Rope

Rating:
Summary: ROPE
Review: AMAZING. HITCHOCK HAS DONE IT AGAIN! HE HAS SURPRISED THE AUDIANCE WITH YET ANOTHER TIMELESS MASTERPIECE. HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE A SIMPLE ONE-SET MOVIE AND TURN IT INTO ONE OF HIS BEST FILMS EVER!

Rating:
Summary: From Hitchcock, a Truly Daring Experiment
Review: I think that even the Master of Suspense himself would be the first to admit that this film, directed only a couple of years before the great run that would begin with "Rear Window" in 1954, is essentially a grand experiment. The film is taken from a rather famous stage play of the same name and the the picture imitates a more theatrical style than is often seen in Hitchcock's work. By shooting in extended takes of no longer than ten minutes (the amount of film that can be exposed in a single reel), he purposefully defied his own notions of cutting and montage. But not cutting also generates its own sort of suspense, a sort of tension that develops among the actors and the audience. "Rope" was not an all out commercial or critical success when it was first released and it is still not as well known as some of Hitchcock's more popular masterpieces (Such as "Vertigo," "North by Northwest," or "Psycho"), but viewed in mid-1999, is an experiment that still rattles and enthralls.

Rating:
Summary: A Lesser-Known Masterpiece
Review: I love this film! Though it's not one of the first films that jumps to everyone's minds when they hear the name Hitchcock, it may certainly be counted as among his finest. An unusual tale based on the real-life Leopold-Loeb murder, in which two friends commit murder and then throw a dinner party with the body hidden in the room...as if daring someone to find them out. A film of suspense, drama, humor, and just a touch of philosophy too, courtesy of the inimatable Jimmy Stewart. Hitch does a wonderful job with his characters, especially interesting and entertaing are the homosexual undertones of the relationship between the two murderers. A wonderful film experience---and I dare anyone to spot the Hitchcock cameo on the first try (or even the second...)

Rating:
Summary: one of Hitch's rare disappointments
Review: Nail-biting suspense? Yeah, right. There is no suspense here, no real detective work either - the two killers act so downright nutty that even a child would finger them as the ones behind the missing man's disappearance. Stewart's sudden transformation from supporting murders in general (which was never believable anyway, only unpleasant to listen to) into a horrified "good citizen" is contrived. Give this one a miss unless you're a Hitch fanatic.

Rating:
Summary: A true classic!
Review: "Rope" is a must-watch for fans of Hitchcock. One of the most notable features of the movie is how it is shot using only one camera in (seemingly) one take. The story also takes place in real time. While this makes the movie seems somewhat slow in parts, the interesting characters in the film make up for this, especially Rupert (played wonderfully by Jimmy Stewart) and the somewhat eccentric Mrs. Atwater.

The premise of the story is interesting, in how the main characters, Brandon & Philip, kill an "inferior" person and then have a party with his body hidden in a chest in the apartment (which also doubled as a table for dinner!). Also, the very theatrical, experimental style of shooting the movie makes it highly interesting.

While not as exciting as "Psycho," this is a must-see for anyone interested in Hitchcock.

Rating:
Summary: A must see for Hitchcock enthusiasts.
Review: Although you'd find it lacking in the suspense department compared to Spellbound, Strangers on a Train or Rear Window, like Rear Window, it is one of the few movies made to date, which take place entirely in one room. If a viewer could understand for a moment what must make film with a single setting good it is the story and the dialog. Rope is superbly philosophical, diving into the idea of a master race, and then sucessfully portraying to the viewer how the society would react to the philosophy found real. If you enjoy a movie which is witty, and fantastic in its psychological depth, may I recommend, Rope.

Rating:
Summary: Not up to expectations
Review: Not the usual Jimmy Stewart or Hitchcock movie. Found the script and actors boring. I do not plan to recommend it to any Stewart or Hitchcock fans and collectors.

Rating:
Summary: "Rope" - - A Hitchcock Classic
Review: "Rope" - - an Alfred Hitchcock film with a unique style and plotline, with unusual yet effective cinematography and some of the best actors to play the leading roles. Adapted from a theatre piece, the one-set, appox. 80 minute long movie was simply ahead of its time. The premise is as follows: Two men strangle a fellow classmate for intellectual thrills, and continue to flaunt their macabre working at a dinner party held after the murder. The party is made up of the dead man's friends and family, the maid, and the dead man's former teacher. While one of the murderers is daring and proud, dropping subtle hints to the partygoers of what was actually happening, the other becomes more and more nervous as the deceased's teacher becomes ever-so-close to discovering the horrible truth, and the fact that the chest that the body is stuffed in is the very buffet table they all had been eating off of. Based on the Leopold/Loeb murder case, "Rope" is a probing psychological thriller. May not be a "Scream" or "I Know What You Did Last Summer", but it is definately a nail-biter that ranks with some of Hitchcock's best.

Rating:
Summary: Measure your words carefully. They may be taken seriously
Review:

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Format: Color
Studio: Universal Studios
Video Release Date: May 23, 1995

Cast:

James Stewart ... Rupert Cadell
John Dall ... Brandon Shaw
Farley Granger ... Phillip Morgan
Cedric Hardwicke ... Mr. Kentley
Constance Collier ... Mrs. Atwater
Douglas Dick ... Kenneth Lawrence
Edith Evanson ... Mrs. Wilson
Dick Hogan ... David Kentley
Joan Chandler ... Janet Walker
Alfred Hitchcock ... Man walking in street after opening credits
The Three Suns ... Group cast appearance (radio sequence)

Two young men decide to kill a friend for kicks. ala Leopold and Loeb, because one of them, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) thinks he is a superior human being, and above the rules, and the victim is inferior and therefore fair game. He quotes a former professor, Rupert Cadell (James Stewart) who has verbalized such a proposition in class.

They do, indeed, strangle the other young man, David Kentley (Dick Hogan), place his body in a trunk, and then throw a party to which they invite Bentley's parents, his girl friend, Prof. Cadell and others, and serve food and drinks from the trunk in which the body lies. Cadell, a bright man, realizes that something funny is going on and investigates.

This is an entertaining movie. Hitchcock. the director, admitted that he made the film on a lark, and that it was not a serious endeavor, but given his genius it came out very well anyway. It rates 4 stars with me, at least.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books