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| Patricia Highsmith's first novel
wasn't the sort of stuff which lent itself to cinematic treatment in the
early 1950s. Darkly amoral with constant and only semi-veiled references
to homosexuality it was difficult to see how it could go to the screen
without a mauling by the studio's censors. Which is presumably why
Hitchcock decided to maul it himself first. And also why Highsmith
always hated it although it would be difficult to find a greater contrast
than between her starkly simple and vivid style and his Baroque
symbol-driven cinematography. Hitchcock tried to make amends by hiring
Raymond Chandler as his main scriptwriter; this despite the fact that
the only thing in common between Chandler's and Highsmith's novels is
that people get killed in both. And in the end most of Chandler's
stuff was rewritten. But for us OOs, Strangers on a Train is a gem. It
may be symbolism for the cinema freaks but for us it's unalloyed
excitement. The 50s glasses, the rx, at least -8 and that in the days
before hi-index. And just Hitchcock's sheer obsession, Even his rather
dumpy daughter Patricia starts to look good when she dons the planos. |
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