In On The Waterfront, Elia Kazan chronicles the transformative journey of an inarticulate but sensitive Terry Malloy; exploring the ensuing battle within her conscience as she grapples with her growing sense of morality. Terry becomes his own man, throwing off the chains of dependence on his brother Charley. The film captures Terry's changing ethical perceptions through his interactions with the characters who populate the waterfront. From the virginal guiding force of Edie Doyle to the tyrannical grip of Johnny Friendly, Schilberg and Kazan create a world in which a bumbling "former oilman" with no moral vocabulary is seen as a hero by speaking out against the injustices of a community reduced to silence. But to do this, he defies the ambient reluctance of local residents. In this way, Kazan provides insight into the value of the individual at times when there is no impulse for personal reflection in a community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Relationships forged by circumstances on the waterfront lead Terry to re-examine the very core of his being. From the beginning of the film, the audience is introduced to Terry as a naive, uneducated “tramp” who does what he is told. After having been, without knowing it, complicit in Joey Doyle's coup, Terry, incredulous, who thought "they were just going to lean on him a little", does not seem to be able to completely understand the extent of his situation. Although he acknowledges that “he was a good boy,” Terry's vocabulary is devoid of any moral substance; he cannot express any real emotion, preferring instead the apathetic "Ionno". However, when considering Terry's character, the audience must also appreciate the context in which he grew up; the cold, harsh culture of the Waterfront that preaches "the deaf and the dumb" and encourages a callous sense of justice. These traits are not shared by Edie Doyle and Father Barr, strangers to the Waterfront. Both characters share an idealized view of people that sees them constrained by Christianity, fairness, and brotherhood ("Shouldn't everyone care about everyone else?"). After Terry and Edie escape from the Church, the two avoid eye contact; Yet from the moment their eyes meet, there is a palpable attraction enhanced by the exhilarating violins in the background. The audience sees Terry's infatuation with Edie to make this man appear courteous and graceful, with a natural and disarming demeanor. Terry feels comfortable with Edie, and as his concern for her grows, he is only defended by her plea to "help me for God's sake." Kazan chooses to film the scene as a close-up of Terry to capture every burst of body language that lends itself to unease; her lip trembling and the incessant rubbing of her chin. The scene depicts a situation that Terry's heart has never experienced before and yet we see his rapid change in priorities, from a fear of Johnny Friendly to Edie being "angry at [him]". Thus, it is evident that Terry's belief in something deeper than his own well-being brings him clarity; the ability to see beyond the person he is, to the person he must become. The voice of every man and woman on the waterfront has been marked by submission over years of bearing witness to the distorted reality of Hoboken; singing “like a canary” meant your wings would be put to the test. Traditionally, the community has given in to Johnny Friendly's regime, for fear of reprisals. As a result, the concepts of loyalty and disloyalty are very vague. “Loyalty”,..