The Stranger
Having directed two undisputed masterpieces - Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons - Orson Welles delved into the suspense film, crafting a baroque postwar thriller that drew upon the style of his previous work, while laying the groundwork for his later film noir classics The Lady from Shanghai and Touch of Evil. Edward G. Robinson stars as Wilson, a government agent who tracks down a high-ranking Nazi officer (Welles) who has managed to craft a new identity for himself in a quaint Connecticut town, marrying the daughter (Loretta Young) of a local judge.
Running Time
95 mins
Year
1946
Kanopy ID
1114737
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Comments (6)
An uncomfortable movie, as I imagine Orson Wells intended it to be. The confident subterfuge of Professor Charles Rankin is fingernails on a chalkboard.
Good stuff. Some of the same strangely angled super closeups that are de rigueur for Welles and then for avant garde film, the B&W cinematography is moody and lush, per usual for Welles, and it has [spoilers! Wait, stop, doing read further! spoiler alert!] some great moments. For example, ...Read more
Good stuff. Some of the same strangely angled super closeups that are de rigueur for Welles and then for avant garde film, the B&W cinematography is moody and lush, per usual for Welles, and it has [spoilers! Wait, stop, doing read further! spoiler alert!] some great moments. For example, a double entendre: after Welles' character commits murder, he walks in and his wife says, "You've changed." You think she means, he looks different because he just killed someone, but then you realize she means he changed his clothes (or did she... ;) Masterful touches like this are what still make Welles' films worth watching.
Read lessthe 5 star rating has become the 4 star rating because of the lack of 5 star motion pictures this is a 5 star motion picture.
Classic Wells.
Fantastic !
Great acting, cinematography, and some extremely thrilling scenes. The story is exciting but pretty unbelievable at times, especially from the middle of the film onwards. Spectacular finale though!