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The Stranger
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The Stranger

1946
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
1h 35m
College professor Charles Rankin (Welles) lives in a quiet Connecticut town with his wife Mary (Young). Little does his wife and his neighbors know, Rankin is actually notorious Nazi war criminal Franz Kindler. But his true identity may be revealed when mild-mannered war crimes commissioner Wilson (Robinson) arrives, posing as an antiques dealer.
Directed by:
Orson Welles Orson Welles
Written by:
Victor Trivas Anthony Veiller Decla Dunning
+2 more
Starring:
Orson Welles Orson Welles Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson Richard Long Richard Long Loretta Young Loretta Young Philip Merivale Konstantin Shayne Konstantin Shayne Martha Wentworth Billy House John Brown Byron Keith David Bond Neal Dodd
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Genres:
Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Mystery
Country:
USA
Languages:
English, Spanish, French
imdb More information at IMDb
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The Stranger

1946
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
1h 35m
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Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 59.3% from 891 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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walkearthwalkearth
Rated 22 Feb 2021
50
37th
Very predictable. Poor plot progressions and cheap writing tricks employed. Otherwise solid performances of the two main leads (Welles and Robinson), poor supporting actors, some dubious expressionistic camera angles and lightning. Pretty much watchable because of Welles' magnetic screen presence and Robinson's solid juxtaposition.
Rated 22 Feb 2021
djrossdjross
Rated 29 May 2020
45
34th
Welles struggles valiantly but fairly fruitlessly with a weak script: some effective use of light and a moving camera fail to raise this much above the generic level that Spiegel presumably demanded. If you are going to use actual footage of Auschwitz survivors, then your movie better make a strong claim for including it: here, Nazism is basically a pretext for a thriller about darkness lurking in small-town USA, and Welles's Rankin/Kindler was never believable as an architect of extermination.
Rated 29 May 2020
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
81st
This isn't as distinctive as the best of Welles, and it's got some significant flaws in its plot development (Rankin/Kindler makes some pretty stupid mistakes for someone who's supposed to be so crafty) but it's a tense thriller that highlights the common "evil lurking in a small town" theme. The photographic work is as good as one expects from Welles, and the clock tower makes a terrific set piece. Besides a little sloppy writing, it's a fine movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
moncliviemonclivie
Rated 18 Nov 2018
68
35th
It's so fucking predictable. After 20 minutes you know how it will end, and 20 minutes before the ending you also know where it will end.
Rated 18 Nov 2018
terrymacterrymac
Rated 31 Jul 2018
76
75th
This has an intriguing premise which, despite feeling a bit underdeveloped, supplies some good noir entertainment. Robinson is very watchable as usual, as is Welles, who unravels nicely, although I'm not sure I fully bought him as a Nazi. There is some great camerawork, and the use of light and dark is impressive. The ending was probably more fun than it should have been. Very decent.
Rated 31 Jul 2018
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 21 Jun 2011
92
97th
Great noir cinematography, great writing, great performances, what more can you ask for? Welles is fantastic and I really liked the way his character was used as a commentary on WWII, something that must have been especially raw in 1946. Wonderful ending to cap it off, too.
Rated 21 Jun 2011
vdecraimVdecraim
Rated 29 Aug 2015
80
73rd
A typical Welles-film in that it felt cut up by people other than Welles himself. While I enjoyed the fast pacing, there was certainly more where that came from. The expressionistic camera angles, great editing and social/moral commentary are all present. But apart from it being an enjoyable game of cat and mouse, I wanted a bit more Orson. His acting was great though.
Rated 29 Aug 2015
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 06 Jan 2010
8
82nd
No one played a bad guy like Welles. The most conventional of any Orson Welles movie I've seen but enough of his magic to remind you who's in the director's chair. Sweet ending too.
Rated 06 Jan 2010
caimancaiman
Rated 03 Aug 2010
84
75th
Orson Welles direction without an Orson Welles script. The result is a technically fascinating movie with a somewhat clumsy storyline. The story wasn't nearly as mysterious, intriguing or intense as it could have been considering the premise, and the characters make some very stupid decisions. But the movie is just a joy to watch. Welles and Robinson both shine, and Welles' direction is just as good as one would hope it to be. Overall, the positive greatly overshadows the negative.
