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Scarecrow-88 2012-05-25 01:19:55

The Stranger

In Harper, Connecticut, a notorious Nazi lives, masquerading as anAmerican history professor, Charles Rankin(Orson Welles)recentlymarrying a prominent Supreme Court Justice's daughter, MaryLongstreet(Loretta Young). His life, as perfectly established as it mayseem, falls off the tracks when an old comrade from the Third Reichreturns to preach the word to him, Konrad Meinike(Konstantin Shayne)having converted to Christianity after a stint in prison, releasedreluctantly by a commission out to find and punish Nazi war criminalswho have escaped into America. A Nazi Hunter, Mr. Wilson(Edward GRobinson) follows Meineke to Harper, and, in turn, is led to Rankin,preparing to set up a trap to, once and for all, seize upon a slippery,elusive murderer, using his wife as unfortunate bait.Considered by film buffs and cineasts as Orson Welles most "Hollywood"film(..it's more straightforward and less mythic in it's presentation),"The Stranger" is more or less a cat and mouse thriller, a battle ofstrategic wits, set amongst the backdrop of a quaint, quiet,continental town where all the locals know each other.Actually, "The Stranger" feels more like a Hitchcockian suspensor thanan Orson Welles melodrama, the setting and scenario very familiar inregards to villains ably hiding underneath their masks, shielding whothey really are from those around them. Orson Welles successfullypresents a man whose cunning is manipulating his pretty wife intobelieving one lie after another, who Meinike is to him and why he hadto kill the man, creating an elaborate back story that couldn't befurther from the truth. Eddie G is perfectly cast as a dogged pursuer,very skilled in the job of catching the enemies who have graftedthemselves into American society, a determined "detective" who has madea living at hunting and finding evil wherever it may be. Young is thefilm's dramatic arc, a woman who loves a man that could be an infamouspsychopath, responsible for the slaughter of countless lives, having adifficult time accepting that her husband could be such a fiend. She'sWilson's chess piece, the only means to secure a long sought after warcriminal, and her life is at stake..Wilson needs Mary in order tocorner a desperate Rankin who would rather kill her than have his wifeimplicate him.The film's iconic image is the clock tower which plays a heavy part inhow the story unfolds..it is used in many ways, such as how it tiesRankin to his past(..Rankin destroyed all things that tied him to theGerman Nazi), is used as a refuge from stress, a means for hiding, andpossibly as a weapon(..a dangerous ladder that leads to the top of thetower).The finale is quite impressive as Rankin awaits Mary and Wilson, at thetop of the clock tower, and his true benevolence emerges as he's acornered animal with limited options left at his disposal. I think thefilm's best moments show the dark side of Rankin, how that Nazi stillremains lurking, and the way Welles allows us to see him(..the dialoguealso establishes this such as Rankin's dinner table conversationregarding how the German will not change with the times, the scribblingof the swastika on a notepad in a phone booth, his talk with Meinikeabout how the Nazi's would rise again, etc)when others aren't aroundhim where his guard is down.

2012-05-24 15:11:01

AT LAST

This review is from: The Stranger (MGM Film Noir) (DVD) This is one of my favourite film noirs, a great movie in which Welles showed the world he could do a classic Hollywood movie without going over the budget and still produce a genuine and personal masterpiece. I own two more previously released transfers of this public domain film, none of which did justice to the movie. They look like worn out VHS tapes. They are that bad. Finally, though without any extras and at a relatively high price, MGM has released what seems to be a transfer from a very good original 35 mm print, if not the original negative. The picture looks very clean and sharp, with deep blacks, and at last I can enjoy the film as Welles intended. Buy it.

junk-monkey 2012-05-22 16:55:41

Smart and creepy.

