SPOILERS DOWN THE PATH; THE DISCUSSION BELOW WILL NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE WITHOUT IT.
TREAD CAREFULLY. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
THIS MOTION PICTURE IS OFFICIALLY AN AFFILIATE OF THE FILMMAKING PARAGONS.
Allow us to make a proposition - What if two complete strangers were to meet and exchange murders each of them wish to make in their personal lives? If you are interested to know how this pans out, this masterpiece thriller by Alfred Hitchcock is your compulsory watch!
There are absolutely no questions about the technical aspects of a Hitchcock's film… duh! Be it from staging to blocking or cinematography to film editing, Strangers on a Train is a magical artwork that had the canvas brushed effortlessly! Every scene and shot has a purpose to be there! And from the way one shot talks to the next, you could see how the master director has used Kuleshov Effect to the maximum impact! Also, this is one of those rare instances that all the performances are truly natural and realistic!
But of course, the highlight of the entire show is Robert Walker's portrayal of the iconic cinematic character Bruno Antony! He is one twisted magnetic persona! Be it the gripping conversations or the random theories / ideas he throws out, there's not a second of boredom whenever he's onscreen! He always has an ulterior motive, and you could see how he plans and reaches for his goal with charm!
The script is tight! You will not find a single exposition straggling around. Every work required to build to any character's motivation is shown with none skipped. Plot progression is perfect! With A1 sequences such as the tennis match, Bruno picking up fallen lighter in the drain and the climactic brawl on top of a speeding merry-go-round, Strangers on a Train is a deliciously riveting ride from start to finish!