Review of Rope (1948) by Matthew L — 19 Sep 2010

Rope is prime Hitchcock; no other director is better at creating and sustaining tension throughout a film. This particular film--as with many of Hitchcock's other films--showcases a warped sense of reality and philosophy. The film is also an exercise in theatricality, as it was filmed entirely in one take and one set.

Two young men (who, if they aren't homosexual, share a close relationship; an essay I read on Rope points out that there is only one bedroom in the apartment they share) decide to murder one of their close friends, essentially, because they can. The dominant personality of the two, Brandon (played by John Dall), seems to have convinced himself that he was right in murdering his friend because the man was a lesser class who didn't deserve to live, and also because getting away with murder would be the ultimate fulfillment of destiny.

Brandon's awkward and sensitive companion, Philip, however, (played very theatrically by Farley Granger), feels guilt over helping commit an act that was basically senseless. He could never have committed such an act by himself, but itâ??s arguable that neither could Brandon.

The stand-out performance, however, is that of Jimmy Stewart, whose character, Rupert, seems to be the middle ground between Brandonâ??s cold-hearted killer and Philipâ??s timid follower. The warped philosophy of Brandon seems to have been instilled (albeit unintentionally) by Rupertâ??s dissertationâ??s during their school days, but Rupertâ??s inclination toward good and helping, rather than hurting, those less fortunate than him show his more humanist side.

Rope is a superb film, with nothing less than stellar performances from the entire castâ??one of Hitchcockâ??s best.