It may well be one of Welles' lesser films but there is some reallygood stuff in here. I loved the length of some of the shots, not asspectacularly long or as complicated as the opening of A Touch of Evilbut still long enough. There's one in particular when Edward G Robinsonand the boy walk out of the doctor's office and cross the road. There'sno dialogue between them and nothing happens. They just cross the roadand think about what they have just been told - and we the audience getto think about it too. When was the last time you saw a mainstreamHollywood movie that gave you time to think about what was going on? Or what about the long tracking shot when Rankin and Meinike meet inthe woods? It's wonderful. We get to see the actors really act. Fromthe moment two old comrades meet till the moment one of them murdersthe other. It's hypnotising. There isn't a cut between one of seventeendifferent angles every other word as so often happens these days. Andthere is some lovely acting from here from Welles. Smart and creepy.The way his hands twist and crawl on the back of the pew as he lies tohis wife in the church.As with all Welles' movies we can only wish the Director's Cut wasstill in existence but what remains is an interesting little film.

glock38_110 2012-05-22 07:16:52

Deliciously campy performance from Welles makes this a must see.

"Hitchcockian" effort from Orson Welles in which a police detective,played by Edward G. Robinson, is on the hunt for a Nazi war criminal insmall town USA, played by Orson Welles. Stylish and suspenseful, Welles does a fine job behind the camera, heplays his character in an over the top "look at me I'm the bad guy!"manner, ham fisted in some scenes especially towards the end, hischaracter's final scene is both brutal and hilarious. A lesser work in his canon but a very good film nonetheless, highlyrecommended.8/10

Brian Nomi 2012-05-20 11:39:09

Sorry, but this movie stinks

It may have been thrilling for an audience in 1946, but the movie is now abit boring. I had a hard time sitting through the whole thing, and it wasvery predictable: I mean, we know from the beginning of the movie thatWelles is the nazi war criminal, and I'll give you one guess as to whetherhe is caught and appropriately punished in the end.Not worth watching. It's sad that Welles only made three movies worthseeing in his long career: Kane, Ambersons, and A Touch ofEvil.

2012-05-19 23:43:00

This is the copy you want

Now that MGM is putting out an official release of this one, you should probably skip this version and buy that. However, I liked this disc which did include a trailer unavailable elsewhere.

classicsoncall 2012-05-19 06:44:08

"It's my job to bring escaped Nazis to justice."

It struck me while watching "The Stranger" that this could have been anAlfred Hitchcock film, what with the clock tower motif and thestairs/ladder plot element, not to mention the Nazi connection withHitch's "Notorious". Considering all that, there are a number ofcounterbalancing effects that prevent the film from being as great asit could have been. Orson Welles is believable up to a point as escapedNazi war criminal Franz Kindler, masquerading as college professorCharles Rankin in a small Connecticut town. Yet his performance isuneven, with the cold calculating former Nazi virtually falling apartas he brings his new wife Mary (Loretta Young) up to speed regardinghis criminal past. It's difficult to believe that the mastermind of theNazi death camps would have so easily given himself away to facecapture and punishment, let alone hang around for War Crime Commissionczar Wilson (Edward G. Robinson) to put him away.At least Rankin had the good sense to avoid being seen after crawlingaround in the dirt following his dispatch of Meinike (KonstantinShayne). But really, his absence from the entire wedding reception wasnever adequately dealt with, and Mary's reaction never got hostile theway a real newlywed would have. That was a neat touch with thepreoccupied Rankin scribbling away at a Nazi swastika while setting uphis wife for a quick exit.If you suspend critical judgment while watching, "The Stranger" windsup as a fair enough thriller, owing primarily to Robinson's charactermethodically working the town's citizens to help expose his victim.However it was with an unintended chuckle that I came away from thestory, considering the way Rankin deliberately murdered his formerassociate; here in fact was the basis for the original Meinike muffler.

