On the waterfront: the American Dream
In Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront the metaphor of the American dream is portrayed through some images that reconstruct the mirror of the American working-class society of the 50’s. The mise en- scène used in the film together with the characters’ performance are the key elements that eventually contribute to the connection between the reflection of the desired American Dream and the realistic tone offered in the film.
As regards the stylistic techniques used by the director, the photographic image and the sound are the most important elements to be considered: the use of black and white photography together with the lack of music offers a very realistic portrayal of the work conditions under which American workers had to live on the New York waterfront at that time. These techniques were precisely the ones that made this film be far away from the typical romantic comedies and musicals which were shown in the film industry of the......
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