This novel introduces key themes in highsmiths canon. Strangers on a train and rope are what i call hitchcock s gay films, because of their themes of male codependence, coded direction and innuendos. In alfred hitchcocks strangers on a train 1951, the cigarette lighter is a quintessential macguffin. Album music to make love to your old lady by instrumental licensed to youtube by. Visit tunefind for music from your favorite tv shows and movies. The music in strangers on a train had been composed by dimitri zinovievich tiomkin. Coadapted by raymond chandler from a novel by patricia highsmith, strangers on a train perfectly exemplifies hitchcocks favorite theme of the evil that lurks. Strangers on a train features the running theme of doubles and mirrored opposites. Murder, rather than making him feel guilty, fills him with a sense of accomplishment. Based on patricia highsmiths homonymous book, strangers on a train is a crime thriller that was shot in the fall of 1950. Ben affleck, david fincher plot strangers on a train.
Chicago, stripes of light from the slats of the window on her back, where her shoes are, i. Here are the opening sentences of patricia highsmiths novel strangers on a train. Upandcoming architect, guy haines, is traveling to texas to obtain a divorce from miriam, pregnant with another mans child. Hitchcock strangers on a train opening sequence youtube.
However, there are homosexual undertones present beyond the outright coded messages of his limp wrists, sashaying walk, and flowerpatterned tie. Homoerotic symbolism in hitchcocks strangers on a train. Hitchcock is again being very expressiveoften keeping one side of the screen lighter and the other darker. The natural state of man has been the subject of philosophers and thinkers for centuries. A major theme of strangers on a train is nature versus nurture. The original version side a is an alltime thriller classic.
This highlights the theme of duality, and also highlights the grey space between light and dark. Strangers on a train 1 shoes, script, auteurs the american. On the train, he meets slender, disturbing charles bruno, who. Brunos obsession with guy can be read as a repressed attraction. Ripley, its time to remember one of the greatest lesbian writers of the 20th. An influence on highsmith was the writing of fyodor dostoevski. The 10 most ingenious techniques used by alfred hitchcock. More than any of his other movies, hitchcock made strangers on a train about parallels. Throughout patricia highsmith s novel strangers on a train, the reader is exposed to the thoughts and desires of the two main characters of the story as they plan, carry out, and face the fallout of committing two murders. Strangers on a train silhouette special edition, no 555. The music that is being played in the entire scene is non diegetic, and with the shot closed up on the shoes of two men, the music ends up becoming more upbeat and the. There are numerous occasions when we instantly feel obliged to help.
They are emotional mirrors of each other, although not mental ones, given that bruno is a psychopath, but guy is not. Outsiders and existentialism eighteenthcentury books like gullivers movements normally parachute an outcast into a general public that they battle to comprehend. The train tore along with an angry, irregular rhythm. Strangers on a train 1950 is a novel by patricia highsmith which has been skillfully adapted by craig. Strangers on a train shameless soundtrack tunefind. The 10 most ingenious techniques used by alfred hitchcock the 10 most ingenious techniques used by alfred hitchcock. On a train, haines meets a psychopath, bruno antony robert walker, who tells him about his idea for a murder scheme. Licensed to youtube by umg on behalf of mca nashville. However, in strangers on a train, hitchcock explores the theme of psychological, rather than physical, doppelgangers in his two main characters, guy haines and bruno anthony. What distinguishes strangers on a train from similar films, even within hitchcocks.
The character of bruno, which is comprised of base desires and instincts, is presented as evil, and lends evidence to the argument. Detailed analysis of strangers on a train 1951 by alfred hitchcock. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25 important quotes, essay topics, and key themes like strangers and existentialism and conflict and capitalism. Obsession is shown through the unhealthy dynamics of the newton family, especially seen through the relationship between young charlie and uncle charlie. It was not enough for hitchcock to construct merely a world of doubles even contrasting doubles in. It is those flaws that set up the real themes of strangers. A linear mode of transportation with a predestined terminus.
Tensesuspensemystery abounds in this thriller from hithcock who combines the elements of intrigue with romance, drama and action. Strangers on a train themes strangers and existentialism eighteenthcentury novels like gulliver s travels typically parachute an outsider into a society that they struggle to understand. While some believe the natural state of man is peace, others believe it is war and violence. Music for alfred hitchcocks 1951 film strangers on a train based on patricia highsmiths novel. I think the main theme of the movie permeates into our lives as well. First, theres farley grangers frantic haste to win his tennis match, and then. A recently found longer prerelease british print side b offers a startling amplification of brunos flamboyance, his homoerotic attraction to guy and his psychotic personality, according to bill desowitz of film comment. Study guide for strangers on a train 1951 film strangers on a train 1951 film study guide contains a biography of director alfred hitchcock, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Train tracks and teleology in this runaway train of a crime novel, the struggle for prominence between the two protagonists accelerates the plot.