Albert Ohayon 2012-05-18 20:21:39

Taught, suspenseful thriller

This film has been knocked by many people saying that Orson Welles wasforced to work within the strict confines of the Hollywood system. I haveabsolutely no problem with this. Welles is a master craftsman. He made greatfilms, period. In an interview he said that the studio cut out " a couple ofreels" that take place in South America at the beginning of the story thathe felt was the best part of the movie. As a viewer I feel that the film iscompact and taut. Adding more to it would not help(in my opinion). On thecontrary, I think adding more might make the film sluggish. As it stands thefilm remains dark. You feel that evil is present. You are just not sure whatis going to happen next.The performances in this film are for the most part excellent. Edward G.Robinson is amazing. This could have been a cardboard thin good-guy part.Instead he turns the character of Wilson into a smart, cunning hero. He isself-assured not obsessed. He understands what most people in the towndon't: Kindler is a monster who is capable of anything. To catch such a manyou have to be several steps ahead of him. Also excellent is KonstantinShayne as Meinike. You can see the fear and madness in his eyes as herepeats "I am travelling for my health, I am travelling for my health..."before going through customs. Make no mistake, this man is "an obscenitythat must be destroyed" to quote Wilson. Just look at his scene with thephotographer in South America. He is used to people following his orders.Welles is also very good as Kindler/Rankin. There are moments that youactually feel sympathy for him. His obsession with fixing the town clock isvery significant. Here is a man who needs things to be precise andstructured. He wants total control of his environment(a good example is howhe treats his wife). Welles hints at this man's mania but keeps him human.Even though you want him to be caught, you can't help wondering if he'll getaway. Loretta Young is unfortunately just average in this film. She has somegood moments (especially in the final scene when she confrontsRankin/Kindler)but her hysterics are just too much. The scene where Wilsonis showing her the Nazi atrocities is well played. She keeps a certaincomposure that works well.Overall, a very well made thriller with top notch performances and soliddirection by one of cinema's masters. I give it 8 clock towers out of10.

EddieK 2012-05-17 23:50:08

Modestly enjoyable thriller bears few of Welles' stylistic hallmarks

In 1946, Orson Welles' career was in a tailspin. His battle to get"Citizen Kane" released branded him a troublemaker in Hollywood. RKOheavily cut Welles' follow-up to Kane, "The Magnificent Ambersons,"while Welles himself was in South America, directing the ill-fateddocumentary "It's All True" (which wouldn't see the light of day untilafter Welles' death). To jump-start his directorial career, Wellesagreed to direct "The Stranger," a modestly enjoyable thriller thatbears few of Welles' stylistic hallmarks.Edward G. Robinson pursues the title character (Welles), who may or maynot be an escaped Nazi, through a sleepy Connecticut town. Complicatingmatters is that Welles has charmed the town's residents, includingLoretta Young, whom he marries. "The Stranger" illustrates Welles'concerns that World War II did not spell the end of fascism, and issignificant for being the first Hollywood film to include actualfootage from Nazi concentration camps. But by Welles' own admission,"The Stranger" was more of an attempt at profitable Hollywood productthan an artistic statement. The trademark Welles style does surface inthe South American prologue and the drugstore scenes, and the filmachieves genuine suspense during the paper chase scene and the grandfinale atop the town's clock tower."The Stranger" did not re-establish Welles as a force in Hollywood; hedirected two more American films ("The Lady From Shanghai" and"Macbeth") before departing for Europe, where his genius was betterappreciated. But "The Stranger" remains a well-paced thriller, moreenjoyable when considered apart from Welles' more distinctive work.

Hazle 2012-05-17 11:55:15

a thriller that kept my attention

Assuming a new life in Connecticut, a Nazi war criminal still has the sameevil in his intentions. How seared his conscience has become is evident inhow easily he strangles someone he has known from Germany, so that hehimself is not discovered. The most interesting development of the story ishow (Loretta Young) the new wife of the imposter is changed from sweetnessto willingness to incriminate herself to finally having her own moralecharacter resurface at the end...it seems to be more about her dilemma thanjust whether the imposter will be found out and exposed by the investigator,played by Edward G. Robinson. Throughout the movie, Orson Welles characteris despicable, but I doubt if an experienced criminal would have allowedhimself to be discovered. He may have taken flight as soon as he thought hewas suspected.

babygeniusesvseightcrazynights 2012-05-16 04:15:44

Worth your time and attention

The story is very intelligent for its time...a Nazi war criminal(Welles) lives incognito as a college professor in a small, peacefulConnecticut town, and a detective is hunting him down.Welles acting is, of course, superb, and a tense scene at a dinnertable in which he rants intelligently about the possibility of Germansembracing democracy is reason enough to pick up this movie. The factthat we know he's a Nazi makes his monologue intricatelysuspenseful--will the detective pick up the hints that we, as anomniscient audience, are able to detect with relative ease? There's alittle drugstore/coffee shop that the detective frequents throughoutthe movie in an attempt to gather information about the mysteriousprofessor, and these scenes are charming and offer some slight comicrelief that doesn't seem as dated as it should be.The finale is one that has been paid homage to numerous times in filmhistory, and rightfully so. That said, the fact that we've seen so manyreferences to it softens the effect of what was surely, at one time, ashocking scene.I recommend this, especially if you have little faith in the ability ofolder films to captivate. It's kind of short for this type of film (95minutes), so excitement and intrigue are rarely absent.This movie made me want to watch Citizen Kane again--along with Touchof Evil and The Third Man.

