Strangers on a Train (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Actor: Alfred Hitchcock, John Brown, John Doucette, Leo G. Carroll, Roy EngelBrand: Warner Brothers
Primary Contributor: Farley Granger
Primary Contributor: Robert Walker
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-07
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of Strangers on a Train (Two-Disc Special Edition)
DVD Review: My Favorite From Hitch
Summary: 5 Stars
'Strangers on a Train', in my opinion, is the quintessential Hitchcock film-perfect acting, music, visuals and pacing. It is also one of the first films where I found myself rooting for the bad guy (and dreading his truly creepy mother and their even weirder relationship). Even the opening scene, where Hitchcock puts the focus on the two main characters shoes, is poignant and clever. I've also often wondered how he was able to shoot the final scene on the merry-go-round, it is simply pure movie magic. Highly recommended to any film fan. DVD Review: Overlooked
Summary: 4 Stars
Strangers On A Train, the 1951 black and white film by Alfred Hitchcock, is a damned good movie- with many of the requisite Hitchcockian flourishes, but it is not a great film, despite many great aspects about it. The reason for this devolves down to one basic fact- it's merely a melodrama, not a true drama. Melodrama always depends upon the propulsion of the plot by the characters within doing the dumbest possible things to get to the next scene. Melodrama thrives on the lowest common denominator. This, of course, does not lessen the enjoyability of the melodrama- be it Hollywood film, soap opera, pro wrestling, etc., but it does remove the work sufficiently from the realistic so that it shows its artifice too much, and therefore never fully involves an engaged viewer.
Strangers On A Train includes many recurring Hitchcockian themes- the wrongly accused man, doubles, guilt, assumptions, and, yes, homosexuality. This was a film that came out only a few years after Hitchcock's homosexually themed Rope, in 1948, and even has one of that film's stars- Farley Granger, in this film's lead role. Again, he is a weakling character controlled by a cunning, psychopathic character with definite homosexual leanings; only this time Granger does not play a homosexual character. The film was based upon the first published novel of Patricia Highsmith, whose later Ripley novels earned her the nickname Mistress Of Suspense, in counterpoint to Hitchcock's moniker as Master Of Suspense. The film was adapted for Hitchcock by Whitfield Cook, then handed over to crime novelist Raymond Chandler, who wanted to change many elements. Hitchcock resisted, then gave the final job of adding dialogue to Czenzi Ormonde, and an uncredited Ben Hecht. It's a good screenplay, but, as with many Hitchcock films, it's almost all surface. The depth in most Hitchcock films comes from the actors and their subtleties, not the written words. In this sense Hitchcock's reputation as the ultimate puppetmaster is well earned. Depth was the reason the film was made and actors hired, or else Hitchcock would likely have been satisfied with his storyboards published as early graphic novels.... I suspect that the reason that this film has been ignored, in favor of lesser Hitchcockian fare like Suspicion, To Catch A Thief, or The Man Who Knew Too Much, is because none of the stars in it were superstars. The above mentioned were all good solid works, but they lacked the depth this film does, on however a superficially `deep' level, in contrast to similar films coming out from Europe at the same time. But, it certainly is a very good film, by any measure, with some deeper subtexts than the script alone entails. If only Hitchcock had been more at home in probing deeper into motivations, and grounding some of his films in reality more, he could have moved past being a mere technical genius, and graced the realm of high art more often than he did, that realm where the European directors did not fear to tread, where high art and mass appeal were not seen as mutually opposing forces. Strangers On A Train is almost a definitive, or archetypal, Hitchcock film in that it has all his film canon's glories and flaws. It is not film noir, nor is it really a thriller, as commonly thought of. We know what is going on at all times, so the suspense is not a whodunit? but a willthevillainsucceed? And it is a darkly comic one at that. Humor is used to gloss over many failures in life, and this film proves that statement true. When you watch Strangers On A Train you will wince, chuckle, smile, shake your head, be frustrated and relaxed, and if that is not the sign of a work of art that does more right than wrong, there are always new Hollywood releases to watch and wince to. And that's a fact not to smile nor chuckle over.
DVD Review: Classic Hitchcock and classic suspense
Summary: 5 Stars
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, starring Farley Granger, is a top-notch suspense thriller of the old school. The plot setup may seem formulaic, but this was made in a time when (for the most part) only the best formulas were used. A seemingly accidental meeting occurs on a train between a famous tennis champion and his deranged fan who happens to know a little too much about his personal life. During the course of their conversations murder comes up and soon blackmail and manipulation ensue. The plot builds with suspense at every possible twist and turn. The characters are intriguing and never dull. One of the things I like best about it (and like all of Hitchcock's greats) it warrants repeated viewings. You'll want to watch it more than once.
I would also recommend Alfred Hitchcock's 1948 little known film ROPE. It also stars Farley Granger in an almost opposite role as well as the great Jimmy Stewart.
DVD Review: Recommend seller!
Summary: 5 Stars
The dvd is in excellent condition. Fast delivery - it arrived before the due date. Ecstatic about this purchase. Thanks for the great service.DVD Review: A Hitchcock classic
Summary: 5 Stars
"Strangers on a Train" is a well-appreciated but lesser known film than some of Alfred Hitchcock's later works, but it nonetheless remains a remarkable story with an excellent cast. The tale of two men "exchanging" murders is a brilliant one and it is played out here with full suspense. The real tragedy of the film, however, was the sudden death of one of its two co-stars, Robert Walker, the same year it was released. Walker, who had suffered from personal problems of his own, gives a riveting performance as Bruno Anthony, a psychotic killer who enlists the aid of a naive tennis star, Guy Haines, played by Farley Granger.
Hitchcock's use of light is as wonderful as ever and the climax on an amusement park carousel, is one of his best. Terror is everywhere during the last few minutes of the film. I highly recommend "Strangers on a Train"....it's one of Hitchcock's finest.
Description of Strangers on a Train (Two-Disc Special Edition)
A loner and a tennis star meet on a train and discuss exchanging murders but soon fantasy becomes reality. Includes both u.K. And u.S. Endings. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/07/2004 Starring: Farley Granger Ruth Roman Run time: 204 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Alfred HitchcockFrom its cleverly choreographed opening sequence to its heart-stopping climax on a rampant carousel, this 1951 Hitchcock classic readily earns its reputation as one of the director's finest examples of timeless cinematic suspense. 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. Bruno agrees to kill Guy's unfaithful wife, in return for which Guy will (or so it seems) kill Bruno's spiteful father. With an emphasis on narrative and visual strategy, Hitchcock controls the escalating tension with a master's flair for cinematic design, and the plot (coscripted by Raymond Chandler) is so tightly constructed that you'll be white-knuckled even after multiple viewings. Strangers on a Train remains one of Hitchcock's crowning achievements and a suspenseful classic that never loses its capacity to thrill and delight. --Jeff Shannon
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