Rating: 
Summary: Aptly Titled
Review: 'The Stranger' is certainly an appropriate title. The film IS a strange one for director/actor Orson Welles ' it was uncharacteristically completed on time and under budget. It is also a fairly straight-ahead thriller that just barely has the 'Welles touch.' In fact, compared to Welles' other work, it seems'well, ordinary. Welles plays a Nazi war criminal who has found refuge as a professor in a sleepy college town. This is the type of town where nothing much ever happens and the owner of the town's general store knows everyone and everything about them. When Edward G. Robinson comes to town looking for 'antiques,' suspicions are aroused, especially Welles'. The best parts of 'The Stranger' are the cat-and-mouse game between Welles and Robinson as well as the relationship between Welles and his new wife Loretta Young. The film still holds up as a good thriller, but not a great one. The second half of the film feels too manipulated. You might say, 'But Welles was a MASTER of manipulation,' and you'd be right. But the difference here is in the manipulation of supporting characters who aren't given sufficient room to develop or to think. The commentary track by Jeffrey Lyons is, unfortunately, unremarkable. Lyons spends much of his commentary giving us a resume of each film the actors made, rather than discussing the merits and qualities of the film. I was hoping that someone with the knowledge and expertise that Lyons possesses would give us more. Although not as good as other Welles films, every film lover should watch the film to catch glimpses of greatness from Welles, Robinson, and Young. 95 minutes
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the admission price
Review: A neat thriller from Welles. Perhaps his least ambitious film, but a good story well-told and well-acted. Welles is the nazi war criminal hiding out in a small Connecticut town where he has become a valued member of the community. Edward G Robinson, playing a good guy for a change, is the detective who tracks him down, and then has to prove who he is. It isn't up there with Citizen Kane, or the Magnificent Ambersons, it isn't a movie that will have your jaw dropping at its extravagant brilliance and fire-work, box-of-tricks direction. But it is solid, it is entertaining and it is well-scripted. Certainly any project with the Orson Welles stamp is worth watching and this, on its own terms, is a well-honed and interesting minor classic. Welles is superb in the lead role. There's a wonderful bit of dialogue when his professorial nazi character is fielding questions on the German character. Somebody asks him about Karl Marx to disprove a point. "Ah, but Marx wasn't a German, he was a jew," comes the telling response, delivered with such arrogance and conviction it makes you seethe. Well worth the admission price.
Rating:
Summary: Minor Classic From a Master Filmmaker
Review: A noir-ish thriller directed by and starring Orson Welles post-"Citizen Kane". Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young co-star. Shares a neat clock-oriented subtext with "The Third Man". The character Welles plays, a Nazi baddie named Franz Kindler, who has established a new life for himself under a new name in "Harper" (neé Hartford), Connecticut is only a step or two removed from the nefarious Harry Lime of Carol Reed's classic. That was the film in which Welles gave the great speech -- one of the film world's best -- about Switzerland and the cuckoo clock. "The Stranger" isn't quite as clever, but it's a fine film nonetheless. Somewhat reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's underrated "Shadow of a Doubt", in which Joseph Cotten played an urban killer hiding from the authorities in the deceptive safety and security of the suburbs. "The Stranger" isn't based on Albert Camus' novel; that was made into a film a few decades later by Italian director, Luchino Visconti.
Rating:
Summary: Minor Classic From a Master Filmmaker
Review: A noir-ish thriller directed by and starring Orson Welles post-"Citizen Kane". Edward G. Robinson and Loretta Young co-star. Shares a neat clock-oriented subtext with "The Third Man". The character Welles plays, a Nazi baddie named Franz Kindler, who has established a new life for himself under a new name in "Harper" (neé Hartford), Connecticut is only a step or two removed from the nefarious Harry Lime of Carol Reed's classic. That was the film in which Welles gave the great speech -- one of the film world's best -- about Switzerland and the cuckoo clock. "The Stranger" isn't quite as clever, but it's a fine film nonetheless. Somewhat reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's underrated "Shadow of a Doubt", in which Joseph Cotten played an urban killer hiding from the authorities in the deceptive safety and security of the suburbs. "The Stranger" isn't based on Albert Camus' novel; that was made into a film a few decades later by Italian director, Luchino Visconti.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Contrived, I Think
Review: Edward G. Robinson is a Nazi hunter, hot on the track of one of the Big Guys. The trail leads to a sleepy college town, and don't you know it, that new German professor Orson Welles, the one that's getting married tonight to Loretta Young, he's the guy! Wow. Seems there's a few strangers around this place. Who is this Edward G. Robinson guy, asking a lot of questions? Who is this German professor guy, with his tell-tale clock obsessions? But strangest of all is the terrible over-the-top performance of Loretta Young. She starts as the happy go lucky bride, but in no time flat is popeyed and hysterical--she's starting to resemble poor Basil Rathbone in "The Son of Frankenstein". Maybe you should watch it anyway, if only to check out the ultra absurd clock tower climax==that's one way to wind up a movie!
