207. ROPE (1948)

Running Time: 80 minutes
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
Written By: Hume Cronyn, Arthur Laurents, from the play Rope's End by Patrick Hamilton
Main Cast: John Dall, Farley Granger, James Stewart, Douglas Dick, Joan Chandler

HITCHCOCKTOBER FEST!: PART IV

With two days off of work, I still only managed to squeeze in one movie since I was busy, but oh well, at least I got one squeezed in. The one I did squeeze in was a Hitchcock film that I've seen a few times before and one that I like quite a bit.

"Rope" tells the story of two young intellectuals, Brandon (Dall) and Phillip (Granger), who in trying to commit the perfect murder, kill their friend and former classmate, David. Upon murdering him, by strangulation with a rope, they stuff him into a chest in their living room and commence with their day. Their day, as it happens, consists of a party that is being thrown, which will see David's father, David's girlfriend, a former classmate and the former headmaster for Brandon, Phillip and David, Rupert Cadell (Stewart), all coming to the very apartment where David has just been murdered. To add a bit of spice to their "perfect crime", Brandon concocts the idea to serve dinner on the same chest that houses the dead body of the victim.

I love experimental filmmaking and for 1948 that is what we're dealing with in "Rope". The film is shot in real time and the story goes that Hitchcock wanted the entire film to be one long take. However, since camera magazines only carried about ten minutes worth of film, there was no way that Hitch' could shoot an eighty minute movie in one take. This is why every ten minutes in the film sees someone pass by the camera, blacking it out for a brief second and continuing on with the story. The film is set entirely on one set (excluding the opening scene on the streets). I have a fondness for films that are set in real time, in one set and with only a limited number of characters. It makes for a combustible situation when all the actors have to rely on is the dialogue that they're delivering, which means the dialogue has to be exceptional and in "Rope" I believe it is.

The film's dialogue almost reminded me of an action movie, with the more intense dialogue resembling the crashes and explosions and the regular, conversational dialogue representing everything else. Although I can't recall a specific instance, I'd have to think that it would be very easy for a film of this caliber to get boring really easily, but Hitchcock still manages to inject some suspense, some good vs. evil themes and some real intensity into the movie. Kudos to the screenwriters too!

Everyone turns in good performances, with John Dall and Jimmy Stewart standing out as exceptional, especially during scenes of intensity and of course, the climax. I think you could put the character of Brandon right up there with Norman Bates, Uncle Charlie and Bruno as most evil and nefarious Hitchcock characters, as the Brandon character seems to get turned on at the thought of the crime that they've committed and really seems to show absolutely no shred of remorse for his actions. Farley Granger wasn't bad either, as his character progressively gets more drunk as the movie goes on, leading to his imminent breakdown. I also enjoyed how they built up the character of Rupert, prior to Stewart ever appearing on camera. When Stewart finally does show up we have an idea of what type of guy this is going to be, and Jimmy handles it well, playing it cool and keeping his character interesting. The ending is great too with Dall and Stewart battling it out in a verbal duel and I loved the effects of the red and green street lights illuminating the characters and adding just a bit more intensity to an already tense situation.

RATING: 7/10 Much better than my previous two Hitchcock affairs, but "Shadow of a Doubt" still reigns supreme as "Best Hitchcock movie from the book...so far". Next up is "Strangers on a Train".

MOVIES WATCHED: 161
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 840

October 12, 2010 10:30pm