*havent spell checked, only mark on content please*
'On The Waterfront suggests that redemption is only possible when people are honest with themselves and others' Do you agree?
Elia Kazan's film, On The Waterfront ultimately suggests that a person must accept the consequences of their actions and be honest with themselves and others in order to receive redemption. The film portrays the lifes of a 'bum' and his fellow 'longshormens' within a corrupt and dictating society. Terry is apart of the power hungry union which controls, only until he is used by them and found guilty of treachery as he lured the unsuspecting Joey Doyle on to the rooftop where he was murdered by Johnny Friendly's thugs. Terry was an unwitting accompalice, believing naively that the men were just going to 'rough him up' which ultimately makes him 'feel funny' for most of the film and allows for him to become aware of his 'conscience'. The 1954 set drama fundamentally shows the redemption of Terry, for the part he played in Joey Doyle murder, to which allows for Father Barry to receive redemption, for letting his community be dictated to and Charley, who made his brother a 'bum'.
With only being exposed to a world of corruption it was no wonder terry had lost touch with his conscience. He is consistently oblivious to the corruption at the commencement of the film and in exchange receieves a comfortable and secure lifestyle. It is only until Terry is used by the mob to lure his friend and fellow worker to his death that terry begins to question the complete loyalty he gives to the mob. Mannerisms such as looking away, putting his hand behind he head and stuffing his hands into his pockets suggest to the audience malloy has a lot more things on his mind that he is leading on and is in fact racked with guilt after Joey's death. Throughout much of the film though, Terry however lacks the strength of character required to stand up for what is right and wrong and struggles with the idea of deserrting the code of deaf and dumb despite 'feel[ing] funny'. As Father Barry increases his presence among the docks instead of 'hiding in a church' and Terry develops strong feelings for Joey's sister, Edie does he want to make things right. He is ultimately driven to confess his part in the murder to Father Barry and Edie as his conscience begins to trouble him and learns to accept responsibility. He realises he must abide by his conscience despite the fact the mob can give him 'a little bit of change', because this means nothing if he cannot be true to himself and live a life following his own internal moral code. It takes the death of his brother to bring him to the point however, of where he can give evidence to the governement inquiry and bring down Johnny Friendly. Terry's testimony clearly highlights the power of the truth and how it is fundamentally right to break group silence in a tough sitaution even if a person appeals to 'rat' on his friends to be at peace with ones self. In the process Terry effectively strips friendly of all his power while wearing joey's jacket to which has represented a passing mantle of reponisbility for exposing the truth throughout the film. Through his actions Terry not only redeems himself, but allows for the workers to be free of the deaf and dumb policy, edie to get justice for her brother's death and Father Barry to regain control of his church and people.
Johnny Friendly's right hand man and older brother of Terry, Charley also shows the possbility of redemption only once one is honest with themselves. Labelled the 'butcher in a camelhair coat' within the film, Charley has benefited greatly from the corruption and from the devotion he has shown to Johhny Friendly. He ultimately used his intelligence to raise himself out of poverty and as a cost put aside any moral scruples to do so. He however maintains his family loyalty to his younger brother. He covers up for Terry when he stumbles over counting the money in the beginning and he pleads for his brother when Friendlys patience is at an end. However it is demostrated that Charley doesnt always have his brothers best interest at heart. He sacrifices his brother's chance of being a 'somebody' with no consideration to ultimately make him a 'bum'. He constantly tells Terry 'you got a real friend here, now dont forget it' to gurantee both of them to 'have a little bit of change in their pockets'. His position in Johhny's gang becomes increasingly precarious however, as he becomes pulled between two strong loyalities, in the case of family and self interest when Terry realises his existance of his conscience and wants to redeem his actions by exposing the corruption. In the taxi scene, Charley comes to realise that he has used his brother, broken his trust in him and takes responsbility of the fact that Terry's life has been scarified for money. As the 'butcher in the camelhair coat' he has sent many men to the 'bottom of the river' but he will not sanction the murder of his own brother. Terry has lacked the strength of chracter and ability to articulate that he 'fe[lt] funny' until this point. He suffers inner guilt about Terry's lack of success and the fact that he cant be a 'somebody'. Charley is primarily told by Friendly earlier that one 'cant have it both ways'. Terry's gentle approach finally shames him into choosing to save his brothers life and risk his own to allow for him to be a 'somebody'. His self sacrifice shows his final attempt in a need to make right, his wrong and to make up for his previous actions.
Father Barry provides the moral voice of the film. This is only until, however he is put into action by the challenging words of 'did you ever here of a saint hiding in a church' by Edie Doyle that Father Barry becomes articulate, inspiring and courageous. Before being empowered to act , he was presented as naive when he asks the workers 'what about your union' and basically hid 'in a church'. Father Barry thereby undergoes a transformation to which is parallel to Terry's with both basically realising the potential to act. It could be said that Father Barry feels an element of guilt for allowing the mob to take contol of the waterfront and exploiting the workers. It can thereby be said that Father Barry, himself goes on a journey of redemption, to ultimately regain control of his community and to 'make it possible for honest men to work the docks with job secuirty and peace of mind'. Father Barry acts as a contrast to the workers deaf and dumb code when he fearlessly preaches human rights and dignity 'How can we call ourselves christians and protect these murders with out silence'. He uses the death of dungan as an opportunity to accuse the men of condoning the actions of the mob and is cruical for the final act of defiance by cleverly challenging Terry to stand up to Johnny Friendly, to which allows him and terry to both receive redemption.
It is through being exposed to a life without corruption and given hope and strength by Edie that Terry realises the responsibility he has to not only to the community, murdered Joey, Dungan and Charley but himself as well. It is through his actions that he ultimately decides in order to face up to wrongs within society one must be true to their morals just like Kazan did when testifying at the HUAC thereby a process of redemption occurs. It is through his actions furthermore that he allowed the workers to be free of the deaf and dumb policy, edie to get justice for her brother's death and father barry to regain control of is church and people. It is however, highly ambigious in the concluding scene of the film to suggest that corruption will always be present but one must learn from these situations in order to have a strong moral code to not need an act of redemption.
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