So Hitchcock had an oversized phone constructed and placed in the foreground. Man on a train is about evil and destiny hiding behind the corner, about life changing in a bit because threat is waiting for us, and it's a fantastic example of great storytelling developing a simple yet effective subject: two men meets on a train, and one word too many could change everything. Hitchcock wanted the phone in the foreground to dominate the shot, emphasizing the importance of the call, but the limited depth-of-field of contemporary motion picture lenses made it difficult to get both phone and women in focus. Guy tries to persuade Bruno to seek psychiatric help, but Bruno threatens to punish Guy for breaking their deal. "Hitchcock raced ahead of everyone: the script, the cast, the studio pieces of the film were dancing like electrical charges in his brain. "You're a free man now", he says, just as a police car drives up, looking for the husband of a certain recent murder victim. Senator Morton: Dreadful. One of the most popular psychological crime thrillers that Hitchcock ever made is definitely Strangers on a Train, the master's adaptation of crime novelist Patricia Highsmith's debut novel that hit theaters back in 1951.Even though a lot of film scholars over the years considered the movie at least to a degree inferior to Hitchcock's landmark films such as Vertigo or Rear Window, this . "[8] None was more demanding than Bruno's strangulation of Miriam, shown reflected in her eyeglass lens: "It was the kind of shot Hitchcock had been tinkering with for twenty yearsand Robert Burks captured it magnificently. The story concerns two strangers who meet on a train, one of whom is a psychopath who suggests that they "exchange" murders so that neither will be caught. Hitchcock place from Highsmith, whose novels have been unfairly shelved with crime where Guy scans the crowd at a tennis match and observes that all of the heads He is seen carrying a double bass as he climbs onto a train. They would both have airtight alibis for the time of the crime, and It is those flaws that set up the real themes of Strangers. Disc2 contains the (slightly longer) 'preview version' of the film,(not greatly different from the 'finished article' but still of interest). A psychopath forces a tennis star to comply with his theory that two strangers can get away with murder. said that correct casting saved him a reel in storytelling time, since And then, Guy's wife turns up strangled to death. It's not just a ripping-good thriller but a film student's delight and a perversely enjoyable battle of wits between tennis pro Guy (Farley Granger) and his mysterious, sycophantic admirer, Bruno (Robert Walker), who proposes a "criss-cross" scheme of traded murders. But, for all that, his basic premise of fear fired by menace is so thin and so utterly unconvincing that the story just does not stand. "[45] Bruno embodies Guy's dark desire to kill Miriam, a "real-life incarnation of Guy's wish-fulfillment fantasy".[45]. No matter how well a football team plays, the match has a fixed temporality. Strangers on a Train Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras: Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Benchley, Alfred Hitchcock and many more. "The man who crawled under the out-of-control carousel was not an actor or a stuntman, but a carousel operator who volunteered for the job. Strangers on a Train is a 1951 American psychological thriller film noir produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith. Guy Haines, a famous tennis player, is recognized on a train by Bruno Anthony, whose conversation shows a detailed knowledge of Guy's private life. [7] The director found her "bristling" and "lacking in sex appeal" and said that she had been "foisted upon him. director of photography It The film itself was great, the DVD was in fine condition, and it arrived either on time or early (can't remember which). Yet both men, like so many of Hitchcock's protagonists, are insecure and uncertain of their identity. Anne's sister Barbara says that the police will think that Guy is the murderer since he has a motive. Although Hitchcock admitted to undercranking the shot (artificially accelerating the action),[34] it was not a trick shot: the man actually had to crawl under the spinning ride, just inches from possible injury. Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. "Me, I never do anything important." Bruno agrees to kill Guy's unfaithful wife, in return for which Guy will (or so it seems) kill Bruno's spiteful father. "[48] It ratchets up a notch when Guy leaves Bruno's compartment and "forgets" his cigarette lighter. Bruno dreams up a crazy scheme whereby he and Guy exchange murders. Bruno follows Guy around Washington, introduces himself to Anne, and appears at a party at Senator Morton's house. The abiding terror in Alfred Hitchcock's life was that he would It's not just a ripping-good thriller but a film student's delight and a perversely enjoyable battle of wits between tennis pro Guy (Farley Granger) and his mysterious, sycophantic admirer, Bruno (Robert Walker), who proposes a "criss-cross" scheme of traded murders. He got a treatment that pleased him on the second attempt, from writer Whitfield Cook, who wove a homoerotic subtext into the story. "I have always given it careful consideration, so that my characters never eat out of character. As usual, Hitchcock kept his name out of the negotiations to keep the purchase price low. and Bruno struggle as a carnival worker crawls on his stomach under the Hitchcock and his cast and crew decamped for the East Coast on October 17, 1950. only the whites of his eyes showing. Over lunch in his private Strangers on a Train movie clips: http://j.mp/1yz9FQeBUY THE MOVIE: http://j.mp/UinqkeDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u2y6prCLIP DESCRIPTION:Guy (Farley Granger) notices a sinister face watching him from the crowd.FILM DESCRIPTION:In one of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classics, tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) chances to meet wealthy wastrel Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train. Next shot. at a carnival; Miriam and two boyfriends are in the boat ahead, and shadows on Believing that Guy is trying to escape, a police officer shoots at him, but instead kills the carousel operator, causing the carousel to spin out of control. [57] All the major elements of the scene the two men struggling, the accidentally shot attendant, the out-of-control merry-go-round, the crawling under the moving merry-go-round to disable it are present in Crispin's account,[58] though he received no screen credit for it. Guy nervously steps into the shadows with Bruno, literally behind the bars of an iron fence; "You've got me acting like I'm a criminal", he says. man becomes the obvious suspect in the strangulation of his wife. These disturbing sounds, heard to superb effect in cues such as 'The Meeting,' 'Senator's Office,' and 'Jefferson Memorial,' are not just about Bruno, but about how he is perceived by those whose lives he crossesfirst Guy, then everyone in Guy's entourage."[37]. "[5], The two characters, Guy and Bruno, can be viewed as doppelgngers. Highly recommended. Guy creeps into Bruno's father's room to warn him of his son's murderous intentions, but instead finds Bruno there waiting for him. "[18]always a plus with Hitchcock. was above all the master of great visual set pieces, and there are several What is the streaming release date of Strangers on a Train (1951) in Canada? It is a twisting story of a male-on-male Robert Walker is uncanny. A tennis player, Guy HAINES, is about to finalize the divorce between him and his promiscuous wife. sister gets the creepiest lines in "Strangers on a Train," especially She's behind Miriam in the early There are two respectable and influential fathers, two women with eyeglasses, and two women at a party who delight in thinking up ways of committing the perfect crime. inspiration of a very large dog to distract the audience from what he would Strangers On A Train, a masterpiece, presented here in a finely produced HD release. "[I]n one of the most unexpected, most aesthetically justified moments in film,"[29] the slow, almost graceful, murder is shown as a reflection in the victim's eyeglasses, which have been jarred loose from her head and dropped to the ground. spotted Highsmith in a cameo in the film. conversation -- which ends on an ambiguous note, with Bruno trying to get Guy Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images) 1000 Frames of Strangers on a Train (1951), articles about Strangers on a Train (1951), web links to information, articles, reviews, etc, Strangers on a Train (1951) - Warner Brothers (Blu-ray, UK, 2012), Alfred Hitchcock Collection - Warner Brothers (Blu-ray, UK, 2012), Der Fremde im Zug (1951) - Warner Brothers (Blu-ray, Germany, 2012), Strangers on a Train (1951) - Warner Brothers (Blu-ray, USA, 2012), Strangers on a Train (1951) - DVD releases, Strangers on a Train (1951) - Warner Brothers (UK, 2004), Strangers on a Train (1951) - Warner Brothers (USA, 2004), http://the.hitchcock.zone/w/index.php?title=Strangers_on_a_Train_(1951)&oldid=196012, to view all of the DVD releases of