Rope (1948)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This little masterpiece puts chills down my spine a corrupt Brandon a perfectionist with a sick sense of humor that seems to want to get caught because he stuffed his friend into a chest and then invites over that mans whole family and friends in this unnerving little flick but his partner in crime gets jittery to the whole event and these little rascals reap what they sow through careful collective trail finding through one of the more keen guests its a real ride of tension and hate for this sick rich slob of a man that just has to ruin anything good of wanting food or wine to his uncouth dinner party. A must watch and an Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece enjoy ROPE~! 9 out of 10 forks the beast say here Yes oh yes THE BEAST APPROVES!

Rope directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a crime fiction film... And that's all you need to know, because this movie is GREAT. I went in completely unaware of the story or film making style. Experiencing the plot unfold right from the start, as well as understanding the incredible filmmaking and cinematography, left me in awe. I was so impressed by this film. I was genuinely entertained for the entire runtime. The dialogue is so compelling, due to how it progresses and builds with intensity, leading to moments which are truly riveting. From the very first shot I was completely invested. Every performance is outstanding and very authentic. There isn't a single distraction which detaches you from Hitchcock's fictional world. I highly recommend Rope. It's a movie experience which is unlike no other. It's nothing but a combination of incredible talent, so therefore I give Rope a 9.

The entire film takes place in a fancy New York City apartment where there is a small party with a handful of guests. In essence, the party is a kind of odd, coming-out party for two murderers who had just killed an acquaintance they believed to be "inferior" and therefore not worthy of his life. The movie is considered one of Hitchcock's lesser films, nevertheless, it is still very good. If you are not accustomed to the movies of pre-1960, the first thing you will notice about Rope is that the strangulation of the murder victim in the first minute of the film is decidedly non-graphic and really kind of fakey in an overly tame sort of way. Contemporary film would have made the scene violent and explicit. Another observation is that if the viewer gives it any thought, the two murderers really have no actual use for their crime, which was conceived to display their ability to commit the perfect crime. To whom do they boast of their crime? They speak of it, they are discovered and it fails to be a perfect crime. Minor technicalities, I guess.I liked the performances of John Dahl and Farley Granger, particularly John Dahl. He is sophisticated, intelligent and smugly evil. Granger's performance is good too as the frightened accomplice. Jimmy Stewart is the older man whose intellect is admired by the murderers. I wonder if this movie paved the way for Stewart to play in a number of later Hitchcock films.Anyway, I recommend the film for those who are interested in dialogue surrounding a curious but tense situation, with minimal physical action. If there is a desire for car chases or massive explosions, the viewer will be disappointed.

While making "Rope", Hitchcock and his crew needed to make a decision...either stick to the original English play or completely revamp it for an American audience. By toeing the middle ground, however, Hitch creates a film that takes a suspenseful plot kernel and overshadows it with social class psychobabble.For a basic plot summary, "Rope" sees two young men (John Dall & Farley Granger) carry out their view of the "perfect murder" by killing a fellow chum and hiding him in a wooden chest in their living room while throwing a party that night. At the party, a former preparatory instructor (James Stewart) becomes suspicious of the pair and starts snooping around.The suspense angle of this movie is obvious, as the audience knows the body is in the trunk in the living room and thus anything could possibly happen. Hitchcock manages to make this a legitimately suspenseful (as he is best at) on multiple occasions, providing the best parts of the film.Sadly, there is just something "off" about the overall experience. It is as if, in taking the play and making it a film, the producers somehow lost a key element of the narrative structure. All the talk about class and "the right to murder" is present, but it just doesn't quite click into place well enough to development the characters or make the whole experience work. Simply put, it's like a lot of the original play was "lost in translation".Overall, "Rope" is a decent Hitchcock flick that provides some suspense and great acting (especially the two leads and, of course, Stewart). However, the motives behind the whole experiment seem a bit lost from the original English play (either that or it just doesn't have much coherency altogether). As such, it cannot be considered a "masterpiece" in any sense of the word.