Rope

Rating:
Summary: A Play? A Movie? Doesn't Matter, it's Hitchcock!
Review: Oh this one's another good one. The only thing that makes a Hitchcock story better is when Jimmy Steward stars in it!

The setting for this is an apartment. This movie is also a play. Unlike most Hitchcock movies, you won't be taken to the far corners of the globe. You stay right there in the apartment. And for VERY good reason.... You, the audience, must watch that nothing changes in the apartment and yet the murder slowly un-ravels....

The one-room setting does kind of make the movie itself feel like a play. I'm not a big fan of plays and I suppose it's because of the limited scenery possible for a play versus a movie or novel. And yet, this works for me very well. I suppose it's because I know about that rope... and just wait until you know too!

Rating:
Summary: A unique showcase for Jimmy Stewart
Review: The merits of Hitchcock's experimental film ROPE have been endlessly debated. (See below!)

What I find fascinating about this film is what it reveals about the skill of the actors, especially Jimmy Stewart. In an ordinary film, a performance is as much the creation of the director and editor as it is the actor. The choice of takes and angles, the pace of the cutting, etc. all work to enhance or subdue an actor's work. In ROPE, with its continuous 10 minute shots, the actors' work is plainly revealed. As in a live play, they are on their own to maintain the pace and the intensity of the drama.

Hitchcock's cast doesn't ever let the energy flag. Farley Grainger and John Dall tear right into the opening, visibly sweating their way through the early murder scene. The drama shifts tone with the introduction of each new actor, but it is not until Jimmy Stewart enters that the movie snaps into place. Where the others are intense and theatrical, Stewart is comfortable and deceptively easy-going. Watch how skillfully he alters the tension and shifts the mood with his control of movement and voice. Even when he is on the edge of the scene his reactions give the drama focus. This is one of Stewart's most underrated performances. He enters this stagy drama, takes a deep breath, and makes it fascinating and fun to watch.

This is still Hitchcock, of course. Note the pacing of the camera, the elegant set and moody lighting, and the cleverly suspenseful use of music. But ROPE I think is most interesting for this unique opportunity to study Jimmy Stewart's skill as an actor.

Watch it again and see what you think!

Rating:
Summary: Great cinematic experience.
Review: I don't mind what Hitchcock himself thought later of the film, or how did it fare at the time it was released. The fact remains that it, seen in a big screen and in an appropiate environment it is admirable and a little scary.

The technique used (and the fact that technicolor was used) makes that you feel yourself in the apartment, what, considering that a crude murder is performed at the beginning, is somewhat disturbing. The most impressive performance is that of John Dall (as Brandon Shaw), and the girl, Joan Chandler, is also extraordinary. So is Sir Cedric Hardwicke, in a contemporary paternal role (no shakespearian trimmings). Of course, James Stewart is rather miscast. A more somber senior actor should be used, the kind of James Mason or Charles Boyer.

In the interview, Arthur Laurents seems bent on the idea that this is a homosexual picture, or that homosexuality is its underlying matter. It is true that Brandon and Phillip (John Dall and Farley Granger) work in fact as a couple, and a special relationship between them is sensed. But nothing is explicitly said, on the contrary, Brandon Shaw counts himself as one of the former "romances" of the girl (Joan Chandler).

The unfortunate fact is that from time to time, someone has tried murder as an experience, for the thrill of it, and the play from which the film comes (Patrick Hamilton's) was inspired by the Loeb and Leopold case, back in the twenties, who where exactly as the characters in the film, a homosexual couple, proud and arrogant of their imagined "superiority" and who killed a friend (?) in order to have a smashing experience.

Rating:
Summary: 3 1/2 stars for film inspired by Leopold and Loeb case
Review: The first film that Hitchcock released through his Transatlantic Pictures company, Rope is an underappreciate minor classic. It's flawed to be sure but this unusual experiment was shot in long takes an unusual approach for Hitchcock. The story was inspired by the Leopold and Loeb murder case and their obsession with the superman theories of Nietzsche.

Philip (Farley Granger)and Brandon (John Dall)have committed the murder of an old classmate for the thrill of it. They invite over mutual friends, the father and mother of the victim and their old prep school master Rupert (Jimmy Stewart)who first introduced them to Nietzche's theories. They drape a table cloth over the trunk where the dead body rests.

Written by Arthur Laurents and Hume Cronyn from the play Rope's End by Patrick Hamilton, Rope allows Hitchcock to indulge in a number of unusual cinematic experiments. It was Hitchcock's first movie to be shot in color and the entire 80 minute film is shot on one set with the skyline gradually changing. If Hitchcock had gotten his ideal cast the film might have been quite different; originally Hitchcock wanted Carey Grant for the role Stewart player and Montgomery Clift as Brandon.

