I know it's Hitchcock, I know it's considered a classic, and I know it's near 100 on the IMDb Top 250.
But that doesn't mean it's a good movie.
The setup is perfect; the psychotic Bruno Anthony follows a local sports hero (Guy Haines) onto a train, and strikes up a one-sided conversation about trading murders. The tennis pro wants nothing to do with it, but dismisses the conversation out of hand.
The murder of Guy's wife is also done well, although it is here where things get murky...how did he follow them for an hour without the other two men noticing him? After that, the premise falls apart completely. How could Guy not go to the police immediately? Why didn't he go after Bruno sent the evidence to his house? Why didn't the cops ask the man running the Tunnel Of Love about Guy, or anyone else for that matter? Why did the whole expected frame of Guy depend on his lighter being taken to the exact place? And finally, why the hell would a police officer SHOOT DIRECTLY INTO A CHILDREN'S RIDE AND KILL THE OPERATOR! Which led to the inevitable deus ex machina with Bruno being killed as the calliope fell to the ground, holding the incriminating cigarette lighter...
As I said, the setup was perfect, and I will admit Bruno is one of the most disturbing characters I've seen on film (as Guy is perhaps the stupidest), but the second and third acts were so bad, it couldn't make up for a great beginning.
But that doesn't mean it's a good movie.
The setup is perfect; the psychotic Bruno Anthony follows a local sports hero (Guy Haines) onto a train, and strikes up a one-sided conversation about trading murders. The tennis pro wants nothing to do with it, but dismisses the conversation out of hand.
The murder of Guy's wife is also done well, although it is here where things get murky...how did he follow them for an hour without the other two men noticing him? After that, the premise falls apart completely. How could Guy not go to the police immediately? Why didn't he go after Bruno sent the evidence to his house? Why didn't the cops ask the man running the Tunnel Of Love about Guy, or anyone else for that matter? Why did the whole expected frame of Guy depend on his lighter being taken to the exact place? And finally, why the hell would a police officer SHOOT DIRECTLY INTO A CHILDREN'S RIDE AND KILL THE OPERATOR! Which led to the inevitable deus ex machina with Bruno being killed as the calliope fell to the ground, holding the incriminating cigarette lighter...
As I said, the setup was perfect, and I will admit Bruno is one of the most disturbing characters I've seen on film (as Guy is perhaps the stupidest), but the second and third acts were so bad, it couldn't make up for a great beginning.