Watch Edge Of The City

Edge of the City is a 1957 film directed by Martin Ritt starring an ensemble cast including John Cassavetes, Sidney Poitier, and Jack Warden. The film is a gritty and realistic portrayal of what it was like to work on the docks in 1950s New York City. The film opens with Axel North (John Cassavetes) arriving at the docks looking for work. He's initially rebuffed but eventually manages to land a job working with Charlie Malick (Jack Warden), a tough but fair foreman who takes him under his wing. Axel quickly becomes friends with Tommy Tyler (Sidney Poitier), a black dockworker who's experienced his share of discrimination on the job.

As the two become close, they soon find themselves at odds with Big Mac (Leo Gordon), a bullying boss who's looking to drive a wedge between them. When Tommy stands up to Big Mac, the two men become embroiled in a bitter feud that threatens to tear their friendship apart.

Edge of the City is a powerful film that explores themes of individualism, racism and masculinity. The film's setting, the gritty docks of New York, is used to great effect in establishing the atmosphere of the film, and the cast is uniformly excellent, with particular praise going to Cassavetes, Poitier and Warden.

Cassavetes is perfectly cast as the troubled and conflicted Axel, a man haunted by his past who's looking to find his place in the world. Poitier, meanwhile, is a revelation as Tommy, bringing a quiet dignity and strength to the role that's rare in films from this era. And Warden's portrayal of Charlie Malick is one of his finest performances, a complex character who's both tough and kind, and who acts as a surrogate father figure to Axel.

The film doesn't shy away from the racism and discrimination that was commonplace in the 1950s, and it's incredibly impactful to see a film from this era that tackles these themes head-on. The friendship between Axel and Tommy is a complex and nuanced one, and the film does an excellent job of showing the two men coming to understand each other's struggles.

While the film is primarily a character-driven drama, there are occasional bursts of action, most notably in the film's climactic scene, a harrowing showdown on the docks between Tommy and Big Mac. It's a tense and thrilling sequence that's made all the more powerful by the emotional weight the film has built up to this point.

Overall, Edge of the City is a film that still resonates today, over 60 years after its release. It's a powerful exploration of themes that are just as relevant now as they were in 1957, and it features a standout cast delivering some of their best work. This is a film that deserves to be seen and appreciated by modern audiences.

Edge Of The City is a 1957 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 25 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2.