Strangers on a Train by Hitchcock
Doubles on a Train Alfred Hitchcocks 37th film, Strangers on a Train, can be held for the classical "thriller" for many reasons: the plot evolves around murder, blackmailing, and subtle sexuality. ... Emphasizing on the duality of human nature, Hitchcock assembles most of the events and characters of the picture around the notion of doubles, using both narrative and technical elements. ... They start in two different places and arrive at the same train station, heading towards each other from opposite directions. ... Since they are total strangers, they are “free of suspicion”. ... Hitchcock thus clearly sets the two men as doubles for each other from the opening scene of the film. ... Moreover, the way Hitchcock films them emphasizes to the understated magnetism between the two: for most of the sequence, the camera focuses on the characters’ eyes, clearly pointing out the way Bruno is staring at Guy. Hitchcock also deepens the theme of the doubles by using small symbols and motifs. ... After the two protagonists leave the train they both go back to their everyday life and the film’s pace slows. ... Hitchcock thus creates a very dislikable character, which makes her later death somewhat more acceptable. ... Bruno then takes the train and arrives at a small village, where he follows Miriam and her two male companions to an Amusement park at night. ... Then the music that was playing in the amusement park the day of the murder is heard in the background (extra-diagetic, as a hint from Hitchcock) and the camera slowly zooms on Barbara’s face. ... Because Hitchcock establishes a bond between the characters and even portrays them as a duo reflecting each other, we believe that Guy may very well kill Bruno’s father; thus the two characters would join and even symbolically fuse into one. ... Strangers on a Train is thus a typical Hitchcock film.