Review of Rope (1948) by Matthew B — 29 Aug 2010
In terms of sheer innovation, Rope remains the Master of Suspense's greatest triumph. Filmed on a single soundstage and shot in a minimal number of edited takes (ten, to be exact, the shortest lasting nearly five minutes), the film's atmosphere is one of intense immediacy, yet it is somewhat of a meandering potboiler.
The suspense accumulates differently than in Rear Window, in which the plot proverbially thickens through a series of increasingly complex visages through the central photographer's window; the tension of Rope thickens through nuanced and occasionally implied character development - a daring move in 1940s Hollywood - but the finale is nonetheless explosive.
The screenplay by Hume Cronyn and Arthur Laurents is a masterpiece in pacing and dialogue-driven cinema; it masterfully depicts arrogant depravity, and the philosophical tête-à-têtes folded into the dinner party conversation are brilliantly polished.
The performances (particularly John Dall's supercilious Brandon Shaw, one of the greatest characterizations ever featured in a Hitchcock film) are beyond criticism. A mesmerizing thriller, far superior to Psycho.
This review of Rope (1948) was written by Matthew B on 29 Aug 2010.
Rope has generally received very positive reviews.
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