Review of Rope (1948) by Jimmy M — 13 Jul 2010

Now THIS is the Hitchcock I was talking about. A suspenseful, innovative look at the human condition brought on by competition and longing. This adapted stageplay was brilliantly done and contains Hitchcock's standard "different" way of directing.

Filmed in a series of long shots ranging from four and a half to eight minutes long, Rope begins with the murder of a young man. He dies horrifically at the hands of two friends, one who could pass for Jack Nicholson's BROTHER, and the other a wimpy Jim Caviezel... Jokes aside, they murder this man in cold blood and stash him away in a chest, planning to get rid of the body instantaneously. However, after the deed is done, the more psychotic of the two decides to play a game, see if they can leave the body in the house without their upcoming dinner guests (among them the victim's parents) noticing.

The two antagonists play their parts really well, however Jimmy Stewart's Rupert character is by far the most curiously interesting part of the story. It seems that he knows something right from the get go and starts piecing everything together as he goes along. I found his facial expressions absolutely hilarious as he handles everything a smoothly as Bogart would have in his classic tough guy roles, but coming from the guy who played George Bailey and Mr. Smith, it says a lot.

There are certain values and mindsets portrayed really well in this film and it is a must-see. Sure, long shots had already been done, but Hitchcock's masterful touch added such great depth and enjoyment to the whole deal. Even the little things, like the sun slowly setting on the horizon, make for great viewing, and the fact that the film is 80 minutes long yet feel as if 100 minutes has gone by but you couldn't care less because it is so exciting is genuine genius filmmaking in my opinion. It is something that Shadow of a Doubt lacked, Shadow of a Doubt had a great premise, but Rope had a freaking BODY on the verge of being discovered by everyone at the expense of a young man's pride. The equation is set!

See this film....