Rated 03 Aug 2010
macswellMacSwell
Rated 23 Sep 2020
40
13th
Welles’ superb acting isn’t matched by the other cast members or his own direction, but it’s the final script and ruthless editing that really let this down. Thanks largely to studio interference, there’s so much that feels lost or unexplored, a severe lack of natural rhythm to a story that’s already clumsy and insincere, and no real tension or character arcs. Nazi war criminal Franz Kindler really ought to be one of film noir’s most enduring villains.
Rated 23 Sep 2020
cinemahellcinema_hell
Rated 11 Sep 2008
88
81st
Orson Welles proves that, even making a proper Hollywood-esque movie, he is a hell of a director.
Rated 11 Sep 2008
joojooJooJoo
Rated 23 Nov 2008
4
55th
Orson Welles magic is everywhere....okay, the script could have used a touch more. Still fun.
Rated 23 Nov 2008
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 27 May 2012
90
80th
Superb. Orson always had the greatest cinematography and camerawork - it's a real treat to take in and the set is excellent. It's also got a bunch of good performances, including Orson as a Nazi. Finally, it's just so exciting to watch this plot unfold and know that WWII has just ended. I don't know. Really cool
Rated 27 May 2012
hotsakehotsake
Rated 09 May 2017
45
27th
I've got to say that I was quite disappointed in this film. This was one of the most revered films in the noir set it was part of however I personally found this to be one of the lesser films in the set.
Rated 09 May 2017
cowmanCowman
Rated 19 Nov 2015
70
56th
Plotwise rather forgettable and less suspenseful than I was expecting from a noir classic. Sure Nazis are scary as shit, but the main character comes of less menacing as it should be. The girl is a complete idiot, but that's probably an unfortunate zeitgeist thing. The film is saved and propelled into movie history by Orson Welles' abundance of weird camera angles and a few subtle, but nevertheless impressive long-takes.
Rated 19 Nov 2015
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 20 Dec 2009
83
56th
Welles shows he could be a good boy and play by studio rules, and gives a great performances as a Nazi war criminal in disguise.
Rated 20 Dec 2009
alon_reterAlon Reter
Rated 11 Dec 2010
46
29th
Just another old bland suspense flick. It reminds me of Hitchcock's Vertigo a little bit. (but The Stranger came out 12 years before Vertigo). Anyway, it's still watchable and slightly enjoyable.
Rated 11 Dec 2010
zmoatszmoats
Rated 31 Jul 2016
82
63rd
On my third Orson Welles' film, I think it is safe to say that his use of shadows and light are always going to play a factor in how much I enjoy his direction, because he again utilizes them so well here. I missed Joseph Cotten, but I really enjoyed both the ideological and literal battle between Charles Rankin (Orson Welles) and Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson).
Rated 31 Jul 2016
nobletNoblet
Rated 12 Jul 2012
80
70th
Welles and Robinson are really fun to watch here, and cinematography is damn good. The wife character being turned into an idiot by blind love is kinda distasteful though. That happens in a lot of movies, but in this one it seemed a little more...noticeable.
Rated 12 Jul 2012
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 20 Mar 2019
79
87th
Welles was a real master of camera and lighting. This looks so great. The story wasn't anything terribly complicated, but it was good enough and moved along at a very nice pace. Just overall one of those movies that is very conventional, but all the fundamentals are really done well.
Rated 20 Mar 2019
anselmi86Anselmi86
Rated 30 Jul 2009
70
51st
Yet another film that we will never know how good it could've been should Orson Welles have had artistic freedom.
Rated 30 Jul 2009
amerigoamerigo
Rated 10 Sep 2020
68
17th
Welles hams it up as a covert Nazi in this tepid noir thriller that never really goes anywhere. The only watchable part is Billy House's ever-weird clerk character. Crazy that this awful clunker came just a few years after Citizen Kane.
Rated 10 Sep 2020
icarusIcarus
Rated 12 May 2010
85
79th
Welles dazzles with the camera, particularly in the early and late portions of the film. The camera movements and angles contribute to a sense of imbalance which works well in this story of mystery and intrigue. Robinson is always fun to watch, and Welles works out nicely in another of his villainous turns. The overall effect feels more conventional than one would expect from Welles, but conventional Welles is better than most everything else.
