STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
1951
Alfred Hitchcock

Terms

Semiotics: Study of signs
Hermeneutics: breaking of textual code
Cryptanalysis: breaking of ciphers (letter substitutions) and codes (word substitutions)

Symbol: something which stands for something in an arbitrary way: e.g. the word "dog" has an arbitrary relationship with the animal. Each language has a different word.

sign/icon has an intimate connection betwen the referent and sign. The footprint of the dog is based in reality, not an arbitrary relatioship. index: something like a fever which is a "sign" that the person is ill. Trope: figure of speech/metaphor

Motif: a recurrent thematic element in an artistic work

In writing the papers it is necessary you DOCUMENT things. IN this case we are not particularly interested in what someone else had to say, but rather we are interested in what you can show from the film itself. In this particular film we are particularly interested in symbols or images or tropes or motifs which occur which bear some significance to the film

These are things which can be found in still photographs. REMEMBER THE FORST PAPER DEASL WITH THINGS WHICH ARE NOT INVOLVED IN CHANGES, BUT ONLY THAT WHICH IS STATIC IN THE FILM - COMPOSITION (not how it changes) SYMBOLS, LIGHTING, and so on.

STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
1951
Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchock is a master of suspense. Remember difference between shock and suspense.

(a) shock is sudden suspense takes time.

a. Time can be stretched by cross cutting b. Film can speed up by making shots shorter c. Audience knows what characters don’t For this film we are more involved in symbols in the film In the case of this film the symbols are more relevant than those just dropped in for fun. That is they say something about the film,

The film is about exchanges and as a result there are many ways in which things about exchange an be shown in the film. What might they be?

AFTER THE FILM

Crosses: (in exchange things cross

Reflections: the reverse of what is seen is reflected

Circles: Things which go around

How many images of X’s are there?

the switches on the railroad track at the start of the film

Corssing gates

Crossed tennis rackets

It is said there are over 100 images of X's in the film! Reflections in glasses

Notice the glasses on Guy's wife, the blind man, and Barbara. Notice the way Hitchcock makes you "see" from the murderer's viewpoint. We laugh when Bruno breaks the kid's baloon, and the shot of the murder is a first person camera.

We see the murder reflected adn we see the flame in Barbara's glasses when Bruno is strangling Mrs. Cunningham. Barbara says "He was looking at me", but we see what Bruno sees - the reflection in Barbara's glasses and we hear the carousel music which Bruno hears in his head. (Question: IN first person shots are things the character sees and hears but no one else does diagetic?)

Circles (Merry go round, ferris wheel, signs on amusement park, street lights, etc.)

Subversive: the film makes us complicit – we enjoy the crimes (can there be an anti crime film or anti war film if that is what we go to see.

How do you feel about the balloon popping scene – Did you laugh? What does that say. Of course the kid doesn’t look broken hearted about the balloon – just surprised.