Writer(s): Adapted by Hume Cronyn, from a play by Patrick Hamilton. Written for the screen by Arthur Laurents.
Starring: James Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger
My interest in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope began when I was a teenager interested in filmmaking, and that is the only reason I tracked it down. My interest in Alfred Hitchcock also begins and ends there; for some reason, I have never been into old films, a disinterest that even carries with me to this day. They’re just too theatrical and staged, with outdated acting styles and visual effects that take me right out of the movie. It is for those reasons, that I simply do not enjoy watching them, and rarely seek them out.
But Rope features a technological breakthrough unlike any (to my knowledge) up to that time period, and one that really helped to open my eyes to the possibility of film: It’s presented as one long, continuous take. Now, as we know now, that’s not entirely true—it was actually made up of eight 10-minute long takes, with the cuts obscured (though obvious) by close-ups on the actor’s clothing—but for my young, impressionable mind, it opened my eyes to a world I had never really thought about before. It made me think of the rules of cinema, and how they could be obliterated. Unfortunately, I never amounted to much as a filmmaker, besides a few incomplete projects made with friends, and while I still have an appreciation for the craft, my interest in it has died down over the years.
It wasn’t just about the long takes for me, as intriguing as they were: this is also a perfect example of low-budget minimalism. Thanks to this, I was also drawn to the idea of a movie taking place within one or two locations, which also made it easier and cheaper to shoot. Such an idea sounds like an easy thing to do in practice, but in reality, you also need a near-perfect plot that will be able to handle filming in such confined quarters. Rope even has that aspect covered, too, thanks to its original iteration as a play.
Brandon and Philip are two friends who murder one of their classmates, David Kentley, and proceed to hide his body in a chest in the middle of their living room. Eager to test the level of perfection in their crime, they invite over those closest to David for a party: his girlfriend, Janet, his father, Mr. Kentley, his aunt, Mrs. Atwater (they actually invited his mother instead, but she is sick and unable to make it), his rival, Kenneth, and their old teacher, Rupert Cadell. Their housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, is also thrown into the mix. For about an hour, we sit in on the party, as the duo drop ominous hints to their dinner guests, as if daring them to connect the dots.
Of course, it stands to reason that one of them must be emotionally fragile and eventually come undone, and Philip definitely fits that bill in this regard. He expresses regret almost immediately after the murder, and wishes to call off the little gathering. But Brandon is the required cocky and arrogant ringleader, who assures Philip everything will be okay even as his clues get more and more gutsy, especially as the night wears on, and the usually-reliable David still doesn’t show up.
Rope is successful as a thriller due in large part to the excellent camerawork and fiendish creativity that combine to really heighten the tension. For example, there are scenes where the camera will linger on the chest housing David’s dead body as characters walk near it or stand over it; the fact that he is literally right under their nose, while they remain completely oblivious, is maddening. Or there’s the fiendish touch of Brandon giving some books to David’s father, with the set held together by the very piece of rope used to murder his son. “Brilliant” is not a word I like to throw around very often when describing a film, but it’s definitely appropriate here.
The main reason I can’t get into older movies is because of the style of acting: it just feels too amateurish and theatrical, especially when compared to the acting of today. The performances in Rope are no different, but given its simple story and single set, it feels more like a movie than a play, so I didn’t find that it detracted from my interest in it at all. It’s also a master-class in minimalism, with Hitchcock wringing an astounding amount of tension from a simple story. He would go on to create many classic films, many of which have gone on to eclipse this one in terms of popularity, but there’s a good chance none of them would have existed had it not been for Rope.
RECAP: Rope is a true suspense classic, with Hitchcock wringing a ton of tension from a single set. It’s also a masterpiece of technology, as the film was shot in eight 10-minute takes (with hidden cuts, which give the illusion that it was shot all in one). The film’s theatrical-style acting, standard for that time period, works excellently here, as the movie has the feeling of a play more than a film (which makes sense given that it was originally a play, adapted into a film). He would go on to direct many films regarded as “classic” over the ensuing years, but it would be a crime for this to ever fall through the cracks.
RATING: 9/10
It wasn’t just about the long takes for me, as intriguing as they were: this is also a perfect example of low-budget minimalism. Thanks to this, I was also drawn to the idea of a movie taking place within one or two locations, which also made it easier and cheaper to shoot. Such an idea sounds like an easy thing to do in practice, but in reality, you also need a near-perfect plot that will be able to handle filming in such confined quarters. Rope even has that aspect covered, too, thanks to its original iteration as a play.
Brandon and Philip are two friends who murder one of their classmates, David Kentley, and proceed to hide his body in a chest in the middle of their living room. Eager to test the level of perfection in their crime, they invite over those closest to David for a party: his girlfriend, Janet, his father, Mr. Kentley, his aunt, Mrs. Atwater (they actually invited his mother instead, but she is sick and unable to make it), his rival, Kenneth, and their old teacher, Rupert Cadell. Their housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, is also thrown into the mix. For about an hour, we sit in on the party, as the duo drop ominous hints to their dinner guests, as if daring them to connect the dots.
Of course, it stands to reason that one of them must be emotionally fragile and eventually come undone, and Philip definitely fits that bill in this regard. He expresses regret almost immediately after the murder, and wishes to call off the little gathering. But Brandon is the required cocky and arrogant ringleader, who assures Philip everything will be okay even as his clues get more and more gutsy, especially as the night wears on, and the usually-reliable David still doesn’t show up.
Rope is successful as a thriller due in large part to the excellent camerawork and fiendish creativity that combine to really heighten the tension. For example, there are scenes where the camera will linger on the chest housing David’s dead body as characters walk near it or stand over it; the fact that he is literally right under their nose, while they remain completely oblivious, is maddening. Or there’s the fiendish touch of Brandon giving some books to David’s father, with the set held together by the very piece of rope used to murder his son. “Brilliant” is not a word I like to throw around very often when describing a film, but it’s definitely appropriate here.
The main reason I can’t get into older movies is because of the style of acting: it just feels too amateurish and theatrical, especially when compared to the acting of today. The performances in Rope are no different, but given its simple story and single set, it feels more like a movie than a play, so I didn’t find that it detracted from my interest in it at all. It’s also a master-class in minimalism, with Hitchcock wringing an astounding amount of tension from a simple story. He would go on to create many classic films, many of which have gone on to eclipse this one in terms of popularity, but there’s a good chance none of them would have existed had it not been for Rope.
RECAP: Rope is a true suspense classic, with Hitchcock wringing a ton of tension from a single set. It’s also a masterpiece of technology, as the film was shot in eight 10-minute takes (with hidden cuts, which give the illusion that it was shot all in one). The film’s theatrical-style acting, standard for that time period, works excellently here, as the movie has the feeling of a play more than a film (which makes sense given that it was originally a play, adapted into a film). He would go on to direct many films regarded as “classic” over the ensuing years, but it would be a crime for this to ever fall through the cracks.
RATING: 9/10
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