Rating:
Summary: Welles and Robinson shine
Review: First of all, concerning the DVD edition of THE STRANGER -- the version I own and am reviewing is the Hollywood Classics release. This is the one that comes with the 30-minute documentary on Orson Welles and the (rather frightening) introduction by Tony Curtis. The picture and sound looked quite adequate to me though there is an annoying "Delta" logo that appears occasionally in the bottom right-hand corner. I had never seen the film before and purchased this DVD in a 3-pack of Orson Welles films. For the low price, the value is excellent and the video quality is quite good, though I'm sure it isn't as clear as the more expensive version. The customer will have to decide if they want to pay three times the price to get a cleaner version or get a serviceable copy for the lower cost.Now moving on to the film. This movie is much more straightforward than the other Orson Welles films that I've seen. We have a standard good guy and a standard bad guy, and each character is set up in his role almost immediately. Edward G. Robinson plays the Nazi-hunter who has been tracking Orson Welles' character since the end of the Second World War. Welles' plays a Nazi who has gone into hiding and is now living in small town America as a schoolteacher. The acting from the two leads is spellbinding -- as good as any of their best work, with Welles in particular stealing the show. Welles triumphs in the difficult task of playing a man who has successfully integrated himself in a community, yet allowing the audience to see him as the villain that he is. The viewer never questions why the outlaw has been able to fool his friends and neighbors for months but can also pick up on the same clues that Robinson's character does. The story is not overly complicated and this allows us to pay a lot of attention to the different characters in the movie. The townspeople, without exception, are all given their own motivations without slipping into repetition and the silly catchphrases that movies set in small towns tend to give to their characters. There are also some excellent shots that could only have come from Welles' keen directorial eye. The German's obsession with clocks is an interesting metaphor for the Nazi mindset, but this is kept to a minimum and never becomes overbearing. I highly recommend this interesting film for anyone who enjoys good acting and intriguing storylines. The documentary included on the DVD is very superficial and most of the 30 minutes are taken up by trailers of films, some of which barely feature Orson Welles himself. It's not something that the Welles fan is going to get too much out of and it does not contain enough information for the casual viewer. The introduction by Tony Curtis is frighteningly odd.
Rating:
Summary: Welles and Robinson shine
Review: First of all, concerning the DVD edition of THE STRANGER -- the version I own and am reviewing is the Hollywood Classics release. This is the one that comes with the 30-minute documentary on Orson Welles and the (rather frightening) introduction by Tony Curtis. The picture and sound looked quite adequate to me though there is an annoying "Delta" logo that appears occasionally in the bottom right-hand corner. I had never seen the film before and purchased this DVD in a 3-pack of Orson Welles films. For the low price, the value is excellent and the video quality is quite good, though I'm sure it isn't as clear as the more expensive version. The customer will have to decide if they want to pay three times the price to get a cleaner version or get a serviceable copy for the lower cost. Now moving on to the film. This movie is much more straightforward than the other Orson Welles films that I've seen. We have a standard good guy and a standard bad guy, and each character is set up in his role almost immediately. Edward G. Robinson plays the Nazi-hunter who has been tracking Orson Welles' character since the end of the Second World War. Welles' plays a Nazi who has gone into hiding and is now living in small town America as a schoolteacher. The acting from the two leads is spellbinding -- as good as any of their best work, with Welles in particular stealing the show. Welles triumphs in the difficult task of playing a man who has successfully integrated himself in a community, yet allowing the audience to see him as the villain that he is. The viewer never questions why the outlaw has been able to fool his friends and neighbors for months but can also pick up on the same clues that Robinson's character does. The story is not overly complicated and this allows us to pay a lot of attention to the different characters in the movie. The townspeople, without exception, are all given their own motivations without slipping into repetition and the silly catchphrases that movies set in small towns tend to give to their characters. There are also some excellent shots that could only have come from Welles' keen directorial eye. The German's obsession with clocks is an interesting metaphor for the Nazi mindset, but this is kept to a minimum and never becomes overbearing. I highly recommend this interesting film for anyone who enjoys good acting and intriguing storylines. The documentary included on the DVD is very superficial and most of the 30 minutes are taken up by trailers of films, some of which barely feature Orson Welles himself. It's not something that the Welles fan is going to get too much out of and it does not contain enough information for the casual viewer. The introduction by Tony Curtis is frighteningly odd.