Rated 12 May 2010
eveeluneveelun
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
78th
Nice, taut thriller with superb performances from Robinson and Welles as cold and clever enemies.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
zipsterZipster
Rated 11 Aug 2014
80
50th
The Stranger doesn't quite function at the supreme altitude of Citizen Kane or Touch of Evil, and it's not quite as rich a work as the incomplete-in-principle Magnificent Ambersons. Some fantastic justification is often necessary to swallow the choices made by the mysterious figure at the center of this story. However, it builds suspense in a parallel way to Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, using a woman's defenselessness and profound adoration as influence, to challenge fears and elude discovery.
Rated 11 Aug 2014
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 04 Jan 2009
66
26th
Hilariously bad to begin with, but then seemed to get unexpectedly suspenseful, then didactic and a blinding paranoia parable, then very clever with the Clerk's deception, then an underwhelming ending in light of its muddled beginnings. Nevertheless, I'm glad I watched it through as it was genuinely exciting at parts.
Rated 04 Jan 2009
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 05 Sep 2019
70
56th
Sometimes I think it's these more restrained works that really solidify Welles as a directorial genius - even as the script pretty much falls apart at the end, his shot composition maintains an incredible sense of tension and urgency.
Rated 05 Sep 2019
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 24 Oct 2013
81
43rd
Rather silly thriller movie. Great Wellesian cinematography though.
Rated 24 Oct 2013
nobambanobamba
Rated 31 Jan 2019
40
30th
Welles is always such a dramatic actor. Other people surrounding him just seem to overact compared to him, e.g., the maid. Fav scene: moralizing about Germany.
Rated 31 Jan 2019
capodelnullacapodelnulla
Rated 10 Sep 2018
70
57th
vizyoner diye yönetmen pazarlayan prodüktörler bir yana, mecranın belki de bir daha göremeyeceği nitelikteki welles'in gözü, görüşü tüm prodüktör müdahalesi belirtilerine rağmen kendisini gösteriyor. hikaye kurgudan kaybediyor, ama welles öyle bir çekmiş ki kurgu odasında biçilen hali bile başka bir yere gitmeye yetmiş.
Rated 10 Sep 2018
petrostserPetrosTser
Rated 05 Oct 2013
80
88th
Tense and intriguing thanks to a pitch-perfect cast, ominous imagery and striking, memorable scenes.
Rated 05 Oct 2013
shalevshalev
Rated 17 Feb 2011
75
27th
Hitchcock would have done it much better.
Rated 17 Feb 2011
x_humanx-human
Rated 11 Sep 2009
82
76th
A weak script is given Welle's spit and polish. There are many strokes of cinematic brilliance which are lost on a plot which really doesn't make a lick of sense.
Rated 11 Sep 2009
rickickerrickicker
Rated 14 Dec 2012
73
35th
I thought the Welles monologue in the middle was him doing an ahead-of-its-time 'Inglorious Basterds' riff, but I did some research and nope, Orson Welles *really* fucking hated the Jerries. Damn.
Rated 14 Dec 2012
nepetaNepeta
Rated 01 Jul 2014
60
28th
Definitely far more Lady from Shanghai than Touch of Evil. Feels bland and conventional and at times there's some bad scripting, some stuff that came off as overly coincidental, the pacing felt odd and in the second half it descends in to something bordering on histrionics as one major character starts acting in a way that I didn't completely buy in to. It's entertaining enough stuff and Welles is very good as the villain, but generally the film is unmemorable.
Rated 01 Jul 2014
yiannosYiannos
Rated 03 Apr 2022
53
32nd
Welles on assignment and it shows. Yes it looks good, but that is the least we can expect from him. It is a strangely undistinguished film with oddball touches that merely highlight the conventions of the script, which was clearly below Welles' talent. The pacing is also bad. Perhaps studio interference is to blame, but it fails as both a genre film and as social commentary, and unlike The Lady From Shanghai, there are no great or memorable scenes.
Rated 03 Apr 2022
ccslickerccslicker
Rated 05 Jan 2023
80
45th
'Edward G. Robinson as a UN investigator hunting cloaked Nazi Orson Welles' is a movie concept that just works. There is nothing groundbreaking or particularly important about this film, it is a simple story well told with good performances by actors we love. At 95 minutes, it is well worth your time as an inversion of the classic "strange man comes to a small town" trope, where in this case the strange man coming to town most recently is the good guy. A straightforwardly good movie.
