10 Movies That Aren't About What You Think
8. It's About The Hollywood Blacklist - On The Waterfront
Elia Kazan's masterful, Best Picture-winning drama On the Waterfront follows boxer-turned-dockworker Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) as he's compelled to expose the crimes of a local mob boss in order to put a stop to the rising tide of violence.
Though it's easily missed if watching the film today without its full historical context, On the Waterfront was actually director Kazan's response to those who criticised him for his 1952 testimony before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC).
Kazan identified eight Communists in the film industry, in turn contributing to the infamous "Hollywood blacklist," which saw named Communists denied work throughout Hollywood. This led Kazan to become a pariah in many industry circles, and ensured he remained a controversial figure for the rest of his life. Kazan defiantly defended his decision to testify for years afterwards, and On the Waterfront is largely accepted to be his attempt to explain, even celebrate, the very act of informing.
While it doesn't make Elia Kazan's film any less brilliant, it does cast a strange, uneasy pall over its accomplishments, especially given that history hasn't been remotely kind to Kazan's decision to turn in his colleagues.