In Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront, the Fourth of July features 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 inside the longshoremen’s neighborhood. Particularly, the celebratory environment serves to underscore the disillusionment and ethical decay festering beneath the floor of seemingly unusual lives. The juxtaposition emphasizes the hole between the idealized picture of America and the tough 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 battle in opposition to systemic corruption. By associating the vacation with the characters’ inner conflicts and exterior pressures, the movie elevates the non-public drama to a commentary on societal values. Traditionally, the movie’s manufacturing coincided with the McCarthy period, including a potent subtext of political strain and the challenges confronted by people talking out in opposition to injustice.
