Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rope”

Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope

USA

1948

Rope is a 1948 American thriller about two young men who strangle their "inferior" classmate. They then hide his body in their apartment and invite his friends and family to a dinner party as a means to challenge the "perfection" of their crime.  Starring James Stewart, John Dall and Farley Granger, it is the first of Hitchcock's Technicolor films, and is notable for taking place in real time and being edited so as to appear as a single continuous shot through the use of long takes.

Critics were not very pleased with this film when first released but it has gained a sort of cult following since. Hitchcock was displeased with the film as well and was glad that the film was out of circulation for over 30 years of his career. James Stewart later said he felt miscast and didn’t really like his performance.  Roger Ebert also went on to say in his two star review that everyone should see it but there are many things that Hitchcock could have done to make it better.

I remember the first time I saw Rope. I was about 12 years old and a classic movie station had an Alfred Hitchcock marathon. From the opening scene I was glued to the screen. The “real time” element that some called a failed experiment is the very thing that had me on the edge of my seat. As the story unfolded, I began to get sweaty and was eagerly awaiting the finale. The finale was stunning and the main performances were very good. That’s all I can say about the ending without giving away any spoilers.

 In regards to Stewart, I loved his performance and feel like it contains some of his best scenes on film. Just because it was a different role for him doesn’t mean that he was miscast. I feel he was perfect! John Dall and Farley Granger definitely gave very convincing performances, some of the best performances in any of the Hitchcock film as a matter of fact.

Overall I loved this film and it remains one of my favorite Hitchcock films. I recommend everyone see this light 80 minute suspense thriller.  As always, remember there are three ways of doing things: the right way, the wrong way, and the Chattaway.

“Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope”  5/5 Stars