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Reading and RespondingFilm StudyOn the Waterfront directed by Elia KazanQuotations “D and D” (Deaf and Dumb) “stool pigeon” Scene 1: On the Waterfront Johnny to Terry: “Take it easy.” Joey to Terry: “I gotta watch myself these days.”Scene 2: Joey’s FallJoey was going to “sing to the crime commission.” Terry was unaware of the exact plans for dealing with Joey and thought that “the worst they was gonna do was lean on him a little bit.”The men joke cruelly about Joey “Maybe he could sing, but he couldn’t fly.” Mrs Collins tells the officer on the ground that the “same thing happened to my Andy five years ago.” Mrs Collins makes it known that Joey “was the only longshoreman that had the guts to talk to the crime investigators.”Pop Doyle’s refusal to speak and the officer’s understanding of how these people “feel about cops” show how the crime and corruption have been able to flourish in the neighbourhood.Edie asks: “Who would want to kill Joey?” Edie tells the officer to “stay away from him {Joey]”, refusing to allow him to be covered with newspaper.Father Barry offers “time and faith” as “great healers.” When Father Barry attempts to return to the church, Edie challenges him by asking: “Did you ever hear of a saint hiding in a church?”Terry is still standing outside Johnny Friendly’s Bar. Big Mac refers to him as a “punk”.“Keep quiet, you’ll live longer.”Scene 3: On the InsideJohnny bemoans the fact that “there’s nobody tough anymore.” Johnny greets Terry warmly with the names “slugger” and “kid”. Johnny reminisces about a past fight of Terry’s and describes him as being “real tough”, indicating that he has the qualities that Johnny values.Johnny refers to Terry as “our boy”, emphasising the parental role that he and Charley seem to have adopted. Charley tells that Johnny “had to keep his hand over his throat to stay alive and he still went after them.” This indicates the need for determination and resilience to survive in this community.Joey is described pejoratively as a “lousy cheese-eater” and a “bum”, showing the gang members’ attitude to informers.Terry struggles with his conscience and this seems to override any fear of Johnny, when he says that he “figured I should have been told.” This foreshadows the triumph of his conscience over his fear.Charley notices the beginnings of Terry’s nagging conscience and warns him not to forget the “friend” he has in Johnny. The scene ends with “pay day”.Terry envies the lives of the pigeons that consist of “eating, sleeping, flying around like crazy, raising gobs of squabs”. This once again illustrates Terry’s simple desires.Despite his tough exterior, we see Terry’s softer side as he shows concern for the birds and worries about them “catching cold”.Dugan makes facetious remarks about Johnny Friendly “the great labour leader.”Dugan’s comment that he is “poorer now than when I started” reminds the audience that the American Dream cannot be realised by these simple working class men.Scene 4: The Shape-UpDetective Glover remembers Terry from a “fight a couple of years ago”, hinting at the promise Terry had in the boxing ring.The appearance of Johnny’s banker JP emphasises the financial trap these men are in, as they are forced to take out loans – “If we don’t borrow, we don’t work.” Terry: “I don’t know nothing. I ain’t seen nothing and I’m not saying nothing.”Father Barry: “This is my parish. I don’t know how much I can do, but I’ll never find out unless I come down here and take a good look for myself.”Scene 5: We learn that “the waterfront is tougher...like it ain’t part of America”.The men are too frightened to stand up for themselves as “Johnny and his cowboys” have taken over the very union that is supposed to protect these men.Father Barry: “Is this all you do, just take it like this?”Scene 6: SafetyTerry sits on a pile of bags reading a magazine in the loft of the ship, enjoying the “cushy job” he was promised. Charley informs him of an “extra detail” for which he has been “nominated. Terry is reluctant to “stool”, but Charley quashes this reluctance by telling him that “stooling is when you rat on your friend.” Father Barry and a handful of longshoremen congregate in the church and Father Barry tries to convince them to “break the mob”, by revealing what they know about Joey’s death. “On the dock we’ve always been D and D...Deaf and Dumb. No matter how much we hate the torpedos, we don’t rat.”Father Barry views the situation as a moral struggle of “right against...wrong”. Scene 7: The Mob AttacksFather Barry throws two of