Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Your Task Due Friday 14th June

For this weeks additional homework task. I would like you to comment on this post. You will need to put two comments:
1. One thing you still don't understand about the film
2. Something that you found interesting when you learnt it in class

The second part of your task is that you will need to comment on 3 different comments providing an answer to their question.

30 comments:

  1. I found it really interesting that Marlon Brando suffered bipolar and schizophrenia and had to go to his appointment for 2 hours a day.

    There's nothing that I can think of that I don't really get at the moment.

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    1. Why do you find this interesting? What is it about your understanding of these mental illnesses that makes this interesting for you?

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  2. there's nothing I don't get at the moment.
    and I found it interesting that Marlon Brando had medical issues but you couldn't really tell in the film and had his appointments during the filming of the movie

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    1. How do you think his actiting ability has impacted his performance in this film?

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  3. I understand the movie quite good at the moment.
    The thing I found interesting was that in the scene where Terry is in the cab with Charley, Elia Kazan went with the reaction of Marlon Brando for every take of that scene. It shows the respect that Kazan has for Brando.

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    1. Fantastic observation, do you think this is why the actor playing Charlie is annoyed that Brando got this special treatment?

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    2. I do not believe that Rod Steiger was annoyed that Marlon Brando got special treatment. Steiger would understand that Brando was one of the biggest actors around and was the 'weapon' for the movie being a success. Steiger would feel honoured to act beside Brando with On The Waterfront being Steiger's breakout film.

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  4. Task 1: As of the moment there is nothing I can recall that I do not understand about the film. However, if I happen to think of something by Friday I will be sure to post it.

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  5. Task 2: What I find interesting about the film is the whole taxi scene. Incredible acting was shown especially considering Rob Steiger had to act out the scene without Marlon Brando being present. In further research about the film I learnt that Steiger was very bitter about the arrangement for a long time afterwards. I also found the use of improvisation in this scene to be interesting, as stated earlier I believe wonderful acting was displayed.

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    1. As an audience member do you think it is significant to your understanding to know that this scene wasn't scrited?

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  6. with some thought I do not know what is meant by the term cruxificton when Father Barry makes his speech to the longshoreman.

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  7. When Father Barry makes his speech about the crucifixion, he is being literal. Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people and his death was shown on display for everyone to see. At the beginning of the scene, Father Barry starts with letting everyone know his promise to Kayo, Christians can not lie, and this is what influences the speech of what all these men are witnessing. You can see as an audience member as well as the characters can see in their lives, each death is very dramatic. Joey was thrown from the roof, everyone could hear and see him. Kayo had the boxes of whiskey dropped on top of him to crush him and all the men working saw this happen. Charlie was put on display when he was hung on the hook. They are all representation of being taken for the sins of everyone who can see them, because they all have something in common. Silence. The silence these men are keeping dear to them is what is ruining them, I suppose you could say it is killing them, which is a sin. Father Barry considered their silence to be the perfect example of sin, and used it against them as at the time Christianity in the United States was basically the only religion paid any attention to, which "As Christians" they would not have ignored. He is trying to remind them that Jesus is with them. They all turn against those who no longer want to be silent, and then that person is then taken from them. These men also didn't follow "God almighty" Johnny Friendly and as a result he chose to end their lives. The way the deaths are presented are also all references to the crucifixion of Jesus. The way Edie cradles Joey is the same as Mary cradled Jesus. Also, Kayo is risen above the other men, as if to resemble a rise to heaven. I read about these this prior to typing this however, I believe majority of it was from the Sparknotes which is on the sidebar of the blog. Otherwise a very small amount was my own analysis. Hope this helped :)

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  8. I found it interesting that terry putting on edies glove was a sign of intermacy even though he was not physically touching her .. i dont understand how johnny friendly found out about dugan working with father barry in such a quick time.

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    1. It's the concept of never being able to hide, escape or be alone on the waterfront. As we spoke about in class the other day, the authorial choice of not showing parts of the film is used in order to treat the audience as intelligent. The same way the horn of the boat drowns out the conversation between Edie and Terry, the actual decision of killing Kayo was not shown. We know what is going to happen to whoever chooses to testify as we saw what happened to Joey. He wanted to testify, he was killed. Kayo wanted to testify and so it was bound to happen to him also. Kayo knew what was coming for him, that's why he searched for the protection of Father Barry thinking it would help him. In the little time we see Joey we know he hasn't reached out for any help, only telling Terry how he needs to "watch" himself in order to keep out of trouble. Kayo thinks he has a slight advantage by having Father Barry on his side, but as an audience we are thought to know better that he cannot be safe.

