4. Robert Walker As Bruno Anthony In Strangers On A Train (1951)
In Strangers on a Train, two men meet commuting on a- surprise, surprise- train. Through some awkward small talk, it comes out that Guy, the younger man, is a famed tennis star in the midst of a messy divorce. The other man, Bruno, proposes an idea: Bruno will kill Guy's wife, in exchange for Guy murdering his father. Other than the train car they're sharing, the two have no connection whatsoever; the perfect crime. Guy doesn't agree to the plan, but Bruno goes ahead with it anyway. Bruno stalks Guy's young adulteress wife and strangles her at an amusement park. Believing his half of the bargain to be complete, he then begins stalking Guy. The scene where Bruno tells Guy of his wife's death solidifies Walker's spot on this list. He speaks softly and matter-of-factly, but with a vague hint of glee at what he'd accomplished. Later in the film, Bruno invites himself to a party Guy is attending. He excitedly teaches some of the party guests how to successfully strangle someone while keeping them silent. While his hands are wrapped around a woman's neck, he spots Barbara, a young girl with glasses similar to the ones Guy's dead wife wore. The amusement park music swells in his head, and he blacks out with his hands still around the woman's throat. The subtle look of emptiness in Walker's eyes in this scene is nearly perfect. It's the same dead-eyed look I get when I try to watch Paul Haggis' Crash.