On the Waterfront: The Final Shooting Script

by Budd Schulberg

Book by Schulberg, Budd

Genres: Fiction, Film, Plays, Drama

Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Budd Schulberg (1914–2009) was a screenwriter, novelist, and journalist who is best remembered for the classic novels What Makes Sammy Run?, The Harder They Fall, and the story On the Waterfront, which he adapted as a novel, play, and an Academy Award–winning film script. Born in New York City, Schulberg grew up in Hollywood, where his father, B. P. Schulberg, was head of production at Paramount, among other studios. Throughout his career, Schulberg worked as a journalist and essayist, often writing about boxing, a lifelong passion. Many of his writings on the sport are collected in Sparring with Hemingway (1995). Other highlights from Schulberg’s nonfiction career include Moving Pictures (1981), an account of his upbringing in Hollywood, and Writers in America (1973), a glimpse of some of the famous novelists he met early in his career. He died in 2009.

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review soon!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deciding whether I liked or loathed this book is a complicated question. My local library had a film historian come and talk about this screenplay, one of his favorites, which in reading now, to me, feels like an extended apologia for Kazan and Schulberg naming names.
It's a brilliant movie, it's good reading, but the men who made it and why they made it, it's a complex topic. After reading the screenplay and hearing the talk I spent a whole day researching the blacklist, and who Kazan named and what happened to them.

Father Barry (Karl Malden) says to Terry Molloy (Marlon Brando) “You want to be brave? Firing lead into another man’s flesh isn’t brave. Any bum who picks up a .45 in a pawnshop can be that brave. You want to hurt Johnny Friendly?...Don’t fight him like a hoodlum down here in the jungle. Fight him tomorrow in the courtroom – with the truth as you know it – Truth is the gun…”

If I enjoy this film/ screenplay does that say I agree with what Kazan did? An actor he named, Philip Loeb commited suicide. He'd been on a television and radio show "The Goldbergs." The star of that show tried to flaunt the blacklist. But Kazan and Schulberg were such big stars, if they'd said 'no, I'm not going to name names,' HUAC would not have had power in Hollywood.

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Waterfront by Budd Schulberg
Powerful, great themes, strong characters and eight Oscars for the film

The movie with Marlon Brando is well known and considered one of the best ever made.

Until the other day, I didn't know about the play with the same name.

The film was directed by Elia Kazan, who was both acclaimed as a magnificent film maker and loathed for his collaboration with the "anti-American" committee or commission whatever it was.

When we was honored at the Oscars, part of the audience protested by sitting down.

And there is a paradox.
Kazan, who hated the Reds, if we think of his testimony, made On the Waterfront.
And the play and movie Mae left wing statements.

In fact, at the center of the plot there is a conflict between the mob and the unions.
For many years, the Mafia controlled the leaders and the syndicates.
Think Godfather and the making of that masterpiece itself, which the mob did not like and threatened to stop, through their grip on the unions.

The play starts with the death of a brave young man, killed because he took a stand against Johnny Friendly.
In the film he is played by Edgar G Robinson, born in Romania, if I remember well.
This evil and lead role is given to Hector Elizondo in the play.

The mafia gives all the jobs on the dockside and they take cuts from all the profits.

A preacher, outraged by what was happening decided to take action.
He offers to those disenchanted a place to talk in his church.
Terry Malloy is sent by the Goodfellas to look in and see who is inclined to cause trouble.
Stool pigeon is one of the names given to those who talk to the police.
Rat is another.
And they get assassinated.

Terry Malloy, the main personage suffers a transformation and perhaps we could argue that he is absolved.
Starting as a bum, a man who does dirty work for the Wise Guys, he falls in love with Edie Doyle and his evil past has ended.
Sort of.
There are some moments of dry, dark humor.
Terry talks about his days as a professional boxer.
He was very good and is still admired for his past, albeit not for the present.
He won many...all the matches until...
- I was told to take a dive
- You mean...in the water
- Yeah, sure...I was training in a pool

One thing I dislike about Terry and most of his buddies is their rough, uneducated style.
True, it makes him even more admirable, when he takes valiant positions and shows that he can have a moral, ethical attitude.
But I am not thrilled when they talk like rednecks, which I guess they are.

