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5.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Frisco Waterfront remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a thing for old-school political dramas that don't know when to quit, maybe. But if you hate watching a guy make every wrong choice in his marriage while trying to get elected, steer clear. It’s definitely not for everyone, especially if you’re looking for something that moves faster than a tugboat on the bay.
The movie starts with a truck turning a polling station into kindling. It’s an oddly brutal way to kick off a movie that mostly spends its time talking in wood-paneled offices. Talk about an entrance.
After that, we get stuck in a flashback loop that feels like it’s never going to end. We follow Burton from being a broke veteran to a guy in a fancy suit. It’s the usual ladder-climbing stuff, but the way he treats his wife is just… yikes. You find yourself hoping he stays unemployed for a little longer just so he can work on his personality.
There’s a weird weight to the scenes on the docks. It feels like the director actually spent time there, even if the rest of the film feels like it was put together in a rush. Some of the extras look like they wandered over from a different movie entirely, maybe from something like The Shadows of a Great City, just standing around looking confused while the main cast yells at each other.
The dialogue is thick. Sometimes it’s sharp, but other times it’s just people stating the obvious while staring intensely at wallpaper. Classic, I guess.
I couldn't help but think about how much better this could have been if it just focused on the docks. The courtroom stuff? Snooze. It reminds me a bit of the pacing in Voltaire, where you’re just waiting for something to actually break the rhythm, but it never really does.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely even a coherent stroll through a life. But if you’re into the grit of the waterfront and don't mind a protagonist who is kind of a jerk, you’ll get through it. Just don’t expect to remember much once the credits roll. ⚓️