The transfer is good although there is some edge enhancement and some analog and compression artifacts (although they aren't a huge problem). The vivid 3 strip Technicolor process comes to life on this DVD. The colors are pretty close to the version I saw screened. I should note, though, that I originally saw Rope at the UCLA Theater Arts Archive in black and white (a color copy wasn't available) on a Movieola and it was a nitrate print so I'm comparing it to versions that were released much later than the original.

While Rope isn't a perfect Hitchcock excursion, it's an enjoyable and admirable one that features a number of interesting visuals, strong performances and an interesting thought provoking story. The extras on this edition are quite nice as well including a feaurette entitled Rope Unleased, production photos and notes. Sadly, no extensive outtakes exist for Rope and everything that was written was, for the most part, shot.

Rating:
Summary: Come Over For A Little Game Of Murder
Review: The opening scene of ROPE shows Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger) murdering a fellow classmate and hiding the body in their apartment. For this little game, the two men decided to invite some of the victim's family and associates over for a dinner party, all to see if they can get away with the "perfect" crime. Based on a real life murder case, this Hitchcock film, is notable for several reasons. It was the first film that he shot in color, it was shot using only one set, and in continous takes. The only time that the camera was halted was to re-load it when the film ran out. Highly inventive and ambitious for 1948, the film is still somewhat underapreciated, but boasts great performances from Dall, Granger, and James Stewart as Rupert, a former teacher and mentor to Brandon and Phillip. As he begins to suspect that something is not right, Rupert tries to find out the truth, and stay one step ahead of the 2 partners in crime. The film mixes suspense and a bit of macabre humor that Hitchcock is known for.

The DVD features a good 35 minute retrospective documentary, with Granger and screenwriter Arthur Laurents, among others. There is a photo gallery, trailers, and a few production notes. However, the real star attraction of the disc is the movie itself, a truly overlooked film in the career of Hitchcock. Highly Recommended

Rating:
Summary: Tense and Unusual HItchcock Classic
Review: Brandon (John Dall) and Philip (Farley Granger) are two rich, educated young men who think very highly of themselves indeed. At college, they were taught by Rupert Cadell (James Stewart) who, having read a little too much Nietzsche, explained to them there that, for truly superior people, murder need be no crime. They have taken this ugly lesson just a little too much to heart and so, just for fun, they kill their friend David. Then, his body hidden in a chest, they hold a dinner party for his parents, his girlfriend, the girlfriend's ex-boyfriend and Cadell himself. David is invited too, but of course, he doesn't show up. But Philip, especially, is decidedly nervous and, as the evening progresses, Cadell starts to smell a rat...

Technically, this is one of Hitchcock's most consciously experimental pieces of film. There is no music at all, except over the credits and in a couple of scenes where Philip plays the piano. And it is made to at least appear to have been shot in a single very long take. In fact it is not and there are a few cuts that maintain an appearance of seamlessness by taking place as the shot passes across some dark surface like the back of a jacket. This contributes nicely to the tension. It does has a certain awkward consequence however in that the action is thereby set in real time and it takes some suspension of disbelief to accept that a society dinner party might last about 45 minutes from start to finish. (It also means that, whether you think this is a movie worth buying or just one to rent, it would be particularly criminal to watch it on TV with commercial interruptions.) Another nice technical touch exploits the location of Brandon and Philip's apartment high in New York and close to some neon signage. For much of the film it is daytime outside but in the scenes towards the end as a climax approaches, a surreal, nightmarish atmosphere is created by the slow by constant modulations of colouring of the light that result.

This is Hitchcock's first movie collaboration with James Stewart who does an excellent job playing a smart intellectual type who gets a nasty shock when he finds two of his students putting into action the clever sounding but disgusting ideas he thought he was so smart in expounding. It's a rather nice study in the perils of a shallow predeliction for novel, supposedly "advanced", moral thinking. (Brandon and Philip, arrogant patricians killing for fun, will have recalled to an American audience of the time the famous '20s case of Leopold and Loeb.) The movie is a interesting moral fable and also a nice, if slightly stagy thriller. It's not one of Hitchcock's greats but it's certainly no dud. There are no high-drama moments of nailbiting suspense but instead a constant uncomfortable tension as social events unfold in an apartment where only two of the participants know there is a fresh corpse in the cupboard just under all those fancy dinner goodies and their nerves are starting to fray...

