On the Waterfront

On the Waterfront comprehensively examines one of the most important films of the Hollywood canon.

Joanna E. Rapf (Edited by)

9780521794008, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 June 2003

212 pages, 16 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.311 kg

On the Waterfront comprehensively examines one of the most important films of the Hollywood canon. Providing the historical context for the film, this volume emphasizes film making as a collaborative process rather than an 'auteurist' approach, although it does highlight individual contributions to the film and the political controversy generated by the cooperation of Kazan and Schulberg with the House of Un-American Activities Committee. Included are essays specially commissioned for this volume, analyzing the screenplay, Kazan as director, Schulberg as screenplay writer, the score by Leonard Bernstein, and the reception of the film in classrooms. Collectively they demonstrate how and why this film has been an enduring favorite among cineastes and movie buffs alike. A preface by Budd Schulberg, contemporary reviews, and stills round out the volume.

Introduction: 'The mysterious way of art': making a difference in On the Waterfront Joanna E. Rapf
1. The personal and the political: Elia Kazan and On the Waterfront Brian Neve
2. Schulberg on the waterfront Dan Georgakas
3. On the Waterfront: script analysis conventional and unconventional Lance Lee
4. An actor prepares David Thomson
5. Visual coding and social class in On the Waterfront Jeffrey Chown
6. Leonard Bernstein and On the Waterfront: tragic nobility, a lyrical song, and music of violence John Burligame.

Subject Areas: Film theory & criticism [APFA]