Columbia-TriStar Home Entertainment's DVD release of Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront is a fine and worthwhile tribute to the film and to its legacy. The picture, offered in its correct full-screen presentation, is the best it has ever looked. The stark black-and-white cinematography is sharp and relatively clean-looking considering its age. The film was a hit-and-run affair getting made (as noted in the commentary) so there are scenes which lack the finesse of a more polished studio production. But the overall picture is excellent and really shines. The film's soundtrack is available in English mono, as well as French. In terms of extras, the film has been given an informative and thoroughly entertaining commentary track with Time magazine film critic Richard Schickel (he is also author of a book on Brando as well as director of a documentary on Kazan called Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey) and Kazan biographer Jeff Young. The track is more of a rambling, anecdote-filled commentary than a scene-by-scene examination of the film, though they do that as well. Occasionally, the two get sidetracked by their conversation (especially when discussing Kazan's involvement in the McCarthy hearings), but there is plenty of information to soak up here and it's a track well worth examining more than once. The disc also includes a nice 12-minute video interview with the director, a 25-minute exclusive featurette which includes lots of telling background info, video stills gallery, the original theatrical trailer (along with two other Columbia releases), and more. The disc is a must for any serious film lover.