拍這部電影之際，中國大陸還在積極地實現社會主義的建立之中。封建社會中的思想與結構逐漸消失，資本主義必然滅亡的思慮越來越普遍。沒人能說毛主席的時期是完美的，不過該時期的建設共產主義并且鏟除封建制度的努力是萬分真誠的。不寧唯是，只能看看當時的香港、臺灣就發現中華人民共和國的進步才是真正的、為人民采取的。那年頭的香港、臺灣，盡管是70年代的社會，可仍然跟現代而善良的社會各不相同，而是跟封建主義的社會極其類似。 本故事的背景、主題都在為我們警世，人世間雖沒有完美的地方，但仍然有比較公平的。那時候的香港、臺灣那樣地方并不是這種為人民發展的社會。這種社會的發展就是為了資本、帝國主義與殖民國家服務。很明顯的是電影中的敵人都代表封建主義社會的結構，帶有一點現代資本主義的元素。工人存在的意向只是為上層社會而效力。上司們固有的權利本來就是剝削勞動者，若勞動者無用了，就冷酷無情地扔到街上。 從主題上的角度來講，要害為無產階級人必須聯合起來才能獲勝。而且，如果在過去做過壞事，可以為人民犧牲自己以便贖回自己。影片之中，工人，包括女人，都聯合起來對封建主義的上司斗爭。這是共產主義的理念與價值觀，只要你是無產階級人，都應該參與革命、奮斗。《碼頭大決斗》講得非常清楚，僅僅是這樣的戰斗能實現一種公平而無剝削的社會。這種努力的替代方案非常嚴峻。 At the time of filming this movie, Mainland China was still actively undergoing the construction of a socialist society. Feudalist thought and structures were slowly wearing away, and the genuine belief that capitalism would be destroyed was nearly universal. No one would say that the era of Chairman Mao was perfect, but said era's building of communism and eradication of feudal ideas was completely genuine (something nearly anyone you ask in China today would wholeheartedly agree with, by the way). Moreover, one need only look to Hong Kong and Taiwan to see that The People's Republic of China's progress was both genuine in its execution, and in its efforts being for the people. In those days, Hong Kong and Taiwan, despite being in the then-modern 1970s, bore no similarities to any good or "modern" country, but rather shared many features with feudalist societies we think of as only existing in the past. This story's setting and themes act as warnings to us all: even though there are no perfect places in this world, there are still those that are at least relatively fair. The development of places like Hong Kong and Taiwan in these times was not for the benefit of the people, but for that of capital, and for imperialist and colonialist countries. The film makes it almost too obvious for us: all of the enemies in this film are stand-ins for the cruel and exploitative relations throughout feudal China, with some modern capitalist elements thrown in for good measure. The workers only exist serve the upper class, and it is the intrinsic right of said upper class to exploit the laborers under them. As the film shows, when the workers are of no use to the feudal-capitalist class, they get thrown out on the street coldly. Thematically, we're repeatedly drawn to the importance of workers uniting together, and for the importance of those with strength to protect the workers who are weaker than they are. If one has committed misdeeds in the past, serving and sacrificing oneself for one's fellow workers can be a road to redemption. In the film, workers, including women, unite to unite against their modern-day feudal lords. These are the principles and ideas of communism in action, and the movie tells us in no uncertain terms that this is the only way to build a fair society free of exploitation. The alternative to such efforts is grim.