On the Waterfront

1. On the Waterfront Scene Analysis: Edie visits the rooftop

2. Guiding Questions • What sacrifices has Pop Doyle made for Edie? • What reasons does Edie give for not wanting to leave? • What does this scene tell us about Edie and her independence from her father? • Why has Terry been looking after Joey’s pigeons? • Why does Terry admire and care for the pigeons?

3. Mise en scène • The French term mise en scene means literally “put into the scene”. • It was first applied to the way a stage director controlled every detail seen by the audience for a play or opera – the set, the lighting, the colours, and so on. • The term is now most familiar for its cinema use. It refers to all of the visual elements in a particular scene (or whole film): costumes, lighting, make up, props, set design and characters.

4. Setting • Where is the scene set? • Are there any important landmarks? • Is this an important setting within the film?

5. Characters • How do they interact with each other? • What do you learn about them? • Important quotes?

6. Symbols • Rooftop • Birds: pigeons and hawks • Barriers: pigeon coop

7. Film Techniques • Camera angles and shots • Mise en scene • Music • Black and white – dark vs light

8. Making Links • How does Terry’s conversation about Pigeons and Hawks connect with the rest of the narrative? • What is the larger message about pigeons here and how does it differ with what has already been stated about them? • Themes: • What are some of the “big ideas” that are referred to in this scene?