Review of Strangers on a Train (1951) by Tyler M — 31 Mar 2012

We'll swap murders.

It's yet another great Hitchcock flick, sure to have you looking at every stranger you meet with cautious eyes.

The Story: Two men meet on a train, and things get out of hand very quickly. One man, just happens to be a well known professional tennis player, Guy Haines, and the other just so happens to be a sociopath by the name of Bruno Anthony. When Bruno suggests that they each kill someone, for the other, Bruno kills someone for Guy, and vise-versa, Guy just laughs it off as some sort of a bad joke. Quickly turning from bad joke, to serious murder and blackmail, the film picks up pace rather quickly. The story is reminiscent of that of Insomnia, the good guy and the bad guy in a dangerous power struggle and a deadly game of cat and mouse...Well actually Insomnia is reminiscent of this, seeing as Strangers on a Train came long before the latter...But if you saw Insomnia and liked it, than you might be interested in this one to see the roots of modern cinema.

The Cast: Farley Granger Guy Haines, Robert Walker Bruno Anthony...These two are perfect! PERFECT! The two of them play off each other so well that it's unbelievably real. Farley Granger is good guy, Guy Haines (no pun intended there), and he plays the part so well that you'll honestly feel a great solid connection with his character. You'll be rooting for him the entire time...Even if he plays a sissy sport like tennis...Just kidding all you tennis fans out there, no need to get upset...Robert Walker of course plays the bad guy Bruno Anthony. He's so sinister here that he might just become one of your favorite villains. Oddly loveable, he's like a dangerous teddy bear...Seriously, even though he's evil you'll still love his character, he's that damned charming...

One to Five Scale: 5.

Okay, so I've been comparing it, in a way, to Insomnia throughout most of the review, and this one is a five for the same reason as Insomnia. While it might drag from time to time, it's still one hell of a great film. The sheer amount of tension between these two will have you on the edge of your seat. A great story, with great characters, and great cinematography, this is why Hitchcock is, and will forever be a legend.

Tyler.