It’s a great film, in no small part due to Marlon Brando’s staggering performance and Leonard Bernstein’s blustering score.

Malloy makes an unlikely proxy for Kazan, though. A former boxer with the eyes of a showgirl, he was the role of a lifetime for Brando, whose Method-schooled blend of machismo and vulnerability redefined acting for a generation.

The supporting cast is wonderful, but it’s Brando who lights up every part of this film.

On the Waterfront is a film that would change cinema for years to come.