"Are you looking at me? I don’t see anyone else around, so you must be looking at me?"
No, that line isn’t from this movie, but it is kind of amazing when a line becomes so iconic that we can instantly spot a movie we haven’t even seen because of it.
“We don’t need no stinkin’ badges.”
“Hasta la vista, baby.”
“Dude, where’s my car?”
Alright, maybe the last one is a bit of a giveaway, but we all know instantly where "I could have been a contender" came from.
I think lines this iconic come from such a pure place in the movie, giving us a feel for what the whole thing is about in just a sentence or two. Those who haven’t seen On the Waterfront but know the line can get a sense of it, but only sitting down and watching it delivers the full experience.
Here we are with 1954’s On the Waterfront, written by Budd Schulberg and directed by Elia Kazan.
The message in this movie is carried strongly throughout: our actions matter.
Most everyone in the movie is at the mercy of Lee J. Cobb’s character. All actions are essentially his actions.
Marlon Brando’s character, Terry, compromises himself throughout. We learn in his past that he took a dive in a fight he could have won,not because it was the right thing to do, but because it was the easier thing.
He lures his friend to a rooftop to be thrown off (I mean, he thought it would just be a beating, but still... dude, meeting on a roof?).
It’s not until the end that, unlike the other dock workers, he takes a stand for what’s right. He gets the shit beat out of him, but in the process, he leads a revolution.
A lot can be said about the directing and cinematography of On the Waterfront, which are straight-up amaze-balls, but what stands above all else is the acting.
Lee J. Cobb might have secured the spot of my favorite old-time actor with his role here, but really, every single performance is amazing.
It’s maybe a bit over-the-top compared to acting styles today, but it always feels right because it’s so damn authentic.
And yeah, Brando got the Best Actor Oscar for this, but I still don’t think the performances in this get talked about enough.
It’s for sure one of those movies—like Cobb’s other banger, 12 Angry Men—that makes me nostalgic for films of that era.
I’d say pretty well, considering it actually comes in the middle of a longer line:
"I coulda been somebody. I coulda been a contender."
A sad, meaningful line—full of longing to do something more—delivered through impeccable acting. Yes, I’d say it represents the film completely.
So if you haven’t seen this yet, what are you doing? Go see it. It’s great.
But at least if you haven’t, that six-word phrase you probably already knew is actually a perfect trailer for the film.