Our family was so intrigued after once again watching this riveting Oscar winning movie from 1954. "On the Waterfront" We watched it closely and saw and felt so much...just so very much. So many life lessons. Some of them are heartbreaking, just the lesson of the companionship we keep. The lesson of so many people with beautiful gifts within them not being seen, some of the gifts have even been somehow squelched. The cruelty of exclusive groups, cliques, prejudices...Talk.There are no curse words in this movie. It is rated PG for violence.
There is a kissing scene that was a bit intense for us, made us a bit uncomfortable and there is a morbid scene in the end, very typical of cruel organized crime but certainly no Godfather movie...but be ready for it. Our youngest is 17 but if we had little ones there are some things I would use caution about and save this for youth and adults. It would be a good idea to preview the movie privately simply because of some of the subject matter. I will say sin is portrayed for what it is, it certainly isn't glorified in this movie.
I grew up on the waterfront in a small town, and so much of the surroundings of the water, the seagulls, the shrimpers ring very familiar in the way of scenery and sounds of a shipyard, although our waterfront was much more picturesque and certainly not mob ruled, but entrepreneurial. There was no organized crime on our waterfront that I was ever aware of. Both my mother and father's families were waterfront business owners and workers, very, very hardworking people. Much of the clientele was that of other shrimpers, and on the weekends... city sailors who would come in and boat on their sailboats and luxury boats enjoying our family businesses. You may see a short light hearted bio of my family here in the middle of a blog on my thats-italian.blogspot. The waterfront makes for a special kind of people...Very real people, very non-materialistic people for the most-part, people who were just content with their gardens and businesses and corner grocery stores...They didn't need a movement to be that way, they just were. There was never talk of what kind of car or truck a person drove...Never talk of what jewelry a person owned. At least years ago that's the way it was in that little town... before the space program came in with liberal thinking in opposition to Christ that infiltrated our schools there. It was years before I saw the shallow side of materialism when I would delve into the city as an older youth. It was even more years later that I realized the foolishness, vanity and shallowness of many of those ways. Oh thank God I was delivered from that.
The following clip is so very powerful, we loved it, and I so pray we will also be Father Barrys in this life on earth.
"What you did for the least of these you have done unto Me..."
(Music may be muted at bottom of page for better listening of clips)
It may not be the love of money but sometimes it seems it's the love for accolades from men or women, for that grasping of acceptance that we see so many times. Whether it be for the love of money or pats on the back, or to be "well-liked" it equates so many if not all the times to a cowardice to stand for righteousness when things are sticky. I have a feeling many will understand exactly what I am saying.
Such a sad but powerful clip from "On the Waterfront" (1954)
At the end of the clip you will see this priest on the rise with the body of this man who would have testified the next day.
You will also see a lovely blond headed girl and her father, they recently lost their son- brother, Joey in the same fashion...Oh what chords this movie strikes.
The jacket presented to the girl in this clip? It was her brother's jacket. Her father had recently given the jacket to Duggan, the victim in this clip so he would have a nice jacket to wear.
This film has so much to chew and contemplate upon...
One of the most powerful and touching scenes is Marlon Brando telling his corrupted brother, "I could'a been somebody..."
It's many times the way people feel on this earth.
This very wayward unfair life on earth so many times...Times of misunderstandings, prejudices of many kinds and yes.... crucifixion. A crucifixion many times of character, it may be silent, it may be vocal...
What love is this?
I trust we will all love and speak the truth, standing for justice and the Lord's ways this week despite what others may think.
And if you feel as you've been sent to "Palookaville"? God has a plan for you...Yes He does. He can give you Beauty for Ashes. He is Faithful. It is never too late in life. The answer is Christ Jesus. The Cross. Victory at that Cross. Will you make Him Lord today?
Blessings to All...
