Terry Malloy dreams about being a prize fighter, while tending his pigeons and running errands at the docks for Johnny Friendly, the corrupt boss of the dockers union. Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny's thugs, and later meets the dead man's sister and feels responsible for his death. She introduces him to Father Barry, who tries to force him to provide information for the courts that will smash the dock racketeers.
Indisputably one of the great American films, its power undiminished.
– Kenneth Turan,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Dec 2004
fresh:
You miss this, you're buyin' a one-way ticket to Palookaville.
– Colin Covert,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
3 Mar 2005
fresh:
It's pretty electrifying.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
26 Jan 2006
fresh:
It's hard to deny that Marlon Brando's performance as a dock worker and ex-fighter who finally decides to rat on his gangster brother (Rod Steiger) is pretty terrific.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
12 Dec 2006
fresh:
Under Elia Kazan's direction, Marlon Brando puts on a spectacular show, giving a fascinating, multi-faceted performance as the uneducated dock walloper and former pug, who is basically a softie with a special affection for his rooftop covey of pigeons.