Rating:
Summary: Rope is no Dope
Review: Hitchcock's "Rope" is no Dope
"Rope," directed by Alfred Hitchcock was released in 1948. Even though it was released over 50 years ago it stands the test of time and still thrills audiences even by today's standard. Hitchcock doesn't need to use fancy special effects or explosions to make this movie great. However, one of the reasons "Rope" is as good as it is, is because of its excellent line up of actors and actresses. This line up includes; John Dall as Brandon Shaw, Farley Granger as Phillip Morgan, Joan Chandler as Jane Walker and James Stewart as Rupert Cadell.
The plot is simple but intriguing. Two posh cohorts, Brandon and Phillip, decide that they are superior humans than their friend David Kentley. They reason, since they are superior to David, they have every right to kill him. There is no motive; they simply kill David for the thrill of killing another human. Hitchcock has the murder take place in the opening scene to let the viewers know who the killers are. This aspect makes it interesting for the viewer; you get to know what the actors do not know.
The movie "Rope" has suspense from the opening scene to the closing scene. Believe it or not some people actually wouldn't think a movie about a small dinner party would be that great of a thriller. But Rope is a thriller of its own kind. It is purely a physiological thriller, and doesn't rely on gory murders or special effects. The fact that Hitchcock can create such a great amount of suspense without these techniques shows how good "Rope" really is. The plot, acting and dialogue are what make this movie the thriller it is. I think "Rope" is a one of a kind movie that should not be missed by anyone

Rating:
Summary: ROPED IN
Review: Based on an actual murder case and directed by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, Rope tells the story of two very close, well to do roommates Phillip and Brandon who strangle David, an old school chum, just for kicks. To further increase the exhilaration of their dastardly deed, the duo deem it delicious to desecrate the dead by placing his body into a chest and serving their dinner party guests a banquet on its decorated top. The guests of honor at this most perverse soirée include their former prep school professor Rupert Cadell (James Stewart), the murder victim's parents, his fiancé, and her former boyfriend. This tapestry provides tension for Phillip as he is nervous about being caught and questions abound as to David's whereabouts. Interestingly, Brandon feels smug even justified as he views the act of murder to be relegated to a select superior few.

Rope explores Nietzsche's concept of the "übermensch" or "superman" in which society's people are divided into two groups. Those who believe in the concepts of right and wrong and behave accordingly are deemed inferior beings and therefore unnecessary. While those who are enlightened enough to realize that one is free to act according to their own volition because there are no such primitive or external constraints on behavior are deemed superior. In this worldview, homicide is justifiable because the intellectually superior are actually bettering society by eliminating the inferior and their drain on its resources. The story comes to a head when Professor Cadell who taught Phillip and Brandon these nihilistic concepts begins to suspect that they practiced what he preached by killing David.

Rope was shot with eight; 10-minute reels to give the illusion of one seamless, continuous take. This forces the viewer to pay attention to every word and provides an eerie feeling that he/she is a witness to the murder and is a guest at the dinner party. What also drives the film is its witty if not macabre dialogue that is punctuated with puns, innuendoes and double entendre. It is also interesting to watch the professor engage Phillip and Brandon in the proverbial game of cat and mouse. Likewise, the characters are richly developed and deep.

Rope is Hitchcock's most underrated and unappreciated film. Which is a shame because I believe Rope poses some very provocative questions. Is there sanctity to human life? Are all human beings equal? Is murder ever justifiable? Is there right and wrong? Is moral absolutism an outmoded idea in which only the weak and dumb subscribe? Is a teacher responsible for his/her students' actions? Ultimately, the viewer must decide.

Rating:
Summary: "I Hope You Like What You See!" -- (You Will, Via This DVD!)
Review: "Rope" debuted in theaters in August of 1948, and represented the first movie shot in COLOR by Director Alfred Hitchcock.

James Stewart, Farley Granger, and John Dall are the stars here, with Stewart (as always) giving a flawless, effortless-looking performance. I really liked all the character portrayals in this film. Murderers Granger and Dall exhibit just the right mix of "Will we get caught?" angst and the cockiness and sheer gall of those that murder simply for the sport of it.

Although not one of the "higher profile" Alfred Hitchcock entries, I think "Rope" is, in fact, one of his better films. It's certainly unique, style-wise, being filmed in ten-minute, continuous takes, giving it a "seamless" uninterrupted look.

There has been much talk about the supposed "homosexual overtones" between the two murderers in "Rope". Now while I know this to be the director's intention, if I hadn't read about it after seeing the movie, I would never have thought those two male characters were supposed to be homosexual. In my view, *nothing* that is said or done in the film particularly points to this conclusion. I suppose it's designed to be there, but "just beneath the surface". But, I looked at the two killers as merely being close friends. I don't really know why the sexual orientation subject even has to enter into it. And, really, it *doesn't*.

