Strangers on a Train (1951)

Labeled as the "Master of Suspense", he became known for thrillers, often combined with a dark sense of humor. This is Part 2 of Watching ALL of Alfred Hitchcock's movies.

I am a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, his stories and his movies. But he lived in a different time from mine and I do not always catch up to what he was trying to tell the audience with his movies.

For that reason, this is not a review.

It's screenshots, my favorite movies and "dumb" thoughts I had while watching ALL of his movies.

I can't review something like this! I will never get his movies the way he wanted me to get them (or not get them)! But I am enjoying myself, and going through hours and hours of master's work.

This time, I am ranting about the 9th movie I ever saw from him:

Strangers on a Train (1951)

This movie was rather disappointing. The idea of a perfect murder is an ongoing prompt, this being the 3rd movie of his on my ' already watched ' list. In Dial M for Murder and Rope it worked incredibly good. Here... not so good.

Of course, there is a reason for it, that being Guy not going through with his part of the plan.

Still. What I wanted to say is, that the perfect murder prompt is one of my favorites. I love twisted minds and I love learning about the real story/motive one reveal after another.

But this movie did not do it for me. Sure, it was suspenseful and sure it was a good movie. Yes, it could be creepy and the light + camera play was phenomenal. But it wasn't the best version of a story it could be and I am afraid I did not enjoy it too much.

Let me show you what I mean...

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Our two main characters are Guy and Bruno, who meet (you guessed it) on a train. Guy Haines is a tennis player, with a divorce on his neck and senator's daughter in his heart. Bruno Anthony is a "very clever fellow", who knows a little too much about way too many things.

[Homoerotic touch.]

Bruno has some of the best lines in the whole movie, quotes that hit hard, if you will. I liked him at first, because he was good annoying and seemed like a nice guy. Besides, when someone comes with a weird topic and is all serious about it, you kind of want to laugh at him.

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☝ This is what I'm talking about. We meet these people everyday. "Ignore me. As if I'm not even here!" and the next second they try to talk to you, in fact being there and being there a lot.

Those fellows get on everyone's nerves.

And the worst thing is, Bruno has no filter. He was saying a lot of inappropriate stuff to a lot of people. Talking about divorces, affairs... and murder of course.

☝ I am putting this here just because I can. Women rule. But also, such unhealthy thinking... I would be angry too if I were Guy. She tried to ruin his life and for what?

Also, can we not forget she was supposedly pregnant when this all happened? She told guy she was going to have her baby in Washington with him, but it wasn't ever mentioned again.

Pop quiz time. What is the relationship of Bruno and this woman?

[It's his mother. And Bruno says she is "confused". Maybe they both need professional help.
Poor woman... Having tough time with her husband and then her son dying...]

☝ This guy really just popped the kids balloon because of a joke. You know, at first I thought it was funny. Then I thought it was stupid. And during the end scene I figured, this man is insane.

Poor kids.

Anyway, Bruno's idea of a perfect murder was a crisscross. He kills Guy's wife, Guy kills his father, whom Bruno dislikes. He found it perfect - because there was nothing connecting them and there would be no motive.

Bruno was possibly right, but in the end, it was him alone who ruined it. Even if Guy didn't go through with his murder, Bruno might have gotten away with the murder of Miriam no problem. But he followed Bruno, made himself a known face around him and then it all went downhill from there.

While he was strangling Miriam, she didn't even let out a sound and this was her dying face. I am no expert (thank God) but I always figured you would at least try to scream/make a sound. That bugged me for a while.

But then Bruno explained, that if he pressed a special place on throat, you will be unable to even whine. That was a new information for me and whether it is or isn't true, it did shut me up.

[If the man says it, you shall follow it. He's old therefore might know what he is talking about. To translate it: do not overthink, bitch.]

I loved his character, tbh. He was nice, clever and very soft. I'd want a father like that. Such strong words, and he said them like it was just ordinary talk.

I loved him, and he did make the movie better for me.

[This man reminds me of Robert De Niro...]

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☝ Imagine having to carry the phone with you to the desired room to make a call. I know it was wrong of me, but I laughed so hard when the man brought the phone.

Upon making the screenshots, I noticed his hands were shaking. I hope he was doing okay...

Now we are getting to some of my favorite shots. While Bruno was always lurking in the shadows, following Guy as if he was the man's consciousness, he started coming out a little by little.

Guy had a tail - an agent who followed him to make sure he wasn't going to do anything to alter the investigation of his wife's murder, since he was the main suspect.

Yet, Bruno was always following him, making sure Guy saw him. 

The first shot was brilliant because it makes you feel... so small and almost in danger.

And this shot(s) are great as well. At first, they put the camera in a bigger perspective. You see heads turning after the ball, just watching some ordinary tennis. But... you know. You know that he is there, that he is somewhere hidded.

And you don't see him at first. How freaking scary. How unsettling. Knowing that something is wrong, yet not being able to spot it.

And then the camera zooms in and he is looking right at you. Brr! Well done!

Talking about tennis, I know nothing about the game, but I loved watching those scenes. And just because I can, I am going to say that we have a similar rocket at home. The old one, not a modern one.

This is the scene that made me realize I am not really loving this movie. The policeman tried to shoot Guy (why???) but shot this innocent man who was minding his own business AND NO ONE SAID ANYTHING. The movie just moved on like it was normal, everyday thing!!! 

What the hell.

And when Bruno tried to kill the little boy on the Merry-Go-Round? Insane.

But the looks on women's faces, the desperation and fear that their children might be dead... goosebumps. Too believable.

This man right here volunteered to stop Merry-Go-Round that went crazy, and he had time to stop midway to dry his lips. I laughed so freaking hard.

There is no way.

No way you'd get under a fast-spinning attraction and stop for that with no fear inside yourself at all.

Anyway, all's well ends well. Guy tries to get Bruno to confess to his crime, while Bruno is denying everything to his last breath. Guy gets his happy ending and when a stranger on a train recognizes him, he just stand up and leaves.

SAVAGE! 😂😂 I felt so freaking bad for this man...

But not even the funny ending could save it. My opinion stays unchanged.

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Updated chart ranking all of Alfred Hitchcock's movies:

1. Dial M for Murder
2. Rear Window
3. Rope
4. Psycho
5. Vertigo
6. Rebecca
7. North by Northwest
8. The Birds
9. Strangers on a Train

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Hitchcock discovered? : Yes!