Rated 05 Jan 2023
sourheartsourheart
Rated 03 Oct 2018
3
36th
Very good - and short but has great small insight moments into each character's motivations
Rated 03 Oct 2018
brrrpbrrrp
Rated 19 Feb 2024
70
63rd
A very good film that doesn't quite reach the top tier. Perhaps that is because Welles shows here his ability to discipline his ambitions, and puts his usually complex visual style to the service of a pretty straightforward film, so it only peeks through at precise intervals. It rises above being generic for the most part, until the end (how many times have you seen that scene?).
Rated 19 Feb 2024
woodoowoodoo
Rated 07 Jan 2016
80
44th
The theme of crypto-Nazism was outmoded even in '46, but the performances and direction are so strong it doesn't really matter. The greatest tension is reserved for the scenes set in the daytime, a great touch.
Rated 07 Jan 2016
3drevelation3dRevelation
Rated 22 Jul 2012
69
41st
I liked the ending, but this was just kind of ok. None of the acting is bad, but none of it really stood out other than Welles' monologue at dinner. I think this was probably much more suspenseful in the 40s, but I fear time hasn't been too kind to this film.
Rated 22 Jul 2012
darrenDarren
Rated 27 Jan 2019
70
54th
If not for Welles behind the camera this would be a total disaster. Script leaves much to be desired but damn the shadowing and camera stuff is up there. Clearly not his best work but it's decent pulp. Edward G Robison has one of the best faces of the era.
Rated 27 Jan 2019
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 04 Jan 2016
74
52nd
Starts off great, with good shots and performances and some thrilling little sequences of espionage and intrigue, but sadly the second half feels rushed. Welles is great though, and there's lots of little bit-parts I enjoyed, the town feels alive and real despite the whole film taking place in like, 5 sets.
Rated 04 Jan 2016
stainStain
Rated 27 Jul 2010
50
33rd
Silly
Rated 27 Jul 2010
jimmy_suedeJimmy Suede
Rated 11 Mar 2017
78
68th
I really enjoy Edward G. Robinson as the investigator (Double Indemnity comes to mind), maybe more so than his gangster roles. I wouldn't want him on my trail, I can tell you that.
Rated 11 Mar 2017
napolenbradynapolenbrady
Rated 09 Mar 2019
76
2nd
76.00
Rated 09 Mar 2019
glm01glm01
Rated 02 Oct 2013
85
83rd
85.000
Rated 02 Oct 2013
tinythedoggtinythedogg
Rated 11 Feb 2010
60
48th
A decent enough movie that starts off really slow, but picks up and gets very interesting as the movie goes on. Very strong cast through out and much better than I would have given it credit for.
Rated 11 Feb 2010
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 29 Aug 2018
65
61st
well-shot noir about a Nazi fugitive (Welles) creating a new life in small-town America. Robinson's die hard detective is pure joy, as well as some beautiful crane shots. Still, script seems to reveals some key plot point too early on, making the climax less tense than planned - Franz is sworded by one of clock tower's gargoyles and falls down as the city people are closing in on him. We can always wonder how great and anti-fascist it could have been if Welles had the final cut.
Rated 29 Aug 2018
aron_ericsonAron Ericson
Rated 03 Aug 2016
66
60th
Pretty to look at.
Rated 03 Aug 2016
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 23 Jul 2018
3
38th
Welles' formidable talents can only go so far in redeeming this arch, absurd, thinly-plotted curio. Though, in 2018, perhaps the most unbelievable part about it all is that a Nazi would feel the need to disguise himself in small-town America.
Rated 23 Jul 2018
beneBene
Rated 03 Apr 2023
70
44th
Miles away from Welles’s best work, but still very well directed and a laudable PSA
Rated 03 Apr 2023
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 20 Sep 2009
3
45th
A fun game of cat and mouse with two fantastic leads in Robinson and especially Welles, who was always so great at playing the villain. This is mostly a good thriller with a lot of that Welles polish, but it is a bit muddled in places. It sort of fizzles towards the end when it becomes somewhat predictable and by-the-books.
Rated 20 Sep 2009
chadisdangerchadisdanger
Rated 23 May 2014
80
61st
A quite effective thriller that wisely uses some of the leftover fear and paranoia in the immediate post-war years. It's an oddity in Welles' career for largely feeling like a studio film, as it lacks much of the idiosyncrasy of his best work. He shows that he very well could have had a successful career as a less ambitious "hired hand" if had been so inclined, but I suppose ultimately I'm glad he wasn't.