the thugs out of the gates of his church and rescues Dugan, who agrees to “stand up” if Father Barry promises to continue the battle regardless of Dugan’s fate.Father Barry: “You stand up and I’ll stand up with you.”Scene 8: In the ParkEdie and Terry run into a “juicehead” in the park, who declares Joey a “saint, the only one who ever tried to get me compensation.” This reveals Joey’s history of standing up to those in power.Terry is referred to as a “bum” which shows how many in the community view him and his connections to Johnny Friendly.Edie: “Which side are you with?” Terry: “Me? I’m with me, Terry.” Scene 9: Father and DaughterPop Doyle: “Edie, for years your mom and me put quarters in the cookie jar to keep you up there with the sisters and keep you from things like I’ve just seen outside the window.”Scene 10: On the RooftopTerry: “You know this city is full of hawks? They hang around on top of the big hotels. They spot a pigeon in the park, right down on them.”Scene 11: Philosophies of LifeOver drinks, Edie and Terry share their philosophies of life. Edie advocates social responsibility and looking out for others, while Terry’s harsh life has taught him to focus on his own survival – “Down here it’s every man for himself.”Scene 12: DiscoveriesCharley again takes on a protective, parental role, attempting to shield Terry from Johnny’s wrath by blaming the “Doyle Broad”.Johnny warns Terry to stay away from Edie unless they’re both “tired of living.”Scene 14: The Crucifixion:Pop Doyle highlights the men’s cynical attitude to religion with his sarcastic comment: “The good lord takes care of us all the time.”Scene 15: The SermonFather Barry: “Taking Joey Doyle’s life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion. And dropping a sling on Kayo Dugan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow, that’s a crucifixion. And every time the mob puts the crusher on a good man to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen, it’s a crucifixion.”Scene 16: Confession:Terry seeks Father Barry out to confess to him that he was the one who “set Joey Doyle up for the knock-off.” He asks Terry to act according to his conscience and helps him find the courage to confess to Edie.Terry: “If I spill, my life ain’t worth a nickel.” Father Barry: “And how much is your soul worth if you don’t.”Scene 17: Deaf and Dumb:Scene 18: The Truth:Detective Glover visits Terry on the roof and Terry reveals that he threw his last fight as a “favour for a couple of pals”, reminding the audience of his unfulfilled talent. Terry: “When those guys want to win a bet, there’s nothing they won’t stop at.”In the local’s office, Charley attempts to defend his brother, but Johnny Friendly is not influenced by the fact that Terry is Charley’s “kid brother”. Scene 19: The Car Ride: Charley offers Terry the opportunity to become a “boss loader” who doesn’t “have to lift a finger” in exchange for not testifying against Johnny Friendly. Terry induces guilt in Charley for Terry’s missed opportunities – “I could have had class! I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody. Instead of a bum, which is what I am. Let’s face it. It was you, Charley.”Scene 20: Calling Terry:Mrs Collins: “That’s the same way they called Andy, the night I lost him.”Scene 22: Power through TruthFather Barry: “You want to hurt Johnny Friendly?...You’ll fight him in the courtroom tomorrow with the truth.”Scene 23: The CourtroomLawyer: “You’ve begun to make it possible for honest men to work the docks with job security and peace of mind.”Scene 24: The AftermathTommy throws a dead pigeon at his former hero: “A pigeon for a pigeon.” Edie fears for Terry’s safety, when he decides to go down to the shape-up “and get my rights.” “They always said I was a bum. Well I ain’t a bum, Edie.””Everybody works” with the exception of Terry, who is left standing, rejected for his treachery.Scene 25: The Final ConfrontationJohnny Friendly: “You ratted on us, Terry.” Terry: “From where you stand, maybe. But I’m standing here now.”Scene 26: Fighting like he used to Unable to defeat Terry on his own, Johnny’s thugs join him, resulting in a “massacre”.Johnny Friendly: “You want him? You can have him! The little rat’s yours.”Jimmy Collins: “How about Terry?” Longshoremen: “He don’t work, we don’t work.”Scene 27: The WalkA screaming, desperate Johnny Friendly screams “I’ll be back.”Jimmy Collins: “If Terry walks in, we walk in with him.”Father Barry: “You lost the battle, but you have a chance to win the war.” ................
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