8. The Carousel Scene In Strangers On A Train
Strangers On A Train, made in 1951, is a thriller about two strangers who meet on a train (obviously). Bruno, the 'bad guy', attempts to forge a a pact with Guy, the 'good guy' - in that both men will murder someone for the other, ridding them of the people in their lives who make things difficult, and also providing what should be (in Bruno's eyes) two untraceable crimes. In short, Bruno murders Guy's wife, but Guy doesn't murder Bruno's father. The film comes to a huge climax during a visit to a local fair; and here we have the terrifying carousel scene. While it might not seem as scary watching it in 2015 as it did in 1951, the scene where two men are fighting to kill each other on an out-of-control fairground ride is pretty exhilarating. The scariest bit comes as the fairground music gets louder and louder, and the carousel spins faster and faster, and the people on the ride are screaming in terror. With fast paced camera shots, some great close ups of the evil-looking grinning horses, and the knowledge that one of the men is definitely going to be dead within the next five minutes, this is one of the most tense moments in Hitchcock's films.
Rachel Bailey
Contributor
I love Stephen King and music festivals; I eat my toast upside down; I daydream about getting married probably a bit too much; and I wish every day for a pet sausage dog puppy (who never materialises – sob).
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Rachel