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1 results

  • Chapter 17 - Film

  • from Part III - Composition, Creation, and Reception
  • Edited by Elizabeth A. Wells, Mount Allison University, Canada
  • Book:
    Leonard Bernstein in Context
    Published online:
    06 April 2024
    Print publication:
    28 March 2024, pp 140-148

  • Summary

    On the Waterfront (1954) offers a particularly interesting case study of both film and music in the 1950s. Elia Kazan’s iconic depiction of waterfront corruption in Hoboken, New Jersey is revered for its neorealist cinematic techniques, masterclass in method acting, and concern for the collective plight of blue-collar longshoremen, but is perhaps best remembered as a classic story of one man’s tragic fall and ultimate redemption through the love of a woman. Concerned that the film lacked sufficient ‘star power’ for success at the box office, independent film producer Sam Spiegel eventually convinced Leonard Bernstein to compose what would be his first and only film score. This chapter argues that Bernstein’s music interacts with the film’s narrative in a way that is not only remarkable for one’s first score, but also represents an important contribution to 1950s cinema, employing textures and influencing composers who are still with us today.