1951 comedy thriller Rating: 17/20
Plot: Tennis star and aspiring politician Guy Haines meets possibly insane and aspiring murderer Bruno Anthony on a train. Bruno's quite the fan. As he says, he admires people who "do things" and is more than likely sexually attracted to the young tennis phenom. They discuss each other's problems with women (Guy wants a divorce from his cheating wife so he can marry a senator's daughter) and fathers (Bruno doesn't get along with his) while dining, and Bruno tosses out an idea--"Criss cross. I'll kill your wife, and you kill my father. Criss cross. Gonna make you jump! Jump! Jump!" Guy Haines doesn't want any part of all that jumping because he's got a big tennis tournament coming up and wants to save his energy for that and for intercourse with the daughters of senators. Bruno apparently thinks there's been an agreement, however, and takes care of his end of the bargain. That creates problems for Guy.
Didn't think this was going to be in Hitch's higher eschelon while watching it, but that's partially because I didn't understand it. It took me a while to figure out that this was a comedy, a really black, not-laugh-out-loud comedy but a comedy nevertheless. Lots of ridiculous scenes, climaxing with a ridiculously suspenseful carousel ride, pepper the proceedings, and there are bits of dialogue that only seem funny now that the movie is over. Bruno's a great character and very well played by Robert Walker, another actor who died too young. This was actually his second to last movie. Everything he does in the movie seems sinister and innocent at the same time, and that dichotomy is pulled off partly because of the direction and writing but mostly because of the acting. And Hitchcock manipulates once again, forcing the audience to almost side with the bad guy during a scene involving a dropped lighter. Great visuals (especially the murder of the wife and a shot of the audience [with Bruno] at a tennis match), great Hitchcockian suspense, great simple-turned-complex noirish story. Back to that ridiculously suspenseful carousel ride--that has to be the funniest ten minutes or so I've seen this year. I think I'll watch it again.
Never been on a train:
This would be one of my favorite Hitchcock films, which means that I think it is one of the all-time great movies. The scene where the wife gets what she deserves ( reflected in her glasses )is beyond great. This should get at least a 19.
ReplyDeleteI liked it much, much better once I realized I was watching a comedy. It's not my favorite Hitchcock movie. That'd be 'Vertigo' despite the fact that it's overlong and a little melodramatic. I bet if I listed 'em out, 'Strangers' would end up at around 5. But that's the sort of list that could change all the time.
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