For our May programme, High Contrast Cinema ventures into Oscar territory with the multi-award-winning On the Waterfront.

 

Marlon Brando took home the Best Actor statuette for his portrayal of Terry Malloy, an ex-prizefighter who finds himself reluctantly drawn into taking a stand amongst violence and corruption on the New Jersey docklands.

 

Director Elia Kazan marshals an impressive cast of dependable character actors, including Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden and Rod Steiger, as well as Eva Marie Saint in her debut role (which earned her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar).

 

A timeless classic with Brando’s performance in particular still resonating, often cited as a sea change moment in the craft of screen acting.