Rated 23 May 2014
ottott
Rated 23 Nov 2018
75
68th
i did nazi that coming! *eye roll*
Rated 23 Nov 2018
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 30 Oct 2015
6
83rd
not an adaption of camus, sad. but this was some very enjoyable oh-my-god-the-nazis-are-still-among-us nonsense with amazing noirish visuals. for better or for worse, this is one of my favourite welles films. yeah some of the characterisation was stupid but i had fun.
Rated 30 Oct 2015
treyatwoodTreyAtwood
Rated 02 Aug 2009
71
52nd
The stranger: 8 // 7 // 8 // 7 // 8 // 6 // 6
Rated 02 Aug 2009
joseywalesjoseywales
Rated 02 Jul 2009
81
88th
Suffers some mild pacing problems but is an otherwise great mystery with some fantastic shots.
Rated 02 Jul 2009
janusjanus
Rated 14 May 2009
70
51st
No masterpiece, but still a very enjoyable watch with a good finale. Is it just me, or does Orson Welles seem to gain weight over the course of the film?
Rated 14 May 2009
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 12 Mar 2015
60
62nd
Very good.
Rated 12 Mar 2015
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 26 Dec 2011
79
77th
A good classic film. Edward G Robinson is a joy to watch. Orson Welles is good in this move as well. Welles also does a great job of directing, although this film is not in the same category of greatness as Citizen Kane.
Rated 26 Dec 2011
peyezpeyez
Rated 27 Nov 2022
5
38th
Doesn't do anything that other films haven't done better, but it's still fun and competently produced.
Rated 27 Nov 2022
psimpsim
Rated 23 Mar 2020
76
54th
A pretty fun noir story with nice direction but a relatively predictable plot.
Rated 23 Mar 2020
hadleyreisHadleyreis
Rated 04 Dec 2020
78
71st
There's nothing worse than being awoken by a man in a distant park kicking a dog.
Rated 04 Dec 2020
glmglm
Rated 27 Jul 2012
83
74th
82.875
Rated 27 Jul 2012
shmendrekShmendrek
Rated 19 Feb 2009
3
61st
Welles shoots straight, maybe too straight. Here, technique trumps story and suspense. I was hooked after the first revelation (oh, Nazis), but the remainder played out exactly as I would expect, and that just isn't the Welles I know. Disappointing.
Rated 19 Feb 2009
ribcageribcage
Rated 02 Aug 2014
85
85th
decent story. most of the fun is watching welles and young's performances as both their characters come unhinged.
Rated 02 Aug 2014
shewasSheWas
Rated 01 Aug 2011
83
89th
Sadly, it looks like a parody based on Welles's films. But the nazi-hunging plot and Loretta Young's chickbones make this film bareable.
Rated 01 Aug 2011
punqPUNQ
Rated 27 Oct 2020
80
99th
Found it kinda odd that they reviled all their cards straight away, but I guess the whole point was to see Orson Welles crack like a bumbling fool. The ending was sort of epics as well.
Rated 27 Oct 2020
karamazovkaramazov.
Rated 04 May 2019
29
35th
Not to be rude, but someone please explain Loretta Young's eyebrows to me.
Rated 04 May 2019
larmorlarmor
Rated 10 Aug 2018
69
63rd
Too much of a conventional story. But Welles managed with his wonderful cinematography (angles, long complex takes, lighting, pacing) to make it a worthwhile watch.
Rated 10 Aug 2018
emre_eEmre E.
Rated 29 Jan 2020
70
13th
Savaş suçlularını arayan dedektif Wilson,en büyük nazi savaş suçlusunu yakalamak için her yolu deneyecektir. Hikayesinde Welles ve John Huston’ın da katkıları bulunan film,çabuk çözülen senaryosu ile diğer Welles filmlerine nazaran biraz zayıf kalıyor.Ancak yönetmenlik açısından oldukça güzel anlar içeren,Welles’in kamera ve ışığı oldukça iyi kullandığı film,tam da savaşın bitişinde çekildiği için dönemin sıcak atmosferini anlamak için önemli.
Rated 29 Jan 2020

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