2012-05-16 02:16:00

Loretta Young, Radiant Beauty in a Dark Film

I have finally viewed "The Stranger," Orson Wells' film noir of the mid 1940s. I found it to be a riveting film, each of the three major stars delivering a terrific performance. I did, however, find the film's theme a dark and disturbing one. Such a film, concerned with the evil of Nazis, is one every viewer is likely a bit uncomfortable with. But there was indeed one shining light in the filme: Loretta Young. Young is legendary for her beauty, but her beauty is of a luminours and numinous kind. Without her presence in the film, the movie would've been far too dark, too evil-stressed. Young's beauty brings innocence and goodness into a film whose purpose is to show the battle of good versus evil in the world. Although she did indeed win an Academy Award for her knock-out performance in "The Farmer's Daughter," Young is still, unfortunately, remembered for her legendary beauty, her grand entrances on her TV show wearing gowns designed by the famous Jean Louis (he who designed Rita Haworth's Gilda gown) and her love affair with Clark Gable, who fathered her first child. What is now becoming known is that Young was one damn good actress. So it's a delight to see her in a film in which she gets a chance not only to look dazzlingly beautiful but to act. She holds her own against two of Hollywood's pros E.G. Robinson and Orson Wells. But let's face it, Young was a star in the early 30s, before either Robinson or Wells were well-known. She had a long, thriving, and respected career in Hollywood and later in TV. It's too bad she's been reduced to a Hollywood cliche: Just another beauty. In my book, she ranks in the top five of Hollywoods most beautiful women: Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Hedy Lamar, Marlene Dietrich. As Gloria Swanson says in "Sunset Boulevard," dismissing the new talkies in favor of silent films, "We had faces then." Yes, Young had a fabulous face, but she could also act. I highly recommend "The Stranger" as an excellent example of film noire, underscoring its radiant light, Loretta Young.

2012-05-11 04:34:28

NICELY PRESENTED

This film was based on an Oscar-nominated screenplay and was the first picture after WWII to show real life footage of concentration camps. The focus is on whether the Orson Welles character is an escaped Nazi or not who was part of the think tank for the Final Solution (i.e. the execution of undesirables in Nazi Germany). The investigator is played by Edward G. Robinson in an atypical role as a good guy who comes to the small town of Harper gathering information. There's a good split between the possible sinister evil doer in this Utopian town with a frank innocence that many of the folks seem to possess. The relationships in the town, as well as some of the sub characters, are done particularly well. The ending has some cheesy special effects by the standards of today (like the giant clock) but just go with it. This was one of the few Orson Welles pictures that did quite well at the box office. WHEN WATCHED: end of October 2011(streamed); STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus; SUSPENSE LEVEL: B; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus; BEST DIALOGUE: Professor Charles Rankin: The German sees himself as the innocent victim of world hatred and conspired against and put upon by inferior people, inferior nations. He cannot admit to error, much less to wrongdoing, not the German. We chose to ignore Ethiopia and Spain, but we learned from our own casualty list the price of looking the other way. Men of truth everwhere have come to know for whom the bell tolled, but not the German. No! He still follows his warrior gods marching to Wagnerian strains, his eyes still fixed upon the firey sword of Siegfried, and he knows subterranean meeting places that you don't believe in. The German's unbroken dream world comes alive, and he takes his place in shining armor beneath the banners of the Yeutonic knights. Mankind is waiting for the Messiah, but for the German, the Messiah is not the Prince of Peace. He's... another Barbarossa... another Hitler. /// Professor Charles Rankin: Murder can be a chain, Mary, one link leading to another until it circles your neck. Red was digging at the grave of the man I killed. Yes, your little man. Mary Longstreet: You killed him? Professor Charles Rankin: With these hands. The same hands that have held you close to me. ///

