On the Waterfront (1954)

Oh the glory days! Hollywood was at its peak all throughout the 50s; wonderful musicals (1952 - Singin' in the Rain), clever witty comedies (1959 - Some Like It Hot), classic, original film noir (1955 - Kiss Me Deadly), Hitchcock thrillers (1959- North by Northwest) gripping dramas that dared to be socially and politically relevant. Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront defines what daring filmmakers dreamed of accomplishing in the tense, post-war 50s. Painting a gripping picture of America facing severe economic problems where morals are crippled and hope crumbles. With the backing of powerful producer Sam Spiegel, -- he would produce David Lean's epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962) -- the directing talents of Elia Kazan, the star power of Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint and most importantly the openness of audiences the film was a success in every sense of the word -- grossing $9 million with the budget only being roughly $900,000. Over time, On the Waterfront has stayed a perennial classic that marks a time when Hollywood was finally proving that it had the guts to show the world as it really is. I see this film with my younger eyes and I am still touched in the deepest of ways by its story of greed, corruption, human nature, and even love.