I really like this movie. Shows the reality of crooked unions leaders and a battle of justice for the "little guy" May bore a young viewer (its filmed in black and white) but I recently watched it with a young teen who enjoyed it. Violence is throughout movie. Thugs murdering and beating up people and animals, etc. Overall, good message of fighting for what you believe in and not cowering to bullies with threats and weapons. Also shows how they went through appropriate channels to seek justice. Didn't just take law in own hands, but sought the judicial system and tried to settle things the right way first.

Here is a film gritty, harsh, and violent, but also curiously compassionate and courageous. Here Marlon Brando gives the performance of his career, as Terry Malloy, pawn of a vicious mob boss. Here Elia Kazan takes a film shot in a violence-ridden location (cast and crew actually needed police protection) and makes it into a thing of beauty. This is must-see cinema, folks, although some violence makes it unsuitable for under 13. Though the violence isn't constant or gratuitous, when it does show up it hurts. Main characters are killed, shot, impaled, and crushed. One character is shot, and his body is hung on a fence for others to see. Many characters get in fights, and, in the end, the main character is bloodied up very badly. The main character is a good role model: though he initially makes bad choices, his guilt drives him to become a better, more responsible person who risks his life for justice.