2012-05-10 10:14:57

The Stranger

"You can threaten me with the bottom pits of hell," Edgar G. Robinson as War Crimes Commissioner Mr. Wilson exhorts a roomful of tired old Europeans, "this obscenity must be destroyed." The "obscenity" is former Nazi Franz Kindler (Orson Welles), a death camp mastermind who disappeared shortly after the war. Wilson wins his argument and Konrad Meinike, one of Kindler's Nazi subalterns, is allowed to escape, hoping that he'll lead Wilson to Kindler. Like the best film noirs, this is a handsome movie of shadows and sunlight. Meinike does make a shadowy escape, and Wilson follows him to the bucolic town of Harper, Connecticut. The stakes are implied but clear - Kindler and his ilk are malignant cancers, and Harper is pure and uncorrupt. Evil can't be allowed to sink its rotted tendrils into Harper. Harper with its ivied walls and paper chases, with the boys whistling at pretty blondes and new brides hanging new curtains. Meinike does find Kindler, now Dr. Charles Rankin, early on in the movie. Evil needs shadows and dark places to grow. "We must stay hidden `til the day we strike again." Kindler/Rankin is hunted, he knows it, and Meinike is an unwelcome intrusion. The last thing he needs is an old army buddy with the thick German accent hanging around. Kindler makes and shallow plants the first corpse of the film, and so we're off. THE STRANGER is a slick little suspense movie that really shouldn't be subjected to intense scrutiny. For instance, it's probably better we believe that Kindler was able to "disappear" into Smalltown, USA so smoothly. It's best we ignore the nagging question of how Rankin was able to woo and win the heart and hand of the beautiful daughter of a liberal Supreme Court Justice so quickly. And, later on in the movie, it's better not to snort at Wilson's rationalization for putting Mary Longstreet Rankin's (Loretta Young) life in danger. And it's definitely better not to wonder how a woman who is astute enough to question someone's advocacy of a "Carthaginian peace" can be so blind to her husband's dark secrets. Young is wonderful as a young woman who has to journey from naïve young bride to a confused woman torn between love and terror. Robinson is just right as the driven Nazi hunter. Welles, in the lead role, is another story. He's too much the ham for a role like this. He's a little too over the top. Rankin/Kindler is a man who is living a great lie, and the penalty is great if he's found out. The role calls for someone who can internalize dread and terror, and Welles was never a great internalizer. Gregory Peck probably would have been perfect in the role - Peck was always better at repressing, rather than expressing, emotions. Quibbles aside, I strongly recommend THE STRANGER. There's enough going on here to forgive its minor excesses and inconsistencies. Besides, it LOOKS so darn good. Welles' movies always have something visually interesting going on. This IS a budget dvd, so the print and sound quality are less than pristine. I've seen worse, and frankly I didn't notice the scratches and splotches and such until I started looking for them.

2012-05-07 18:29:05

Second-rate Can Be Fine!

This review is from: The Stranger (DVD) N.B.: Anyone reading this review should be aware that the reviewer is a fan or the work of Orson Welles and corect for tht fact!Critics agree that this film is second-rate Welles. In my opinion, it is still a very good film indeed. Welles was striving, at this time, to stop the incipient sliding of his Hollywood credibility. He was determined to do what too many influential people were saying he couldn't do: make a mainstream, popular film which still met his standards for originality and quality, and moreover, to bring it home on schedule and within budgetary limitations. I think "The Stranger" accomplished his objectives. There was some studio tampering with the story, but it remains a very solid thriller with above-average character complexity, realized by dedicated performances across the board. Welles's gifts for lighting and camera work are strongly evident, while not as flashy as in some of his other films. His editing, particularly as related to pacing, is definitely up to standard. Viewers are cautioned only to avoid computer-colorized prints. "The Stranger" works far better in black-and-white.