Eight Oscars have been awarded to the film.

And both the film and the play are meaningful, worthwhile and great entertainment.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

intense writing! :-)

[Fred Sprinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A near perfect screenplay: simple, philosophical, moving, gritty, and hopeful.

The romance part feels a bit fake today, but I think this can be easily forgiven.

[Rêbwar Kurd · Rating 4 out of 5]

در بارانداز فیلمی‌ست به کارگردانی الیا کازان که نه تنها یکی از ماندگارترین آثار سینمای آمریکا، بلکه یک تحلیل عمیق و تلخ از وجوه تاریک روح انسان، فساد سیستماتیک و معنای شجاعت است. داستان فیلم در بندر نیویورک می‌گذرد، جایی که کارگران بندر تحت سلطه‌ی سندیکاهای مافیایی زندگی می‌کنند و در ترس دائمی از خشونت و کنترل هستند.

کازان با ظرافتی بی‌نظیر، فضای خفقان‌آور و محاصره‌شده‌ی بندر را به تصویر می‌کشد؛ جایی که هر حرکت و هر کلمه ممکن است به قیمت جان یا آبروی فرد تمام شود. شخصیت اصلی، تری مالوی، یک کارگر سابق بوکس است که حالا به عنوان بازرسان بندر کار می‌کند و بین وفاداری به دوستان قدیمی و عدالت اخلاقی گرفتار شده است. تری نماد تقابل بین سکوت تحمیلی و مقاومت فردی‌ست؛ مردی که باید انتخاب کند یا در سایه بماند و زنده بماند، یا علیه ظلم برخیزد و با ریسک مرگ یا تبعید زندگی کند.

فیلم، با نگاهی واقع‌گرایانه و بی‌پرده، فساد و خشونت اقتصادی را آشکار می‌کند و نشان می‌دهد چگونه ترس و سازش، همبستگی و عدالت را در هم می‌ریزد. صحنه‌های نمادینی مانند لحظه‌ای که تری در برابر جمعیت فریاد می‌زند و علیه فساد شهادت می‌دهد، لحظه‌های تأثیرگذاری‌ست از شورش درونی و شکستن زنجیرهای بی‌عدالتی.

بازی مارلون براندو در نقش تری، از بهترین اجراهای تاریخ سینماست؛ بازی‌ای که از سکوت‌ها و نگاه‌ها ساخته شده و قدرت احساسی عمیقی به شخصیت می‌بخشد. حضور اورسون ولز، ایوا ماری سنت و کارگردانی دقیق کازان، فیلم را به اثری تبدیل کرده که حتی بعد از بیش از نیم قرن همچنان تازگی و قوت خود را حفظ کرده است.

در بارانداز فیلمی‌ست درباره‌ی انتخاب، مسئولیت و دگرگونی در برابر قدرت‌هایی که قصد دارند اراده‌ی فرد را خرد کنند. کازان به شکلی استادانه نشان می‌دهد که شجاعت واقعی، در مواجهه با ترس و خیانت، هنوز می‌تواند معنا داشته باشد. این فیلم، همان‌قدر که داستانی اجتماعی و سیاسی است، قصیده‌ای‌ست به جان‌های زخم‌خورده و به تلاش برای بازپس‌گیری انسانیت در جهانی که همه چیز را به معامله گذاشته است.

[James Farrant · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason I was expecting a more challenging read from this book, but it was relatively fast paced. The reason for the three star rating is that the main characters do not become fully fleshed:to such a degree that you get to know the lesser folk just as well; if not better. Also I found that the story was not rounded out enough. Still, a good read.

[Saman]

در صورت تمایل، جهت مشخصات فیلمی که بر اساس این کتاب ساخته شده‌ است؛ می‌توانید از لینک زیر استفاده بفرمایید
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047296

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it for my Screenwriting class!

[Lindsay Diggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this movie so much. Love times like, whatever the largest number is. Like that sideways 8 sign.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining on a boring airplane ride!