Friday, May 8, 2026

Strangers on a Train

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Strangers on a Train!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th May 2026

Once again, we take a look at the oeuvre of one Alfred Hitchcock. 
It can't be denied that Hitchcock produced a body of work that is both large and impressive. Problem is, some of his lesser-known movies end up lost in the shadow of the more well-known ones. Which brings me to Strangers on a Train. It may not have the name recognition as Psycho or The Birds but it is one that I've been wanting to see for years. Why? Apparently there's a climax which is a chase scene on a Merry-Go-Round - one that The Master himself said was the most dangerous sequence he ever had to shoot. 

Like Hitchcock's other movies, this has the usual building of suspense - which is not surprising given this is from the Master of Suspense - so has this one has something of it's own to say? Yes indeed: There are some impressive sequences involving shadows and night time that look unique. There are some truly stunning examples of dread which stand out decades later. 
Also of note is just how this movie had the balls to have a clearly gay relationship with it's hero and villain - and in the early 1950s no less. Sure The Master did the same thing with the earlier Rope but this is more obvious. Which makes me wonder how they got away with it at the time. 
And as for the promised climax? I was not disappointed. Certainly gripping and staggering considering that this was done in the early 1950s. 

All in all, this may not be well-known when compared to Hitchcock's more well-known movies but this is still capable of standing on it's own two feet. 

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