Near the Waterfront

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2005)

Four good actors portray two couples trapped in a modern Shakespearean tragedy about "justice" and cycles of violence. Eastwood undoubtedly saw the first run of "On the Waterfront." Some scenes here are reminiscent of the style of that classic. Good mystery plot heavy on coincidence as usual in this genre. But that helps dramatize the point that without the justice system, circumstantial (i.e. coincidental) evidence would often convict the innocent. The ending is a reasonable commentary on the evolution of a criminal gang leader. That he would get a pass from his wife or friend couldn't be uncommon. Much of the violence in the world is deemed "justified."