Strangers On a Train, released in 1951, is one of, if not the best Alfred Hitchcock film! It has everything you would expect from the master of mystery: The good guy, the bad guy, the good woman, the bad woman, a multitude of twists and turns, a great musical score and finally, Mr. Hitchcock's insertion of himself in a cameo role.
The plot of this production involves two men of differing emotional make-ups. Bruno Antony (played by Robert Walker) is a gay, psychopathic, murderous single guy, on the edge of madness. He lives with his parents, and is very attached to his mother with whom he has an unusual, unholy relationship (does the name Oedipus ring a bell?). The other man is Guy Haines (portrayed by the handsome, almost beautiful Farley Granger). He appears to be a very nervous, emotionally fragile young man. Guy is a very popular tennis player. He is in love with Anne Morton (Ruth Roman), daughter of a U.S. senator. There is however, a slight hitch in their relationship. He is married to Miriam (Kasey Rogers) a shrewish, unfaithful whore of a wife. The two gentlemen meet accidentally(?) on a train. Bruno, who seems to be attracted to Guy, offers to buy him lunch. While chatting over lunch, Bruno comes up with a strange and frightening proposal; double murder!
He suggests to Guy that they swap murders. He will kill Miriam and Guy will kill his father. This way, they both get what they want and there would be nothing to connect them. Guy, frightened by Bruno's plan, nervously excuses himself and hightails it away from the nutcase known as Bruno. However, Bruno feels that he and Guy now share a special relationship. Guy goes to see his wife at her place of employment regarding their divorce. She has a couple of surprises waiting for her darling husband. First, she has changed her mind and doesn't want a divorce. Second, she is pregnant! Guy is shocked! I wonder why? Bruno, in the meantime, has implemented his plan. He follows Miriam to an amusement park island where he strangles her. Guy has no intention of killing Bruno's father. Bruno can't understand why his dear friend is reneging on their (in his own warped mind) deal. The police of course, suspect that Guy killed his wife. And the chase is on! The cops chase Guy. Guy chases Bruno. Bruno chases Guy. Round and round we go!
The script of this marvelous thriller is top-notch. The lighting, sound and special effects are also great. An example of this is Miriam's murder on the island. As Bruno is strangling her, the dirty deed is reflected in her glasses which are lying on the ground. What brilliance! Every word has meaning. There isn’t a wasted syllable. The entire film is taut with excitement, danger, redemption and yes, s-e-x (oh my!). There has been speculation throughout the years as to whether Bruno was gay or not. In my humble opinion, he was. Alfred Hitchcock was believed by some to be homophobic. The portrayal of Bruno as a gay gentleman was no accidental interpretation of the script. That was the way that Mr. Hitchcock wanted it. And that’s the way it would be. Remember that this is only my opinion of this film. I'm not going to beat a dead horse here. That was just part of the storyline. Plain and simple. If there are any of you out there who haven't seen this remarkable piece of cinematic genius. Do yourself a big favor. See it! You may be shocked, surprised and amazed, but you surely won't be disappointed! Go for it!
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
