Realism in On the Waterfront
Though the style of realism is not big, flashy, or constantly moving, it does have a sort of richness about it that, director, Elia Kazan achieves so accurately in his 1954 classic, "On the Waterfront." Through his use of subtle photography, we, as an audience, are able to break away from the fact that we are watching a movie, and focus on the interaction and emotion of the characters. It is as if we are standing in the very room with the characters, observing the scene. Almost nothing is shown that we wouldn't be able to see ourselves. In fact, virtually the only obscure angle in the entire film was an oblique angle near the end when we are shown the severity of Terry's injuries through his eyes as he attempts to walk up the dock. In any formalistic film, this angle and other's like it would have been used much more freely. Similar to the photography, the editing in "On the Waterfront" is miniscule. Most of the editing techniques are match cuts; flowing steadily through the scenes with only a few cuts to neces
In the scene in the bar, we are able to hear the muffled commotion around the two and it only adds to the realism and enhances our ability to relate and better understand the characters' surroundings. Because of this, we get a sense for space. If the scene is shot in a cramped bar, it will appear that way to us because the camera is our eye and the camera is cramped. As a realistic film would in the category of mise-en-scene, "On the Waterfront" was shot on location. So, the score is there simply to add to the scene, rather than carry it, as it does in many formalistic films. An example of this would be the shower scene in Hitchcock's horror classic, "Psycho," because he jumps in, out and away throughout those few moments of the murder and the audience is able to see exactly what Marion Crane sees. But in shots near the end of the film on the docks, the camera was able to take advantage of the vast space, though, still holding true to the simplicity of the realistic style. Because "On the Waterfront" is a realistic film, it would not be realistic to have the organ crescendo every time someone enters a room. In the scene between Terry and Edie when she has her first drink, there is no music to be heard. Also, the lack of music gives us a chance to hear some of the background sound or layers of sound. In a formalistic film, the director might have chosen to show the frantic chaos of a moment by inserting multiple jump cuts, cutaway's and cut-in's. This makes it possible for us to truly see and feel some of the potentially awkward or key moments that might have, otherwise been covered up or dictated to us through music. On the contrary, in a realistic film, such as "On the Waterfront," we must rely on the actors' reaction and expression in order to grasp the mood or feeling. All of these elements used individually are interesting, but when strung together, are able to tell a beautiful story of happiness, and tragedy, and life.
Common topics in this essay:
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Elia Kazan,
Marion Crane,
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Acceptance Essays
