On the Waterfront: Clear Heroes and Villains

1. The film presents clear-cut heroes and villains and a black and white view of morality that lacks subtlety.’ Do you agree?

On the waterfront is a film set in the 1950s on the docks of Hoboken in New Jersey. The docks are run by a corrupt union which is headed by Johnny friendly. Terry Malloy, a former prize boxer, is a partially inane errand boy for the union gang. The film does not present clear cut heroes or clear cut villains and the black and white view of mortality is a bit less black and white and slightly greyer. Some things are clear cut from the beginning of the film, the union gang are villains and father Barry is becoming a hero. But many things are quite unclear, like what Terry’s position is going to be, which side of the fence he stands on when it comes to the final clincher of who wins the waterfront, or who the longshoremen will side with. Because of terry’s upbringing he is unsure of what is right and wrong when people start contradicting his actions, while he struggles with his moral conscience.

The film presents clear cut heroes and villains to an extent, but‘‘ Terry is neither here nor there with his actions throughout the film. At the beginning of the film terry is naive toward the tasks that he carries out as the errand boy for Johnny friendly’s union gang. ‘I thought they was just gonna lean on him a little bit’. Terry is not told why he is doing some things for the union, and he does not ask questions about why it is needing to be done either. When terry calls Joey up to the roof, he doesn’t know exactly what is going to happen to Joey, in the big scale of things he doesn’t care either. Not until Edie comes to town because of Joey’s death does Terry start to question his behavior and the deeds that he is requested to do. “Which side are you with?” “Me? I’m with me – Terry”. When Edie starts questioning terry about who he supports and what his place is on the corrupt waterfront, he starts doubting his allegiance to the union group, Johnny Friendly and his brother, Charlie. Edie really helps Terry see the black and white of what is correct and what is not meant to happen.

The obvious villains in ‘On the Waterfront’ are Johnny friendly and the more prominent members of his union Gang. Johnny Friendly is corrupted by money and power, as he grew up with none of either. The reason for Johnny Friendly’s hunger for power is the fact that never had any of that and therefore thinks he deserves something better now in this part of his life. Johnny friendly controls all of the people on the waterfront through fear. “Johnny Friendly, the ‘great labour leader”.  This is said in sarcasm as Johnny friendly is the reason that the waterfront is so corrupted. Labor is usually the political group that is for the people. Johnny friendly on the other hand is clearly not about the people, the only thing he wants is to make more money and not to be ratted on by any of the longshoremen.

The heroes in this film are clearly Terry, Edie and Father Barry. Edie, who has been brought up in the nunnery and has always been taught in the black and white of what is right and wrong, helps develop terry into a good man and hero by letting him know what she thinks. “Pop said Johnny Friendly used to own you. Well I think he still owns you. No wonder everyone calls you a bum”. Edie says this too Terry when he talk to the waterfront crime commission and ‘spill the beans’ on Johnny Friendly and the rest of the union. Edie doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her she just wants justice for her brother’s death. Edie pushes many people to become better, this is what makes things happen on the waterfront. “Did you ever hear of a saint hiding in a church?”  Edie says this to father Barry after Joey's death, when he says that if anyone needed him he would be in the church. This was guilt tripping father Barry into coming out and realizing what was going on the waterfront and taking some action against the wrongdoing. He becomes the leader of the waterfront by holding meetings and rallying people together against Johnny Friendly's gang. He is the reason that Terry confesses to Edie and also spills the beans to the waterfront crime commission. This is what then spurs terry on to ‘spilling the beans’ to the waterfront crime commission. Edie and Father Barry are clear cut heroes on the waterfront.