Tear Jerker / On the Waterfront

• Terry Malloy's taxi ride with his brother Charley the Gent. Today, most folks may know the powerful line "I could have been a contender ..." as a throw away quote, as if a hackneyed joke. In context, however, it's quite different. It sums up Terry's entire life of lost and stolen chances and his realization of just who he was and how he got there and that for all his tough bravado he really was nothing but a bum, a pawn in someone else's game. It sets the stage for his climb out of futile nothingness to his own final crowning moment of glory. It is also a reminder of just how good an actor a young Marlon Brando was.
• Charley's death. Charley had just realized he had sabotaged his younger brother's chances for a bright future, and feels remorse for his actions for probably the first time ever. He tried making up for it by giving Terry his gun for defense against Friendly and his goons, but unfortunately, Johnny Not-So-Friendly found out about Charley's caring side for Terry and that he let Terry go (the taxi driver was working for Friendly) and Charley gets murdered by Friendly and his goons. Plus his body was shown and hung up where Terry could see it, mocking Terry that his brother was killed due to his failure.
• Terry being forced to confess his accidental role in Joey's death to Edie (Joey's sister.) In a way, it's a sad moment for both Terry and Edie. It's one for Terry because Edie was first good thing that had happened to Terry for quite some time, and one of the only people who managed to see the good in him, when even her own father refused to support him. So seeing Edie break down into tears and break up with him after all that progress would be heartbreaking. Having most of the dialogue drowned by ship noises doesn't help at all. It's one for Edie as well because she had found out her own brother died a few days ago, and Edie saw something in Terry that just felt so right. Imagine meeting someone you really like, only to find out they took a role in the death (accidental or not) of one of your loved ones. You'd break into tears as well.
• Terry becoming an outcast by the people of the waterfront after he testifies against Johnny Friendly and exposes his true nature. To clarify, Terry had spend most of his life working under Friendly, conflicted over choosing to mind his own business or expose Friendly and risk a painful death like the other victims. So when he finally gets the courage to expose Friendly's actions, him becoming deserted by the dockworkers for being a hero, wouldn't be anyone's first choice.
  • And to drive that point home, the same neighborhood kids who used to look up to Terry and share his pigeon interests, ending up killing all of his pigeons. Kids Are Cruel would be an understatement.

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