Review of Strangers on a Train (1951) by Lucas Q — 10 Jul 2008

Alfred Hitchcock is a genius of a filmmaker whose every film has a daring vision to it even if they are not all as satisfying or as complete as another. This is one of his best about obsession and chance meetings.

The title pretty much sums up the plot, which goes that two men meet on a train, by chance, and one of them hatches a plan for murder. It would solve both their problems and be the perfect murder since there would be no motive.

Problem is that one is not as obsessed with killing as the other and is in his ?right mind? although in a Hitchcock film that is kind of an iffy term as everyone is not quite in their right mind at all times.

But it more evident in the man who sets things in motion, Bruno Anthony. Bruno is played with great precision by Robert Walker as a man almost completely unstable, but yet with a great mind about him which makes him highly dangerous as he can mask his insanity very well.

Point of most Hitchcock films is what murder is perfect. Everyone gets their just desserts this film has a thrilling way of getting to its conclusion. The triumph of this film, which sets it apart from other fun or intriguing Hitchcock films for me is the everyman aspect of having these near no names star in this film aptly named Strangers on a Train.

There is also the fascinating cinematography job done by Robert Burkes, that catches chilling angles of murder and other scenes, which heighten the tension of the film perfectly. It?s the logicalness of it all that is intrigues me the most though as Bruno?s reasoning seems so sound, quite a twisted character in a Hitchcock masterpiece.