Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
MJB784 It was my favorite, but in repeated viewings, Psycho adds up more. The scene when Bruno reaches down the sewer to find the cigarette lighter was odd because how could his arm stretch down there? I also found the scene when the guys leave the girl in the carnival before getting strangled very odd. It does have many classic scenes that are very exciting in countless viewings.
leethomas-11621 Agree with New York Times review that said film's story does not stand up. Not up to Hitchcock's best standard. Music (not by Herrman) is over-used. Police behave like plods in the background. Merry-go-round scene is spectacular though. Watch the British-released version which has an extra final scene involving a clergyman. It helps the movie enormously.
Pjtaylor-96-138044 Its ittedly thrilling, if visually ageing, finale is a little silly compared to the rest, but this Hitchcock classic is a true staple of the Noir genre with a killer performance from Robert Walker and a simple premise pushed to its perfect peak. 'Strangers On A Train (1951)' has been reinvented, twisted around and straight-up redone more times than you can count, but this remains as thoroughly entertaining now as it ever was and a real reason why some things just shouldn't be remade. It isn't Hitchcock's best, but sits comfortably in his repertoire and is a suitably gripping film. 8/10
davidcarniglia I can't add much to the many excellent reviews of this Hitchcock classic. But I do want to dwell on a crucial aspect of the plot, and comment on a few bits of Strangers on a Train.Why doesn't Guy go to the police immediately after he learns that Miriam has been killed? Sure, the 'trading murders' scheme sounds nuts; but since he knows he'll be under suspicion anyway, he has nothing to lose. Bruno, with his fixation on Guy and their alleged 'deal,' would show his hand, drawing the cops' attention away from Guy.Imagine the guests at the senator's party recounting to the cops Bruno's absurd ranting about a new source of energy, or, even more damning, his choke hold on the elderly lady. Of course, without Bruno free to slither around, then there would be little mystery, and no movie.After just watching it again, it's fascinating how Hitchcock uses the glasses motif to tie in the murder victim with Ann's sister. Bruno focuses on Barbara as a haunting surrogate for Miriam. In a sense, she avenges the victim by helping to entrap Bruno. Her glasses point to the noir emphasis on reflections as a literal mirror held to the criminal side of life.Maybe I can answer the question I began with: Guy won't give up Bruno, because they have a bizarre bond. They're reflections of each other, Bruno the noir Hyde to Guy's everyday Jekyll. Tennis couldn't be a more fitting metaphor for the sunny side of life portrayed by Guy, as opposed to Bruno's mostly nocturnal or interior habitats. Maybe Hitchcock's most noir movie, and one of the better noirs made.
