Strangers on a Train

This 1951 Hitchcock movie is fantastic. In the late fifties Jimmy Stewart became the go to guy for many of the Hitchcock movies but this movie, being earlier, in the decade had no one in the cast I had ever heard of.

No matter, one thing I have learned from watching Alf red's movies is that they are all fantastic and this movie is nothing short of that.

Centering on a chance meeting between a young tennis pro named Guy Haines. Played by Farley Granger, Haines is married to a crass, adulterous, woman and wants a divorce so that he too can marry the daughter of a Senator he has been dating. As a slightly famous person Haines is not shocked to be recognized on the the train he is traveling by a man named Bruno Anthony. Played brilliantly by Robert Walker Bruno is forward and loud. He discusses the items currently appearing in the gossip columns about Haines wife and his own lovelife.

Guy is uncomfortable with the conversation but allows himself to be drawn in. He is shocked however as the conversation extends to hear Bruno say that the perfect murder would be for two people who do not know each other to swap murders to commit. His reasoning is that with no ties to the victims both crimes would be unsolvable. Haines cuts the conversation short, realizing that the man might well be unbalanced.

We, as the audience, know what is going to happen and we are not disappointed. We see it happen. Soon enough as Haines returns home one night Bruno is waiting for him to tell him that he has completed his half of the deal. Haines shocked and surprised to see Bruno again does not believe Bruno's claims but when the phone rings inside and Bruno tells him that will undoubtedly be the police he realizes what he is caught up in.

What does Guy do? Does he go to the police and confess what he has got caught up in. Or does he get sucked into the murder plot further and actually commit the unspeakable act.

With some great scenes set around an amusement park Hitchcock again brings all the moving parts together to an exciting ending. He was perhaps the greatest filmmaker of his time and it is surprising in a way how little he is referenced as one of the greats. Perhaps thrillers are not considered as worthy of the great epics such as the works of David Leen. More likely in our now is better culture we revere the works of Spielberg and Malick, both great directors, and forget who came before.

This is a wonderful movie.

War Horse

Yesterday afternoon we went to the movies. It was a dreary day and we, evidently along with everyone else decided to go to the movies. My wife and daughter wanted to see We Bought A Zoo and while that looked entertaining I had seen the trailers for War Horse and the bit of history implied made it interesting for me. So, to my wife's shock I was not worried about going to a movie by myself, this fact became moot after my wife's mother joined us and chose War Horse as well.

I do not like going to the movies late but somehow we arrived there with little time to spare and by the time we entered the theatre of our movie it was very full. I was able to spot two seats in the stadium seating and regretfully bothered a couple of people so that we might reach them. It was a necessity however as if I have to look up at a screen my neck is very sore.

The movie was long and very good. It was a bit slow moving at first. The sequence where Albert Narracot teaches the horse to plow the rocky bottom farmland seemed to drag on forever and with the ensuing crop then destroyed by rain did little to advance the plot. That is a small trifle however with a movie as good as this.

In telling my daughter about the movie after the fact I compared it a bit with the children's book Ribsy that she and I and perhaps most of us in a generation had read. In that book a dog is lost and goes through several owners and experiences before he finds his way back to his master. This horse does much the same thing.

Joey the horse, sold by the father, to a soldier entering World War I ends up performing his duties on both sides of the war. I thought that it was admirable for Spielberg to make both sides of the war, English and Germans full of admirable characters. Truly wherever Joey ends up he finds people who admire him and want to keep him well.

For me the most memorable scene is when Joey after losing his rider ends up in no mans land at the Somme caught up in barbed wire and fortifications. A brave English soldier attempts to rescue him under a white flag only to be joined by a German solider with wire cutters. This scene strikes all of us who appreciate men being men, doing a job, and understanding there does not have to be animosity in competition, even competition such as war.

Late in the story the young boy who trained him, and whose Dad sold the horse into the war effort has joined the army. One would expect a reunion of miraculous good fortune and one would not be disappointed. Still the movie remains plausible and the ending is made to make one feel good.

I liked this movie, I liked the history, I liked the scenery and some scenes were very good. Still it seemed to be less than its parts if that is possible. Maybe because the star was a horse and the movie was filled with actors I did not know. The movie was very good, highly recommended but still lacked something. I am not sure if that makes sense.

The crowed liked it, lots of applause at the end. I liked it too.