funkyfry 2012-05-07 09:14:09

Very well directed film with a relatively weak story

I first saw this movie in the theater quite a while ago and found it tobe a well made film but with a forgettable plot. Second viewing doesn'treally change my opinion. It's a suspense movie, not a mystery, so youcan't really complain about the fact that we know who the killer isfrom the very beginning. But even so, a good suspense movie should havea better plot than this one.That complaint aside, it's a fine film from the great director. Theopening sequences are especially interesting with Welles' famous rovingcamera technique used right away as we see the release of a prisonerwho is going to lead the investigator, Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson)to an escaped Nazi war criminal (Welles), Professor Rankin. What'sinteresting in the basic set-up is that Rankin has managed to ensconcehimself in a small upper crust heartland community and is engaged to bemarried to a federal judge's daughter, Mary (Loretta Young). The film'stextual message, such as it is, focuses on the concept that danger andevil can exist even in the most apparently wholesome and positivecircumstances or environments.Probably the film's most interesting scene is the dinner scene whereMr. Wilson attempts to interrogate Rankin in a very casual manner.Rankin would almost have escaped if it weren't for his momentary slipup in saying that Karl Marx "wasn't a German, he was a Jew".Perhaps in a way the film is saying that evil is able to hide sosuccessfully in the midst of innocent and good people because as longas someone is well educated and has mastered social customs, asProfessor Rankin has; and not just that, but the fact that his evilcould only be revealed by a casual slip of the tongue implies that ourordinary social customs do not encompass or do not reveal the truenature of our selves.Personally I didn't think much of Loretta Young in the role. Not surehow much was her fault, because the role is pretty thin in my opinion.The film never really comes to grips with the idea that this "good"woman was able to be fooled by a bigot into marriage. It would havebeen a more interesting film to me if the portrayal of the townsfolkhadn't been so clearly intended to show them as essentially "good" andWelles' character as totally different from them.

Hitchcoc 2012-05-05 17:49:27

Who Says Fear of Terrorism Is a Contemporary Problem

Who says that fear of terrorism is a new development, post 9/11.Imagine the fears and exposed nerve endings of the average towns personliving in the shadow of World War II. There was the fear ofinfiltration by the Nazis with their secret agents, blending in withour everyday citizens. Orson Welles plays just such a guy. He is kind,pleasant, quiet, and very dangerous. He even sets about marrying awoman as part of his secret plot. Edward G. Robinson, who normallywould have been the heavy, plays a tired, hard working investigator whois leaving no stone unturned. The plot is intricate, thoughpredictable, and the whole thing is hard to take your eyes off. Welleswas a great director, but perhaps an even better actor. He keeps thisthing going, raising it above the common fair of the time. The writingkeeps the good guys at bay, but the clues continue to sit there, ripefor discovery. The clock tower is a great symbol, continuing to remindus of the urgency of everything. The dramatic irony presented makes uscontinually uncomfortable. We are treated to the movements andactivities of the villain, and being let in, it makes everything moreenjoyable. See this if you can.

khan2705 2012-05-05 14:16:21

Dark noir that is very great to watch.

