Sunday, June 5, 2011

Strangers










In terms of scariness, Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train may seem overshadowed by his more linear and obvious film, Psycho. Both Bruno Anthony of Strangers, and Norman Bates of Psycho are disturbed psychopaths triggered by impulse and opportunity, after leading functional lives under the radar. Both films have neatly packaged endings with their antagonists dead or imprisoned. Still, Bruno has left an impression, an unmistakable influence on all the other main characters that Norman did not. Bruno very nearly coerced Guy,a perfect stranger, to commit an unthinkable murder. In the film, Guy resists Bruno, in the book written by Patricia Highsmith, he complies. Either way, the friends and family of Guy are left to wonder whether they truly know him, and question whether their trust in him or anyone is sound.

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