In Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront, the Fourth of July capabilities as a backdrop for pivotal scenes highlighting the movie’s exploration of ethical corruption and particular person redemption. The vacation’s connotations of patriotism and nationwide beliefs distinction sharply with the moral compromises and betrayals depicted throughout the longshoremen’s neighborhood. Particularly, the celebratory ambiance serves to underscore the disillusionment and ethical decay festering beneath the floor of seemingly odd lives. The juxtaposition emphasizes the hole between the idealized picture of America and the cruel realities confronted by these struggling for justice and dignity.
This symbolic use of Independence Day provides one other layer of complexity to the movie’s narrative. It reinforces the central themes of ethical duty and the wrestle in opposition to systemic corruption. By associating the vacation with the characters’ inside conflicts and exterior pressures, the movie elevates the private drama to a commentary on societal values. Traditionally, the movie’s manufacturing coincided with the McCarthy period, including a potent subtext of political stress and the challenges confronted by people talking out in opposition to injustice.
