformative power of religious faith and the corrupting influence of power. On the Waterfront was a critical and commercial success, winning several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The film has also invited controversy, however, due to Kazan’s decision to testify against several of his former colleagues to the House of Un-American Activities Committee at the height of McCarthyism in the 1950s.
