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Movie Review - Rope (1948)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Alfred Hitchcock |
| Starring: |
Jimmy Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger |
| Rated: |
PG |
| Length: |
80 minutes |
| Genre: |
Thriller/Crime |
| Website: |
IMDb Listing |
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PLOT
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Brandon and Phillip are two friends who plot to murder their friend David, whom they believe they are
intellectually superior to, just to see if they can get away with it. They invite him over to their apartment,
strangle him with a piece of rope, stuff him in a trunk, and proceed to have a dinner party with his friends
and family. An attempt to see if they can pull it off ensues.
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MS. CALI'S TAKE
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Somebody once said that the genius of Alfred Hitchcock was that he is a master editor (as I pointed out in
my Psycho review). Well, our Mr. Hitchcock didn't like that very much, as he
wanted to be known as a master filmmaker. So he set out to make a film that would prove once and for all that
he is a genius all around. Rope is an extraordinary film, because each scene is one continuous shot.
The story is based on the true-life story of Leopold and Loeb, the Chicago teenagers who kidnapped and murdered
a young boy just to see if they could get away with the perfect murder. They didn't. But will our villains?
Hitchcock does a good job of stringing you along, as Brandon revels in his success and Phillip falls apart
as the dinner party progresses. Brandon is certain they have gotten away with it, while Phillip is certain that
every word, every look, is about to give them away. You can almost feel the tension grow as the movie progresses.
Stewart plays Rupert Cadell, a former professor of the two killers who often lectured them on the social caste
and the prominence of superior intellect. He was the one who inadvertently gave them the idea to kill, and as
the party progresses, he begins to suspect why David has not yet shown up. I've never seen Stewart in a role
where he isn't great, and he continues the trend with this movie. Dall, as Brandon, and Granger, as Phillip, are
each able to hold their own with the great Mr. Stewart, and that is why the movie succeeds.
Hitchcock's plan with this movie also works. He manages the scene changes by zooming in on an object (such as
somebody's jacket) at the end of a scene, and zooming out from the same object at the beginning of the next
scene, thus creating a smooth transition. The effect is almost that the entire movie is one continuous shot.
This is certainly not the best Hitchcock had to offer, but he did what he set out to do. The story was not
the most compelling, nor the most well written, but it was enough to hold your attention and keep you wondering
whether or not they would get away with it.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Leopold and Loeb were the teenage sons of wealthy Chicago families who kidnapped a fourteen-year-old boy,
murdered him with a chisel, hid his body, and sent his family a ransom demand for $10,000. They thought they
would get away with the murder because nobody would think to look for somebody fitting their profile. But they
did not cover all their bases. The body was discovered before the ransom was paid, and a pair of glasses was
also discovered at the scene. At first, the police thought the glasses belonged to the murdered boy, but the
relative who came to identify him said that he did not wear glasses. The glasses were a unique style, and
easily traced to the maker, who had sold only three (I think) pairs. By matching the glasses to the optometry
records, the police were able to trace the murder to Leopold and Loeb (the glasses belonged to Leopold). Loeb
soon confessed to the murder.
- Leopold and Loeb were represented by the famous Chicago defense attorney Clarence Darrow, who was able to
spare their lives. They received life in prison rather than the death penalty.
- Ms. Cali learned all this by watching City Confidential on A & E. City Confidential was hosted by Paul
Winfield (who you might remember as Capt. Clark Terrell in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn). Winfield
guest starred in High Chapparral, which starred Don Collier who played Mr. Tompkins in The Young
Riders, which starred Josh Brolin, who was in The Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.) Winfield was also a
guest star in an episode of Hotel during its second season. Ty Miller played a bellboy during the last
season of Hotel. Ms. Cali was incredibly sad to learn that Paul Winfield died of a heart attack on
March 7, 2004. If you've ever seen City Confidential, you know the show was so interesting partly because of
his distinct voice and bad similes. He will be missed.
- Ms. Cali watches too many true crime TV shows.
- Farley Granger also starred in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, while Jimmy Stewart was in several
Hitchcock classics including Rear Window, Vertigo, and Hitchcock's remake of his earlier film
The Man Who Knew Too Much.
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HITCHCOCK CAMEO
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Hitchcock appears on a neon sign in the view from the apartment window.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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Despite the gruesome nature of the plot, there is nothing in this movie that Mama should object to. Nothing
gruesome is shown, and there's no bad language.
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THE GIST
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Like Marnie, this isn't a movie I'd show to somebody who isn't already a
Hitchcock fan. However, if you are a fan, you can enjoy this movie for the boundaries Hitchcock stretches.
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