Review of Strangers on a Train (1951) by Jim C — 07 Sep 2013

Everything to be loved about Hitchcock can be found in "Strangers on a Train" including suspense, murder, blackmail, political scandal and the quintessential "double motif." Tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) is happens across long-time fan Bruno Anthony (memorably portrayed by Robert Walker) while on a train.

Anthony, like the main characters in Hitchcock's "Rope," is ambiguously gay, which is quite obvious and interesting for a film of 1951. Walker quickly develops a neurotic obsession with Haines and proposes switching places and swapping murders, the life of Haine's wife for that of his abusive father.

The plot quickly spins out of control, driving Haines to the brink of madness as he attempts to shake the suspicions of the police and the relentless and criminally insane Walker. Beautifully filmed and scripted, most of "Strangers" takes place in nostalgic 1950s-era Washington, DC (which happens to be my home) and features places like Union Station, Capitol Hill and the Jefferson Memorial.

By setting the film in the nation's capital and embroiling a powerful political family in the drama, Hitchcock raises the stakes for everyone involved. The film's trilling finale is also among the Master's best.