Strangers on a Train

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Dan R 1951's 'Strangers On A Train' is a diabolically entertaining thriller from director Alfred Hitchcock. SYNOPSIS: 'A psychopath tries to forcibly persuade a tennis star to agree to his theory that two strangers can get away with murder by submitting to his plan to kill the other's most-hated person.' 'Strangers On A Train' is by far one of Hitchcock's masterpieces, and that's saying a lot considering the quality of his work. This intriguing film deals with all the autuer's issues, including the double motif, and draws a fine line between hero and villain. Two men, both with problems, and a crime is an old theme, but the list of works that exploit it perfectly is a short one. This is a story that's been interpreted on numerous occasions but never to this quality. Gripping all the way, this is Hitchcock in his pomp, and with unique effects that had never been seen before in Hollywood. A classic! 10/10 Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/12/24 Full Review Micah H Bruno’s character is so charming yet despicable that one cannot help but be drawn into this thrilling tale. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/05/24 Full Review Keith W This is a great Hitchcock movie - one of his best in my opinion. No blondes to murder in the shower or throw birds at, but a wonderfully tight noir plot co-written by Chandler - who else! Farley Granger (Guy Haines) and Ruth Roman (Anne Morton) are suitably colourless as the leading man and lady (deliberate choice?) and Robert Walker (Bruno Antony) is wonderfully OTT as the charming psychopath. But for me the standout performances are the minor roles. Leo G Carroll can play a US Senator in his sleep. You would think he really was a senator of the 1950s. Where has the gravitas from today's politicians gone? But the standout for me is Patricia Hitchcock as the younger, impressionable sister Barbara Morton who likes to read graphic accounts of real life gory murders. She revels in Guy's situation but is supportive as well. There's a great little moment when at the end of the tennis match when she is supposed to distract detective Hennessey, she is so taken up with applauding Guy, Anne has to nudge her to remind her. In fact all the supporting cast are great in their roles. But it is the visuals that stay in the memory. Bruno reaching through the storm drain to retrieve the lighter (cf The Third Man), the shots of Bruno and Guy's contrasting shoes at the start, the murder of Miriam Haines seen in her glasses and the great final carousel scene with the young boy having a great time despite the crazy speed. The film shows that train travel is far more conducive to drama than travel by plane. What have we lost? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Blaine P Great visuals, interesting plot, and quality acting with a great cast. However, like many modern day movies, Strangers On A Train stumbles into absurdity in the final climactic scene. Guy is being followed by the police who suspect him of killing his wife. When Guy quickly ducks onto the the merry-go-round the policeman's first instinct is to fire into the carnival ride full of children! He misses Guy but the operator is hit and presumed killed and the ride goes spinning out of control. Then another old-timer volunteers to stop it. He crawls under the spinning platform, reaches the center and pulls the brake. It is safe to assume that he is also killed when the spinning ride then explodes with him in the center of it. How many of the children on the ride are killed we'll never know. The same scene also contains an unintentionally hilarious line. When Guy asks the policeman (who just fired into a crowd of children) if he can go through dying Bruno's pockets to find the cigarette lighter Bruno was going to frame Guy with, the cop replies, "No, and besides he said he doesn't have it." I guess he was a stickler for some rules. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/07/24 Full Review Dick W This is such a classic. Never a step out of place and delivered with wonderful panache. A stellar performance from the cast and of course Hitchcock himself. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/26/24 Full Review Sam W Extremely dated in every way and it’s a rather fantastical method of turning the hypothetical into practice, but it’s still an effective thriller. The tension and drama builds as he becomes trapped through blackmail and the unhinged stalker element is very well done with great acting. The music adds to every scene and whilst the ending is ridiculously silly and a bit drawn out, it’s a memorable finale. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/23/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Strangers on a Train

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