Strangers on a Train: Special Edition (Dbl DVD)Strange thing about this trip. So much occurs in pairs. Tennis star Guy (Farley Granger) hates his unfaithful wife. Mysterious Bruno (Robert Walker) hates his father. How perfect for a playful proposal: I'll kill yours, you kill mine. Now look at how Alfred Hitchcock reinforces the duality of human nature. The more you watch, the more you'll see. "Isn't it a fascinating design?" the Master of Suspense often asked. Actually, it's doubly fascinating. Hitchcock left behind two versions of Strangers on a Train. The original version (Disc 1) is an all-time thriller classic. A recently found longer prerelease British print (Disc 2) offers "a startling amplification of Bruno's flamboyance, his homoerotic attraction to Guy and his psychotic personality," according to Bill Desowitz of Film Comment. The laying bare of Bruno's hidden nature, along with the great set pieces (head-turning tennis match, disintegrating carousel) and suspense as only Hitchcock can deliver, makes for a first-class trip. DISC 1: Final Release Version (101 Min.) with Commentary by Director Peter Bogdanovich, Psycho Screenwriter Joseph Stefano, Patricia Highsmith Biographer Andrew Wilson and Several Hitchcock Colleagues, Aficionados and Family Members, Plus the Suspense Master Himself in an Interview Excerpt Theatrical Trailer Languages: English & Franais Subtitles: English, Franais & Espaol DISC 2: Preview Version (103 Min.) Uncovered in 1991 and Theatrically Issued in 1996 New Making-of Documentary Strangers on a Train: A Hitchcock Classic, with Farley Granger, Pat Hitchcock O'Connell, Film Historian Richard Schickel and Other Hitchcock Family Members, Colleagues and Aficionados Recalling the Making of a Suspense Landmark 3 Intriguing Featurettes: The Hitchcocks on Hitch, Strangers on a Train: The Victim's P.O.V. and Strangers on a Train: An Appreciation by M. Night Shyamalan Alfred Hitchcock's Historical Meeting Vintage Newsreel Subtitles: English, Franais & Espaol]]
Strangers On A Train Robert Walker, Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock, Laura Elliott, Marion Lorne, Jonathan Hale, Howard St. John, John Brown Movie Titles: Strangers on a Train Synopsis: A chance encounter on a train results in a suggestion by Walker's wealthy ne'er-do-well to an amateur tennis player, played by Granger, that each commit a murder for the other. Granger thinks Walker is joking until his estranged wife is murdered, and he realizes that he is expected to fulfill his part of their bargain. Format: DVD Color: Black and White Rating: PG RatingReason: some violence and tension Genre: Suspense Runtime: 101
In one of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classics, tennis pro Guy Haines (Farley Granger) chances to meet wealthy wastrel Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train. Having read all about Guy, Bruno is aware that the tennis player is trapped in an unhappy marriage to to wife Miriam (Laura Elliott) and has been seen in the company of senator's daughter Ann Morton (Ruth Roman). Baiting Guy, Bruno reveals that he feels trapped by his hated father (Jonathan Hale). As Guy listens with detached amusement, Bruno discusses the theory of "exchange murders." Suppose that Bruno were to murder Guy's wife, and Guy in exchange were to kill Bruno's father? With no known link between the two men, the police would be none the wiser, would they? When he reaches his destination, Guy bids goodbye to Bruno, thinking nothing more of the affable but rather curious young man's homicidal theories. And then, Guy's wife turns up strangled to death. Co-adapted by Raymond Chandler from a novel by Patricia Highsmith, Strangers on a Train perfectly exemplifies Hitchcock's favorite theme of the evil that lurks just below the surface of everyday life and ordinary men. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
