Blu-ray Review: STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
Written by Raymond Chandler and Czenzi Ormonde
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Farley Granger, Ruth Roman and Robert Walker

Bruce Anthony: I admire people who do things.

This is why people avoid making eye contact on the subway today. In Alfred Hitchcock’s STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951), two men accidentally bump each other’s feet sitting across from each other on a train, and embark on a conversation that will change their lives. Naturally, they don’t know this at the time. Well, one of them almost certainly doesn’t and it isn’t ever quite clear what the other gentleman is thinking, but that’s the genius of Hitchcock. You can never truly relax into what you think you know because you’ll likely be proven wrong about that before very long.

Based on Patricia Highsmith’s first novel, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, is a truly disturbing thriller. Two total strangers (Robert Walker and Farley Granger) meet on a train and before they’re done lunch, one of them suggests that each of them commit a murder for the other, to avoid connection to the crime. It may not be your typical train chat but if you can surrender to the idea, and it’s actually quite easy to do so thanks to the colorful performances of Walker and Granger, then you are in for a twisted ride. Walker in particular is especially devious, seamlessly weaving homoerotic subtext and waves of daddy issues into his chilling portrayal.

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, one of the greatest thrillers of all time according to the American Film Institute, is stunning in its first Blu-ray release. The Oscar-nominated black and white cinematography is particularly impressive, whether you’re admiring the grandness of a championship tennis match or cowering at the climactic merry-go-round sequence. This latest release also contains an earlier version and a commentary track for the final version that consists occasionally of a stretched inclusion but is mostly insight into the mind of the master. This is easily one of Hitchcock’s best and a must for any collection.

Strangers on a Train: RIP Farley Granger

Farley Granger (1925-2011)

Sixty years ago, Farley Granger blessed us with what is probably his most famous and memorable role, that of the innocent stranger to Robert Walker's psychotic stranger who met each other on a train in Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 thriller   aptly titled   Strangers on a Train.  Though one must admit, Walker walks away with the film, Granger nevertheless mastered the stoic hero role with grace and precision.  It's the sort of invisible role which Christian Bale praised Mark Walhberg for doing in The Fighter, and that Bale himself has done numerous times.  In Hollywood, unfortunately, such strong roles aren't given much praise, but Granger never seemed to bore of them.

Granger with the
Master of Suspense

It's certainly sad when a celebrity dies, sadder more when most general film-goers don't know the name.  But I find whenever a star like Granger passes, it reminds me how much quality work they've done, and I inevitably begin returning to their work and discovering hidden gems.  I can only hope I get the opportunity to do this with Granger (I've embarrassingly never seen the likes of Rope or Senso, but now they've turned into priorities).

If anything, maybe Granger's passing will get people to discover his work, and especially Strangers on a Train, which is far and away one of Hitchcock's most underrated works (sure, people recognize it, but sadly not on the level of Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Rebecca, or North by Northwest).  It's a brilliant film, his most suspenseful and complete with a circus-inspired climax only rivaled in the Hitchcock cannon to Vera Miles de-wigging a rotting corpse.



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