The mise-en-scène, or physical environment in which On
the Waterfront takes place, is not a set. Kazan and his
crew filmed On the Waterfront on the actual docks
and piers of Hoboken, New Jersey, in view of New York City. Kazan
achieves authenticity and grit thanks to the backdrops of the inner
cargo holds of ships, the cramped, dank spaces in which the union
workers live, and the seedy, smoky bars of the area. No amount of
careful art direction could result in a set that comes even close
to the real thing. Even many of Johnny Friendly’s goons were not
actors. Instead, they were actual former heavyweight boxers who
were hired for their rough demeanor and imposing physical presence.
Many of the longshoremen, too, were actual workers from the Hoboken
docks. The background sounds on the dock—ships’ whistles and chains
clanging through metal loops—add to the realistic aural environment.
All of these decisions result in an environment that heightens the
reality and depth of the characters’ struggles and emotions.
Kazan filmed On the Waterfront outside
on the docks in what happened to be one of New York’s coldest winters
in years. Breaths are visible and steam up in the bone-cold air.
A small detail like this suggests the brutal treatment these dock
workers face daily, not only from the corrupt union officials but
from the elements themselves. The visible breaths also affirm the
unique existence of each character—it’s difficult to lump any of
these men into the background. The cold took its toll on Kazan’s
actors—Kazan says the hardest job of his directing was to get the
actors to come out into the cold. The actors didn’t have to stretch
to act cold from the comforts of a climate-controlled set. With
so many natural elements to the mise-en-scène,
the actors were free to focus entirely on their characters’ emotions.
The steamy hot air seeping up through the sewers or steam
being released on the docks creates a misty visual atmosphere. The
drifts of steam and cloud suggest the moral ambiguity of every character. When
Malloy finally tracks down Father Barry to confess, for instance,
they walk through an indistinct park, with steam swirling all around
them, a seeming manifestation of the uncertain and frightening terrain
through which they’re each carefully trying to find their way.
Ironically, the profoundly intimate taxicab scene is
the one major scene that was not shot on location. It was shot in
half a taxi’s shell in a studio—proof that the actors’ skill can
shine in settings both false and real.