Rating: 
Summary: CAVEAT EMPTOR - BUYER BEWARE.
Review: For those who are going to buy this copy, beware. The transfer is a disappointment and there is a logo which pops up on the screen throughout the film. The logo is "Delta"--whatever that is. It's not the name of the company, so I can't quite figure out what it is. Perhaps if you have a "S" cable connected to your DVD the film might be a lot clearer. At any rate, the "Delta" logo is a real travesty and since this is the only DVD version that is being printed, die-hard Orson Welles fans are forced to buy it for their collection. If you have time, you might want to look for a different version of "The Stranger" in a Fries Electronics or wherever they sell DVDs. Of course, the film is brilliant--especially when you think about what other films were being done at the time--but it would be nice if the company who transferred the film gave it the respect it deserves.
Rating:
Summary: Aptly Titled
Review: �The Stranger� is certainly an appropriate title. The film IS a strange one for director/actor Orson Welles � it was uncharacteristically completed on time and under budget. It is also a fairly straight-ahead thriller that just barely has the �Welles touch.� In fact, compared to Welles� other work, it seems�well, ordinary. Welles plays a Nazi war criminal who has found refuge as a professor in a sleepy college town. This is the type of town where nothing much ever happens and the owner of the town�s general store knows everyone and everything about them. When Edward G. Robinson comes to town looking for �antiques,� suspicions are aroused, especially Welles�. The best parts of �The Stranger� are the cat-and-mouse game between Welles and Robinson as well as the relationship between Welles and his new wife Loretta Young. The film still holds up as a good thriller, but not a great one. The second half of the film feels too manipulated. You might say, �But Welles was a MASTER of manipulation,� and you�d be right. But the difference here is in the manipulation of supporting characters who aren�t given sufficient room to develop or to think. The commentary track by Jeffrey Lyons is, unfortunately, unremarkable. Lyons spends much of his commentary giving us a resume of each film the actors made, rather than discussing the merits and qualities of the film. I was hoping that someone with the knowledge and expertise that Lyons possesses would give us more. Although not as good as other Welles films, every film lover should watch the film to catch glimpses of greatness from Welles, Robinson, and Young. 95 minutes
Rating:
Summary: Great in it's simplicity.
Review: Right off the bat don't buy this dvd go out and look for the Roan Group double dvd with The Stranger and Cause For Alarm on it. Now that that has been established let's delve into the film. This film is a great introduction into the world of Orson Welles. Welles' films are always visually stunning a bit confusing, stark and thought provoking. And The Stranger posess all of the above mentioned attributes but just a litles watered down making it the most easy to watch of all of Welles' films. Welles' plays a Nazi war criminal hiding out in a suburbia and he weds Loretta Young to seem even more in touch with Americana. But when a man from his past comes and pays him a visit all hell breaks loose! Welles' has a very unique face in most of his other films he is clean shaven and looks like a cherub but here he has a mustache which makes him look sinister but still trusting due to his angel like eyes and you never wonder why Young's character stands by her man even after he tells her he's a killer! The camera angles are a lot less perverse than Welles' other films but his visual style is still present here! The scene after he kills his former comrade and the wind grabs the paper trail is just haunting. And the final sequence is also well done. Welles was a Hollywood out cast due to his often abstract cinematic ventures and wanted to prove he could make standard Hollowood fluff but with this film he went above and beyond the call of duty.
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