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  9. The one thing I still don't understand in the film is that there was more Longshore men then Johnny Friendly and his goons, why didn't they all just stand up together because he cant kill every single one of them? And if he did the WCC would obviously know it was him killing off the pigeons, so in both cases he wouldn't of gotten away with it?
    What interested me is when I found out Brando was a method actor. I think its really amazing for someone to take on a challenge like that and have that much dedication to his role. Also the Taxi scene is incredible its my favourite scene, and to have known that Brando improvised the part where Steiger pulls out the gun the emotion expressed by Brando for something done on the spot was fantastic.

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    1. The Longshoremen can't go against Johnny Friendly and his goons even if they outnumbered his union. Corruption on the waterfront docks caused them to be "Deaf and Dumb"- hear nothing and see nothing(mainly the union's corrupt doings and the death of Joey, Kayo and Charley). You can see on the film that the people living on Hoboken, New Jersey was experiencing a poor environment. The longshoremen's clothings are torn and tattered, which proves that their salary couldn't even sustain their basic needs, what more if its for their personal wants. They can't retire from being longshoremen just because they were treated as a low-life and unreasonably, they were being practical. The longshoremen surrendered themselves to Johnny Friendly's union and to work. This just proves that 'corruption' makes people weak, which led them to follow the principle of "D and D"(deaf and dumb), and forces them to avoid standing up for theirselves as they've got families to take care of.

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    2. Great answer Candice but at the same time I think that initially they respected Friendly - remember he had to hold his hand to his neck and he still chased after them. This kind of story is hard to overcome once it becomes legend.

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  10. to be honest i'm slowly understand the film. the concepts that kazan has incoperated into the movie has stunned me dramatically, there are some people who wouldn't notice these concepts.
    For example
    - the scene where Terry puts on Edie's glove.
    i would have never thought that putting on a womens glove is a sign of more than just affection

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    1. I am so excited that you are starting to look deeper into this film and getting a better understanding. Remember that these themes and techniques that have been employed by Kazan are used by all directors.

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  11. bro why didn't Johnny Friendly get worked up when Terry knocked out the goon when Father Barry was giving his speech after Dugan got killed?

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    1. What was Johnny Friendly doing during/just after that scene? This might give you a clue.

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  12. if I was Johnny Friendly, I would have been pissed as and stomped out Terry as soon as he left the docks, or even confronted him about him doing it

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  13. I found it interesting that i didn't realise that Edie is the moral conscience of the film.

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    1. Who did you think was the moral compass before you discovered this?

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    2. --> One thing i don't understand about the film(not like i understood the entirety of the film) is that Father Barry heard Terry's confession outside the church when Terry wanted to confess about his involvement on Joey's death. The concept of the film was not being able to hide and escape, so shouldn't that be inside the church? That's the issue that confuses me the most.


      --> I found it interesting that Elia Kazan was acting as Joey Doyle. It's also interesting that when Kazan acted as Joey, his face was shown on the window with a dark lighting when Terry called him outside to bring back his pigeon. It feels like the dark lighting showed a 'bad omen' is about to happen and the fact that he was the only character that we (if everybody noticed that)can't get a clear glimpse of the face.

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    3. Some good points here Candice. For your point of concern, consider the difference between what Terry said to Father Barry and confession. This might help you a little

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  14. Something I find Interesting about the film is that Marlon Brando has schizophrenia and Bipola disorder and was still able to act in the film.

    What I dont understand is how the poilce don't arrest johnny friendl when everyone on th waterfront knows about what he does.

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  15. one thing i don't understand about the film is that why didn't the longshoremen stand up to Johnny Friendly he may be the leader but just because they didn't have much or were frightened didn't mean that they should have done nothing someone should have spoken up it was basically up to Terry to fight back everything alse i do get.

    Something i found interesting was that although Edie found out that Terry was involved in Joey's death she still stuck by him.

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  16. Something I still don't understand is why Tommy killed the pigeons? and Something that I find interesting about the film is that Kazan uses a range of cinematic devices to impact the audience experience.

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