This movie was ok…Orsen Wells is hard to take your eyes off of
It's not amazing, but still fairly enjoyable.
It was the second time I've watched it and this time I tried to analyze it a bit more. The antagonist here has a dark and heavy background, straight out of a twisted mind, but this isn't very well represented in his hiding days... so that's definitely a bummer.
Edward Robinson may not be at his best, but I still enjoyed seeing him on-screen.
And a lot of times, we can just sit back and appreciate the fair amount of great shots, the light, the composition... very good B&W photography.
All in all, I like it. And I'd watch it again.
An odd picture--distinctly Wellesian touches throughout (camera movement, angles, depth of focus), but used in the service of an otherwise ho-hum (and often quite ridiculous) story about Nazi-hunting in small-town America. I'm not usually one to harp on plot implausibilities, but they stack up here in a distracting way because the movie is plot-forward and has little else going on. Historically interesting though, to see this happening just a year after the war ended.
Nice noir film that expresses well the fears of infiltration of Nazi criminals in the respectable American society of that time.
Good cinematography, good pace and enjoyable performaces of Robinson and Welles.
Most interesting is the character of Mary, the unsuspecting wife of nazi general Frank Kindler who is torn between standing up for her husband or working with the police to arrest him.
I think a remake that explores the theme of the fascination of evil even more courageously without the constraints of the moral code of that time would be interesting.
Apparently, this is Orson Welles’ least favorite movie from this particular director. What does he know? I like it quite a bit.
The rare Orson Welles film to turn a profit during its theatrical run, this is also his least favorite work due to constant studio meddling. The Stranger is more mainstream and digestible than most of his films, with a short running time and direct, hand-holding plot that leaves nothing for interpretation. In many ways that's refreshing, as Welles was often a candidate for getting caught up in himself and indulging in long, dry elaborations on non-central themes. Here we get just a taste of that, in one fantastic dinner table diatribe on the mentality of a Nazi, which benefits from both its brevity and special status as the flick's only real soapbox moment.
The plot would have been greatly improved with a bit more ambiguity, though, as it spells everything out in the first act and sits back to watch the pieces fall naturally into place. That left me with a bland taste in my mouth and a starved imagination, dancing with visions of blown potential. Orson never shot an ugly picture, and this is no exception: it's a gorgeous example of extreme noir contrast and creative cinematography. A pity the base, predictable plot doesn't live up to the expectations.
I know it maybe too much to ask, but the characters all fell a little flat at times, especially Kindler - he is way too dumb for a Nazi mastermind. Still, decent movie, goofy fun, enjoyed it nonetheless.
Shout by Chris BrinkBlockedParent2013-05-06T02:24:25Z
Not Welles's best, but worth watching.