To me, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN is classic because of its plot, not its acting, but that's not the film's fault. I just like the more naturalistic acting styles that came in a few years later. And knowing a bit about psychopaths (of course, so does Patricia Highsmith ) I found the character's not having the right tone, somehow. I don't think he is simplistic, exactly, but in TTMR PH finally got it to perfection. Helped by Matt Damon, with his perpetually worried expression of someone who is just trying to get along in a world he wants so much to be part of -- and then all these things keep making trouble for him...
I say this having loved SOAT when I saw it in a film festival. And then I saw it again last year, and I felt disappointed.
But its a classic, no doubt about it. A lot of films are that have acting styles or other elements that now seem dated. Just the way it goes. And some of the old ones can still be mesmerizing, especially to people who haven't been exposed to subtlety in screen writing. Or sometimes to people who like the style. Or who like to watch the development of film ideas.
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jabell
10 years ago
One of the main reasons it's a classic is Hitchcock, who directed it beautifully! It's one of his best. And Farley Granger and Ruth Roman were never great actors. Robert Walker, however, was amazing.
You're right about Matt Damon, and with Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow just being so beautiful and golden, the epitome of all he wanted, it's easy to understand. Also another great performance by the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Boo Hoo! Let me wipe away the tears with my PLASTIC hand!--Lindsey McDonald (Angel)
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