Starring:Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, Philip Merivale,Richard Long, Konstantin Shayne, Byron Keith, Billy House and MarthaWentworth.Directed by:Orson Welles.Awards:Nominated for Best Original Screenplay Academy Award.Plot: (Spoilers towards the end)This is a 1946 released Film Noir directed by the wonderful OrsonWelles. it is considered to be the first movie released after World WarII that showed footages of those Nazi camps. it follows Mr. Wilson fromthe United Nations War Crimes Commission who is hunting for a Nazifugitive called Franz Kindler. he is the one who erased all theevidences that might lead to him, he have also assumed a new identityand is known by Charles Rankin now who is a teacher working in UnitedStates. he is married to Mary who is the daughter of a Supreme CourtJustice. so Wilson releases a former associate of Kindler known asMeinike and hopes that he will lead him to Kindler and then he followsMeinkie to a town in Connecticut but he loses the track after aincident. Meinkie does meet Kindler and begs him to confess everythingand instead, Kindler kills Meinkie strangling him as he was a threat tohis identity. Wilson realizes that Rankin is actually Kindler first asa suspicion and then he deduces after seeing his behavior and that Marysays in the hotel that Meinkie came to meet Rankin. Wilson decides toconvince Mary that her husband is a criminal before he tries to killher too. also the family dog finds the body of Meinkie and to protectthat, Kindler poisons the dog too. Mary does suspect something oddabout her husband but is not ready to accept any of that due to herblind love for him, she cant decide whether to learn the truth abouthim or try to create a new life for him. Wilson shows her the footageof Nazi camps which are very graphic and explain her everything aboutKindler and his idea of developing genocide. She breaks down only whenshe herself discovers that Rankin was trying to kill her. She dares himto kill her and Rankin does try to but is stop by Wilson and Mary'sBrother Noah at the clock tower. he tries to run from them but falls tohis death.Review:This is not a movie i was planning to watch but i found it somewhereand i decided instantly to give it a watch since it was the first movieStarring or/and directed by Orson Welles that i was about to watch. iwas excited to see another Black and White movie, they are something ijust love to watch and i have been watching them for a while nowcontinuously. and also as i mentioned that this is the first time i amwatching Orson Welles' work which everyone talks about is great. i amdying to see Citizen Kane which is considered to be the greatest movieever by many people. this movie The Stranger was the first big BoxOffice success for a Orson Welles movie which is great. Even CitizenKane didn't quite made some profit, just made back its budget andmarketing but no profit. a big thing for him and it also received goodreviews. this movie showed footage of actually Nazi camps for the firsttime ever after World War II and i also read that he particularly hadinterest in talking or writing about Fascism. he did wrote for someNewspapers and also a scene featuring their dinner table conversationabout Germany really did pointed out towards his own Article. though ineed to see Citizen Kane and his other works but just what i saw fromthis movie was enough for me to realize what a perfectionist he was.He won my heart for how great he use to work in his every projects, agreat thing to do and this something every filmmaker and actor shoulddo and something i really find respectable. this movie had a very gooddirection, impressive work by him. Screenplay was written very good andquite precise. Plot was very well shown and something of a NoirThriller, if not a very classic way but still was something that iloved watching. maybe a bit hard for some viewers to follow because ofthe pacing of the movie which is quite slow at times which you will notmind if you are in the right kind of mood to see it. i really like thistechnique where a filmmaker emphasize on the pacing of the movie atcertain points allowing plot and things to develop slowly into the mindof audience. some people do get frustrated by the fact that an actionor a thriller movie has certain slow and boring scenes but they helpvery much in the overall impact of the thriller movie to take time todevelop everything. i think one need a break from everything and thissomething that after a long time i saw so precisely and indulgentlydone that i truly liked.Some good performance from Loretta Young and i also liked Orson Wellesand other actors. nice cinematography and art direction. i liked thewhole set up of the movie. towards the end the clock tower sequence istruly something to remember. it just so smashing. i was thrilledthroughout and it had a lot of suspense. Welles' character was quitestrong and i really liked his ability to act that well and soconvincing he is throughout the movie. a movie that i truly believe isone of his best work Post Citizen Kane and something i really loved andenjoyed watching considering it was my first time. i would definitelycall it a near classic film noir. Two thumbs up for the good work.Rating:4.5/5A-Follow My Blog: Hollywoodandme.blogspot.com

2012-05-05 19:25:55

The Stranger

This review is from: The Stranger (DVD) Very Enjoyable and exciting to watch. Keeps you on the edge of your seat thru the film. A real hidden Treasure.

MarieGabrielle 2012-05-04 22:18:23

I like Harper just the way it is even without a clock....

Loretta Young intones her provincial view of a small Connecticut town,and how everything is perfect, nothing terrible can ever happen inHarper.Orson Welles deserves credit for this underrated gem. Richard Long isNoah Longstreet and Richard Merrivale as Young's father, a SupremeCourt judge.Edward G. Robinson is the government official, tracking down formerNazi Franz Kindler. Could he be in this perfect American town?. Wellesis undercover as a local professor. He marries Mary Longstreet (LorettaYoung) but soon some terrible things start occurring in Harper. Mary'sdog, Red is missing. Then the body of a mysterious foreigner is foundin the woods.The clock plays a backdrop; Franz Kindler is an amateur clockcollector. There are several intriguing scenes, such as when Welles isdiscussing Nazis and warfare, in the context of history. This is abrilliant suspense film. 10/10.