...engaging and discerning culture, as a way of life...

December 17, 2006

Strangers on a Train - 7

Alfred Hitchcock is a genius at directing and making films. I've said it before, and I'm sticking to it (This film makes it 8, with about that many more to see). This film uses the double-sided-ness of the human condition to tell a story of murder and guilt (or lack there of). The main character is the somewhat crazy Bruno, who can't quite draw the line between fantasy and reality. He draws an unsuspecting tennis star, Guy, into a conversation about his recent divorce and the possibility of remarriage. He asks what seems like an innocent and funny question: wouldn't murder solve the problem? Well, yes it would, but it would also be wrong. By the end of the conversation, they suddenly aren't just strangers on a train anymore. Well...I guess that depends on who you ask. The characters are great, the suspense is tangible, and the mystery remains after the last frame. If you don't understand yourself and the human condition better after seeing this film, you weren't paying attention. This film is excellent and truly one of the greatest films ever made. If I made a top 100 list (I doubt this is really possible without a lot of explanation and essay's on each choice), Hitchcock would be on it a lot.

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