5) On The Waterfront (dir. Elia Kazan)
The Plot: Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) was once a promising prize-fighter, but after losing an important bout at Madison Square Garden, he now spends his time tending to his pigeons and running errands at the docks run by the corrupt Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). One night, Terry witnesses a murder by two of Johnny’s thugs, and when he meets the dead man’s sister (Eva Marie Saint), she and the local bishop (Karl Malden) try to influence him to testify against Friendly and his gang.
Why Black and White?: This is an example of a film that has become so iconic in its black and white form that the only reason not to change it is to preserve the majesty of the original experience. The scenes that have since become memorable, the lines that have become a part of the American language, Marlon Brando’s amazing performance, and the images ingrained in our heads are all connected to the 1954 version that won a multitude of Academy Awards.
Adding color to this film would create a separate experience; an experience that would make Terry’s grand journey towards enlightenment outdated and undesirable. And any other version of On the Waterfront would cripple the wonder the original brought forth; there are movies that need help, and there are movies that are perfect from the get-go. This one falls into the latter category.
