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Analysis Of ' On The Waterfront '

Decent Essays

“On the Waterfront” was photographed in such a captivating way. Boris Kaufman had a vision ahead of his time. Many scenes in the movie are understood, not just through the script, but from the cinematography as well. Three scenes in particular catch my eye. It is the artistic style and flare of conveying the same idea in multiple mediums. The first scene is when Terry and Edie are on the rooftop at Joey’s pigeon coup. This scene portrays the moment in which I believe was the catalyst for Terry that lead him to be truthful to Evie and stand up to Friendly. The second scene that I will speak about is when “Kayo” Dugan is killed. When the preacher is giving his speech to all the longshoremen. That speech was a testament of one man speaking out for what he knew was right. The third scene that I will choose for this essay is where Terry walks to Friendly’s dock office. After the fight, Terry’s march to work puts you on the edge of your seat. Each scene has depth that few movies achieve. The first scene is the rooftop scene with Terry and Evie. The whole scene is shot with natural light. Kaufman begins the scene with a long shot of the rooftop. Terry is waving a long stick with a rag at the top of it to call back the pigeons to the coup. I believe Terry waving the “white flag” was an implied surrender to Evie’s love and the truth of what really happened to Joey. Even though, Terry is still conflicted afterwards, this is his first step toward standing up to the Friendly and his

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