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Strangers on a Train
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Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Criss Cross
In "Strangers on a Train," tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) has a chance meeting with dandified, obsequious Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train where Anthony springs a "criss cross" scheme of swapped murders. Anthony, knowing Haines from the society pages, could rid Haines of his wife Miriam (Kasey Rogers) so that he could marry the senator's daughter, Anne Morton (Ruth Roman) and further his own political career, and Haines could rid Anthony of his domineering father (Jonathan Hale). Haines takes this oddball chance encounter with a grain of salt and says, "Sure, Bruno, whatever you say" which later comes back to haunt him. Anthony murders Miriam and thereafter, insinuates himself into Haines' life, looking for Haines' side of the pact to be fulfilled.
Seeing this film on the big screen, as I have recently, really illuminated Hitchcock's brilliance; much of the cinematography and camera shots are just wonderful: the bit with the shadows converging in the Tunnel of Love, the murder reflected in Miriam's glasses, the motiffs of "spinning wheels" with Miriam (records, carousels), the crossed tennis rackets. It is indeed the work of a master, but it's not without imperfections, as others have mentioned. Farley Granger is handsome and his look is well-suited to that of a tennis star, but he is also rather wooden, although that quality in itself almost works; it's a good contrast against the very florid Walker -- the stiff and formal vs. oddball and flamboyant, predictable vs. unknown.
Walker, however, really carries the show; his delicious performance is the core. In fact, he has so much charisma and malicious irony that when he breaks a little boy's balloon with his cigarette and throws another kid off a merry-go-round horse during a fight, the audience in my screening clapped. The flaws include the police shooting into a spinning carousel (say what?); yes, how is it that no one on that train recognized Haines beyond the drunkard when he's a famous tennis star; and perhaps the coolness in the relationship between Morton and Haines. Anne Morton is beautiful, but Miriam oddly has more sensuality, even with the coke-bottle glasses; I never could help but root for the "slatternly" girls in these films since they seemed as doomed by class as by any real moral transgression. Pat Hitchcock, the director's daughter, also does a good job as Morton's prim little sister who unfortunately resembles Miriam in the killer's eyes.
Rating:  - Completely Classic
This film is amazing. The DVD brings Hitchcock back to life as it shows "Strangers On A Train" to a new audience. The film's plot is used as a basis for many plots on TV shows nowadays - CSI has even mentioned it.
Wonderful. Pick it up.
Rating: - one of Hitchcock's best......
I first saw this as a young, junior high film study student. This was presented to us as part of a Hitchcock unit. We saw this along with "Psycho" (one of his most well-known movies), "Rear Window," "Vertigo," and "The Birds." Even then, I knew this was an extraordinary film. The camera angles (juxtapositions, tricks and double-entendre) are fascinating and chilling. You ask yourself, "Did I really just see that?" STRANGERS has black humor, and psychologically manipulates the audience.
Guy (Farley Granger), is a handsome, charismatic tennis star who has a chance meeting with Bruno (Robert Walker), a creepy, manipulative man who meets on--what else?---a train. Bruno drags Guy into a "trading murders" scheme where he will murder the tennis star's unfaithful wife, while, in exchange, he will kill Guy's father.
As the story unfolds, you will be hooked to the end. And, no, I won't ruin it for you. You'll just have to see it for one of the most well-known climaxes ever brought to the screen by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock.
Rating: - Careening Carousel
Some of Hitchcock's early works are hit or miss. But at least four including "Strangers on a Train" are excellent. Who hasn't played what if I murdered this person? Most friends have sat around discussing murder scenarios. Now imagine you think you are playing that game on a train with a stranger, but they aren't playing. They really mean it.
When they really kill the person you thought they were pretending to plot against, they expect you to do the same for them. Any fan of classic movies must see this, and for fans of Hitchcock it is a must have. Some great scenes with a strangulation and a carousel out of control put this one over the top of suspended believe, but then that is his style (see North by Northwest). If you plan to collect the best of Hitchcock, add this to your collection.
Rating: - One of the Masters great films
To start off, I should first state that, for the most part, most of Alfred Hitchcocks films are uniformly excellent by any standards. What sets Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho, North By Northwest and say, perhaps, Shadow Of A Doubt apart from the rest of his films is best described in one word, cleaverness. In fact the phrase, "He was a cleaver fellow" is mentioned in another very cleaver film, Strangers On A Train. An early 50's masterpiece that has stood the test of time and continues to enthrall viewers. The final carney sequence is probably studied by more film schoolers than any scene from any well constucted film. The real genius here is how the story builds starting with a chance meeting between two strangers. Bruno Anthony (with robust flair deceptive motivation) is played by Robert Walker. He meets up with top seated tennis player, Guy Haines (Farley Granger).Both of them have the same problems in common; there are people in their lives that must die. Now, in todays day in age of murder and mayhem in film, a simple clean strangulation like the one perpetrated by_____, may not come off as satisfying enough to the blood thirsy viewer. However, Hitchcock uses the camera lens and inventive ways of showing the process of murder. Unlike Sam Peckinpah who would make sure you felt every aspect of the killing, Hitch uses shadow and light, with the help of a pair of bifocals.
The acting is great. Pat Hitchcock has her greatest screen role in this one and does a good job. Along with Psycho, this is one of only two films in which Alfred's daughter had a part. The part she plays here is a supporting role that is more prominent than the one in Psycho where she plays Marion Cranes co-worker at the bank.
From the very interesting concept used in the opening of the film to the spectacular ending, this is a film not to be missed.
The re-release version includes the full length British release version included in the original SOAT dvd. The commentary is great and the transfer itself is excellent. I appreciated a bit of the film grain included in the original Warner Brothers version as old B&W movies that look too perfect, end up looking too different than we remembered them.
I would rate Strangers On A Train as one of the top 8 Alfred Hitchcock films. Can you say "MCguffin".
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