"Wharf Rats" is a very cleverly written and flawlessly performed documentary of the life of labor leader, Harry Bridges. It is a touching and inspirational film.<br /><br />From his childhood in Australia, to his life as a merchant mariner, labor leader and his retirement, Ian Ruskin, the writer and star of the one-man play, has captured the essence of Harry Bridges and the times in which he lived.<br /><br />The film captures the joys, sorrows, trials and tribulations of Harry Bridges and the labor movement from some of its darkest hours to one of its major triumphs. It also reveals the internal strife that is the labor movement and the beauty and weakness of the democratic process.<br /><br />It is both a condemnation of the political/legal process and a testimony to the importance of the U.S. Constitution as the protector of the rights of the people.