Strangers on a Train (1951) is among Alfred Hitchcock’s many masterpieces, further cementing his legacy as the Master of Suspense.
Stephen Rebello’s Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train is entirely dedicated to the film. Here, Rebello examines a period in Hitchcock’s career that encompassed a five-year run of flops, leading Hitchcock to feel that his career was in jeopardy. At this point, Hitchcock turned to Patricia Highsmith’s first novel, Strangers on a Train for inspiration. Bringing the story to the screen raised its own series of challenges for Hitchcock, particularly regarding his battles with the studio and censors. In the end, Hitchcock realized a massive success with this film, launching a decade of classic hits.
Rebello’s work is highly recommended to fans of Hitchcock, his directorial style, and his filmography.
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