this film, see. "[44], The film includes a number of puns and visual metaphors that demonstrate a running motif of crisscross, double-crossing, and crossing one's double. Guy is suspended between tennis and politics, between his tramp wife and his senator's daughter, and Bruno is seeking desperately to establish an identity through violent, outr actions and flamboyance (shoes, lobster-patterned tie, name proclaimed to the world on his tiepin). Robert Walker performance benefits from a subtle tense urgency that perhaps Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted. To add the following enhancements to your purchase, choose a different seller. He told the obscure writer that the famous one hadn't written a solitary line he intended to use, and they would have to start all over on page one, using Cook's treatment as a guide. Strangers on a Train(1950) is a suspense thriller by Patricia Highsmith, based on the premise that two strangers swap murders. So much occurs in pairs. Guy infers that Bruno intends to plant it at the scene of the murder and incriminate him. "perfect crime" in which he would murder Guy's wife, Guy would murder Hitchcock had written exacting specifications for an amusement park, which was constructed on the ranch of director Rowland Lee in Chatsworth, California. are swiveling back and forth to follow the game -- except for one head, Bruno sends Guy a package containing a pistol, a house key, and a map showing the location of his father's bedroom. Guy is offended by Consider the scene where Guy is letting himself into his The story concerns two strangers who meet on a train, a young tennis player and a charming psychopath. Mysterious Bruno (Robert Walker) hates his father. [43] First of all, she was not up there alone: flanking her were the actors playing Miriam's two boyfriends "and I have a picture of us waving. As Guy listens with detached amusement, Bruno discusses the theory of \"exchange murders.\" Suppose that Bruno were to murder Guy's wife, and Guy in exchange were to kill Bruno's father? [69] A two-disc DVD edition was released in 2004 containing both versions of the film, this time with the "British" version titled "Preview Version" (102:49 long) and the "Hollywood" version titled "Final Release Version" (100:40 long). Bruno wants to kill his father, but knows he will be caught because he has a motive. --Jeff Shannon, Better still, the two-sided DVD edition of this enduring classic includes both the original version of the film and also the longer prerelease British print, which offers a more overt depiction of Bruno's flamboyant and dangerous personality, and his homoerotic attraction to Guy by way of his deviously indecent proposal. Theatrical Trailer (SD; 2:34). Baiting Guy, Bruno reveals that he feels trapped by his hated father (Jonathan Hale). Strange thing about this trip. [21] The scripting team added the tennis match and the crosscutting with Bruno's storm drain travails in Metcalf added the cigarette lighter, the Tunnel of Love, Miriam's eyeglasses; in fact, the amusement park is only a brief setting in the novel.[21]. With no known link between the two men, the police would be none the wiser, would they? Guy Between the two versions of the film, the "British" version most prominently omits the final scene on the train. Hitchcock's biggest changes were in his two lead characters: The character called Bruno Antony in the film is called Charles Anthony Bruno in the book. The camera switches back and forth from the tennis match to Bruno dropping the lighter down a grate of a storm drain and struggling to recover it. In Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classic, "Strangers On a Train", a naive and weary tennis pro unwisely allows himself to be enticed into the confidence of a seemingly silly stranger. She threatens to claim that he is the father, in order to thwart any divorce attempt. "The scene gives a beautifully exact symbolic expression to Guy's relationship with Bruno and what he stands for. Beyond all the historical footnotes and film-buff fascination, Strangers on a Train remains one of Hitchcock's crowning achievements and a suspenseful classic that never loses its capacity to thrill and delight. Also in the cast are Ruth Roman, Leo J. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock (Alfred's daughter), Marion Lorne, and Kasey Rogers. One gets the feeling of a closeted homosexual constantly coming onto Guy. Beyond all the historical footnotes and film-buff fascination. Strangers On A Train, a masterpiece, presented here in a finely produced HD release. 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