"Rope" is unique in another fashion as well -- Hitchcock's "cameo". Unique because we get not one, but TWO, "Hitch" cameos in this picture. Right after the opening credits, we see Alfred walking on the sidewalk below. With cameo appearance #2 (which was originally intended to be his lone cameo) coming 55 minutes into the fairly-short 80-minute film. This second cameo is not of Hitchcock "in the flesh". Instead, the director inserted the image of a flashing neon sign outside one of the windows of the apartment. This sign depicts the famous Hitchcock "profile". A very inventive cameo indeed (rivaling his "newspaper" appearance in "Lifeboat" for the most creative, IMO).

As with a much-later Hitchcock picture, "The Birds", "Rope" has no music score to aid the story and move it along (save the opening theme music and the piano-playing of Farley Granger's character). An entire movie void of music is something that I don't imagine too many directors could pull off. But Hitchcock, in "Rope" and "The Birds" (which was fifteen years later), did it quite successfully.

This Universal single-disc DVD offers up a fine-looking and very clear Full Frame picture (1.33:1 aspect ratio). Colors do look a tad dated, though. But, overall, "Rope" looks excellent here! The soundtrack on the disc is in Mono (Dolby Digital 2.0).

The disc's Menu system is simplistic and easy to use (which is OK by me). When the Main Menu is on screen, the theme from Hitch's TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", plays. This is nice, but I wonder why they didn't use the "Rope" opening theme music for the Menu?

Although not officially labelled as one of Universal's "Collector's Editions", this "Rope" DVD could very well have been so designated. This disc has very nearly as many Special Features as the other Hitchcock "Collector's" packages. Here's a gander at the "Rope" bonus supplements .................

>> A 32-minute documentary, "Rope Unleashed", covering the making of this motion picture. Included here is an interview with actor/writer Hume Cronyn, who collaborated on the "Rope" screenplay. Sadly, not too very long after filming the interview for this DVD, Mr. Cronyn passed away, in June 2003. Many backstage pictures are mixed in with the interview segments, including some eye-opening pics of the color camera equipment of the era. Color cameras during those days were more than "bulky" -- those babies were humongous! And via some still photos we can see just how cumbersome those cameras were, circa 1948.

>> The Original Theatrical Trailer for "Rope". -- I absolutely love this unique trailer. It really (in a way) serves as a "deleted scene" from the movie. And shows us the film's murder victim ("David Kentley") before he falls prey to his killers' rope. The trailer has David (played by Dick Hogan) and his fiancee, Janet (Joan Chandler), sitting on a park bench, talking about their upcoming engagement. It's just a short scene, but sets up some of the plot points very nicely in just a few seconds. After David kisses his betrothed and leaves the park, this becomes more of a "conventional" trailer, with star Jimmy Stewart appearing on camera to narrate. Video quality for this color trailer is a bit splotchy and blurry in places, but still certainly in watchable condition. I think the introduction of the murder victim in this "added" scene was a very clever idea by the filmmakers. Trailer length = 2:25.

>> A very nice Photo Gallery (which has many behind-the-camera images).

>> Some text screens with film notes and cast bios. (There's a kind of funny little mistake in the DVD's bio of John Dall. Dall's character is referred to as "Shaw Brandon" on the text screen, instead of the correct name, "Brandon Shaw".)

Alfred Hitchcock directed more than 50 films -- with "Rope", his first venture into the world of "Technicolor", resting among my personal "Top 10 Hitch Flicks". This Universal Home Video DVD comes recommended by this Hitchcock enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: A witty elegant essay on murder
Review: Some may argue there is nothing witty about murder, which you see in this film in the first few minutes committed by two elegantly dressed and well groomed handsome men on another elegantly dressed and handsome man in a well appointed apartment with a magnificent view of the city. Moreover, these two dandies just have to SEE if they can commit the perfect murder. In some ways the film is not just a meditation on good and evil, and at heart, the ethics of killing another human being, but also considers the recreation activities of those who have "everything". When one has every material advantage, the biggest house, the most exprensive car, a lover, drugs (presumably) what now for fun? And what if you are among the most intelligent and well educated individual on earth, doesn't that make you better than others and give you the right to make decisions over others lives? Especially the stupid, the unattractive, the lazy, the disabled - from here isn't it a small step to those of a different race, different culture? ROPE may be an allegory too for all those suited Foreign Affairs experts in their suits making recommendations about which country to bomb next. Then again it may just be another elegant transformation of a theatre piece to titillate the jaded appetite of those satiated by too much drawing room comedy. Richly photographed in colour, with outstanding actors. Worth owning.