On The Waterfront Scene Analysis Essay

The scene from the film On the Waterfront takes place inside the cargo hold of a cargo ship. A ship un-loader named Kayo Dugan has just been murdered and Father Barry has been called to say a prayer for Kayo. The scene is rich in the elements of Mise-en-scéne. From the costumes worn by the priest to the suits worn by the union leaders, we see a stark representation of the difference between good and evil. The location of the three different segregated groups is also significant in delivering the message in the scene. The scene represents the age old struggle between good an evil. The driving force behind the good and evil in the scene is money. Costumes and figure play an essential role in the scene and the scene comes to a resolution when the priest and the body …show more content…
The dress attire of the union leaders and mob bosses can be seen as the first link in the scenes hierarchy. As Father Barry pointed out they were all wearing $150 suits. The significance of that amount was that is was more then the hard working unloaders would make in a week. Their dress attire also included expensive hats, scarfs and watches. These were a stark contrast to the hats, scarfs, and watches worn by the unloaders. The gloves worn by the union leaders and mob bosses were clean designer gloves. The gloves signified the fact that they were not going to get their hands dirty but were going to have someone else do the work for them. The physical appearance of the union leaders and mob bosses also added into the scene. All of them were a bit overweight and you could tell that they did not have a problem finding a meal for the day. In addition to, their physical appearance showed that they were clean-shaven, hair was neatly done and that they were clean. This again pointed out the difference between them and the appearance of the workers. In contrast, we see the workers dressed in old raggy clothes