Thursday, April 26, 2012

Strangers On a Train - Alfred Hitchcock - 1951



Strangers On A Train is a great introduction into Hitchcock's body of work. It is a film that gets dark but never feels too dark as it is balanced with humor.

The plot follows two men, one a world class tennis pro named Guy Haines (Farley Granger) and the psychotic Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). The two men's paths cross when Bruno suggests a way of them committing two perfect murders.

The film is a great example of Hitchcock's ability to tell a story visually. He paid great attention to what went into each frame and each shot adds to the story. A good example of this is the opening sequence when we see the two men's feet walking to the train, the similar shots are intercut to show how the two characters are similar but are heading in different directions. Another good example is the cris-crossing train tracks during the opening credits.

Strangers On A Train is a fun film that is a must see, whether you're a hardcore Hitchcock fan or someone who is just discovering his work.

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