MovieChat Forums > On the Waterfront (1954) Discussion > Mediocre Score Really Hurts The Performa...

Mediocre Score Really Hurts The Performances

posted 11 years ago by mail-2217
10 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this again for the first time in 10 years. I never thought I'd say this about Leonard Bernstein, but I think the score for this thing is -the- worst aspect of the movie (well except for the dummy that gets thrown off the building in the opening. :D )

I had forgotten that Bernstein did the score and almost from the begining I was struck by how overwrought it is. Almost a caricature of those 'Blackboard Jungle' movies with lots of latin drums and brass to tell the audience, 'this is a rough area!'

I think a lot of the complaints about Brando or any of the acting has to do with that. In the scenes where there isn't any music... where you can just focus on the raw acting... you get a much better idea of the subtlety.

Like near the end where Malden hits Brando, it's great and then Malden offers him a beer and the music swells and it immediately feels cartoony again.

I think if you could somehow see this thing without the music, I think Brando would only look even more masterful.

[–] woodie66 11 years ago

Your points about Bernstein's score are well taken, but for me the real crime is how Bernstein pirated huge sections of Copland's BILLY THE KID for this score. Give the Copland a listen sometime. It is criminal. Plagiarism.

[–] nutsberryfarm 11 years ago

something like miles davis' work on 'elevator to the gallows' would have been perfect.

Season's Greetings!

[–] joekiddlouischama 11 years ago

As a film, On the Waterfront is sort of torn between the past and the future, and perhaps Bernstein's score reflects that mild discrepancy.

I don't see how the score detracts from the performances at all, though, nor do I think that it's necessarily more consequential than any number of other elements.

[–] Degree7 11 years ago

I thought the score was a little too "West Side Story"-ish, but for the most part, I liked it.

Limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief: directly proportional to its awesomeness.

[–] pieeatingpirate 10 years ago

Completely agree. I had two people in my house who weren't watching it that walked by comment on the music.
It was totally overwrought and lacked any subtlety. The performances were great but there were times I could only focus on the horrible music. Real shame.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (49761343) 10 years ago

The score was so awful as to be nearly distracting. Bernstein was a great broadway legend (and nothing can take that away from him) but absolutely terrible as a film composer and clearly didn't understand basic things like: music cuing, motif, etc. The worst example is the scene in which we see Saint's character go up to Brando's pigeon coop for the first time. The music just swells for no reason as if the characters were about to have an emotional outburst. Yet all they're doing is exchanging small talk. Really bad, one of the worst scores I've ever heard, with the Fifth Element coming in a close second.

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[–] JacintoCupboard 9 years ago

I agree with the OP; the soundtrack is truly awful.

[–] zucchiniesinbikinies 9 years ago

100% agree - I was so surprised by how timeless this movie felt except whenever the music cut in (also that typical old movie gimmick of slap and kiss the girl - ridiculously outdated!)

[–] lubin-freddy 9 years ago

The use of music in the film might be over-the-top, but I wouldn't call it "mediocre". It's still Bernstein, and still interesting music. But I agree that a more jazzy score could have worked better.

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