Rope
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Movie Reviews of Rope
Movie Review: Complex and Perversely Engrossing
Summary: 5 Stars
"Rope" was made in 1948 and filmed in color. The bright colors contrast with a dark and perverse plot of two young men , Brandon (John Dall), and Phillip (Farley Granger). They have made a pact to strangle an "inferior" classmate, and emote their arrogance, saying of murder: "A crime for most, a privilege for some. " They are confident that nothing can go wrong. Brandon and Phillip are sure no one will guess what happened to David, all details are planned, including having a party with the dead body hidden at the scene.
The first scene shows the strangling and them hiding David's body in a old wooden chest. A somewhat lengthy conversation ensues explaining the reasoning behind such a cold-blooded murder. The chest is placed obviously in the middle of the room. This is not enough for Brandon - he moves all the food and drink from the dining area so guests must face the chest and the murderes can delight in knowing there is a hidden body. This is just a game to show the "perfection" of their crime. They purposely invite one of their college professors, who has opinions on the perfect murder, Rupert Cadell (Jimmy Stewart). However, this turns out to be a mistake. Like a bloodhound, he immediately starts sniffing around and noticing small clues that indicate this is more than just a little cocktail party.
Cadell keeps Brandon and Phillip on their toes with his observations and deductions. The suspense builds and deepens as Alfred Hitchcock's unique dark humor blossoms in this little-known classic.
Movie Review: "Did you think you were God, Brandon?"
Summary: 5 Stars
Alfred Hitchcock is my favorite Director! It is impossible for me to pick a favorite film as there are too many that I love and cannot live without. However, the one I seem to come back to more so than others is "Rope".
The plot (based off of the Leopold/Loeb murder of 1924) is pure Hitchcock. Two grad students/roommates strangle a fellow student and hide his body inside a trunk. The trunk is then covered with a tablecloth, candles and food that is to be used for a party to entertain (who else) the victim's family and friends.
I love the fact that this is the first movie to be shot in real time. Hitch makes his cuts every ten minutes (the length of film that a camera could hold in 1948) by closing in and out of a character's back, the trunk or a wall.
Another thing that I always pay attention to is how the fake backdrop outside the large livingroom window looks amazingly real as the film carries on and the sun sets. Kudos to the property master and the lighting department!
Hitchcock also loved anything taboo and perverse. He went to great lengths to let us know that these two roommates were not only killers but that they were lovers as well! The overtones are unmistakeable and I can't believe it got past the censors. John Dall and Farley Granger play it up to the nines!
I won't spoil the ending or tell you why the two men decided to murder their victim in the first place. I will tell you that this is definitely Hitchcock's first masterpiece! Pure suspense! Go buy or rent it right now! You won't be sorry!
Movie Review: An Expiremental Achievement in Directing and Acting
Summary: 5 Stars
Rope is in a different Hitchcock clas altogether. Coming off the success of two features with Ingrid Bergman (Spellbound - Criterion Collection, Notorious - Criterion Collection) Hitchcock decided to try an expirement in his next film.
It plays like a well adapted play on screen. Broken into 8 sections by seamingly unnoticed takes, Rope is an achievement in every sense of the word. Noy only in directorial prowess but in story effectiveness and acting. Constant acting for nearly 10 minutes, although not imposiblem but extremely difficult, is a daunting task for even the most respected of actors. The constant positioning, the perfection of lines. It was a difficult task for everyone in front of and behind the camera.
With that being said, there's an excellent plot as well. Two students murder a man, stuff him in a trunk, then host a dinner party, giving clues to their former teacher to solve the murder all the while. Quite engaging and envigoring. Another reason Hitchcock is known as "The Master of Suspense".
Recommended to all those that love fabulous direction, a gallant thriller, and an engaging story.
Must See.
Movie Review: The rope used to kill also unravels the killers' resolve
Summary: 5 Stars
This Hitchcock thriller is about two men who kill a third man, partly for the thrill but mostly because they believe themselves to be intellectual supermen with the right (if not the duty) to rid the world of their inferiors. [A reference to the real life case of Leopold and Loeb, see Wikipedia]. Then, as a cruel joke they throw a dinner party for the victim's unsuspecting friends and family -- serving the food right off the trunk where the victim's body is hidden!
Jimmy Stewart plays their former intellectual master who uncovers their sinister deed and challenges their egomaniacal theories (largely drived from his teachings). The three lead characters are homosexual, though the word is never mentioned and Jimmy Stewart doesn't play it up in his performance.
The camera work is quintessential Hitchcock, focusing sometimes on the main action and sometimes on the sidelines for added suspense. The entire movie is meant to be one continuous shot (like a play), but changing the film every ten minutes or so necessitated what cuts there are (usually signaled with a close-up of someone's back before resuming). The DVD has the added bonus of a modern behind-the-scenes documentary of the film's creation.
Movie Review: Great Hitchcock film.
Summary: 5 Stars
Two young men, Brandon and Phillip, kill their friend, for no reason other than to prove to themselves they can, and that they can get away with the perfect murder. They put the body in a chest and have a party (serving food from the chest). Among the guests are the victim's father and a former teacher (James Stewart), whose philosophy, unknowlingly, inspired Brandon and Phillip to commit the murder.
Unlike most thrillers, "Rope", does not contain any action (except perhaps a bit at the very end of the movie). It's a party. People talk, Phillip gets increasingly nervous that someone will find out about the murder, and there's very much talk. It may sound dull but it's anything but. The suspense is in the dialogue and there's also a surprising amount of humour. And all the actors do a great job.
In "Rope" Hitchcock wanted to simulate a movie with only one shot. The movie was shot in ten takes with more or less (you'll spot some if you look for them) invisible cuts. It's an interesting experiment but I'm not sure it did anything to improve the movie (or make it worse for that matter).
To conclude, "Rope" is a great Hitchcock film. Highly recommended.