The list could be endless with mentions of double crossing, and crisscrossing, however each example is very effective and important to the film. With dimitri tiomkins symbolic score, perpetuating the omnipresent theme of. The theme of the novel investigates the abstraction of a double identity, of duality. In strangers on a train, he pulled out all the stops to incorporate doubles, crisscrosses, and. Coadapted 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. Strangers on a train was patricia highsmiths first novel and established the themes, characters, and major concerns for her twentytwo novels and eight collections of stories. While there are murders that take place in strangers on a train and the novel closely follows the characters as they commit murders, the point of the novel, the overall theme, has nothing to do with murder. Strangers on a train is also typical of highsmiths later writing in its focus on the criminal mind. It is in a way a little poetic since hitchcock is all about the world and people not being entirely black or white, good or bad. In hitchcocks strangers on a train, bruno antony robert walker s costume, mannerisms, and dialogue create a character exposition in which he is clearly homosexual. Song strangers on a train album version artist david nail. He has nothing but contempt for her and cannot wait to begin a new life with more sophisticated and loving anne.
This is furthered by the wildly spinning carousel at the end which blurs the line between antagonist and protagonist. Hitchcock made many great films in his career, especially in the 1950s. Hitchcock is famous for using motifs in his films, including birds, staircases, even blondes. Family relations in strangers on a train hitchcock. Hitchcock left behind two versions of strangers on a train. He would often interweave a taboo or sexuallyrelated theme into his films, such. In hitchcocks strangers on a train, bruno antony robert walkers costume, mannerisms, and dialogue create a character exposition in which he is clearly homosexual. Dial m for murder, rear window, rope, and vertigo each explore. The symbolism of the female gaze in strangers on a train professor john hellmann, english 578. Plot summary strangers on a train 1950 is a suspense thriller by patricia highsmith, based on the premise that two strangers. It was shot in the autumn of 1950 and released by warner bros. Though they might be strangers on a train, they become linked together through this murder plot. Patricia highsmiths novel strangers on a train has commentary to add to the debate on human nature. Alfred hitchocks opening sequence with the inevitable collision.
The talented patricia highsmith known to most for her novels strangers on a train and the talented mr. Click below to download the full study guide for strangers on a train. All 12 songs featured in shameless season 4 episode 4. Strangers on a train 1951 alfred hitchcock synopsis. An obvious yet very effective theme in hitchcocks strangers on a train is that of crisscross and doubles. This unusual shot visually announces the movies themes. The film includes a number of puns and visual metaphors that demonstrate a running. Eighteenthcentury novels like gullivers travels typically parachute an outsider into a society that they struggle to understand. Strangers on a train 1951 was director alfred hitchcocks suspenseful, noirish. Strangers on a train is also notable for its contrast of light and dark. Thrilling and interesting screenplay based on a patricia highsmith novel and coscripted by novelist raymond chandler and uncredited the prestigious ben hecht. Strangers on a train strangers on a train reverted back to the black and white filming, which almost seemed appropriate for almost any hitchcock film. In strangers, the lives of two ordinary men, guy and bruno, are inextricably bound by a chance encounter on a train. In shadow of a doubt, alfred hitchcock presents the theme of obsession, which is seen in many of his other films like strangers on a train, the lodger, and rear window.
The double bind when watching alfred hitchcocks 1951 film strangers on a train for the second time, one predominant theme was seen throughout, the notion of doubles, double identities and crisscrossing in the film. Strangers on a train was highsmiths first published work, written primarily while living at the yaddo artists colony. The film features a common hitchcock theme about a man wrongly accused. The premise of strangers on a train plays into director alfred. Narrative elements plot and story structure compression of time opening and closing characters setting themes, issues and motifs pointofview cause and effect. When albert camus composed the outsider in 1942, his hero clarifies from this judicious separation from the world a hypothesis relating to presence itself. Ben affleck and david fincher will reteam on a warner bros remake of the classic hitchcock thriller strangers on a train. Strangers on a train is a 1951 american psychological thriller film noir produced and directed. Strangers on a train summary and study guide supersummary. This study guide consists of approximately 27 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of strangers on a train. Strangers on a train symbols and motifs supersummary. Themes and motifs strangers on a train 1951 film wikipedia. Strangers on a train is a 1951 american psychological thriller film noir produced and directed by alfred hitchcock, and based on the 1950 novel strangers on a train by patricia highsmith. As the story progresses, the reader finds himself or.
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