Rope

Tension

Ah, the suspenseful thrills of Alfred Hitchcock. When I first started writing about horror movies, I declared that most of the horrors I expected to write about would be Hitchcock. This will be my third Hitchcock review, and it's still not a horror! These earlier entries in his filmography are nevertheless masterpieces of suspense. Adapted from a Patrick Hamilton play, Rope plays out in real-time as a series of shots as long as the camera's capacity for film! Even then, the movie cuts from shot to shot in moments when the camera is naturally obscured. There are some distinct advantages to seeing this material filmed instead of as a play, including the ability for the point-of-view to add extra suspense. It also doesn't require an actor to lay in a box for the duration of the material.

Although I can admire the techniques used by Hitchcock, I didn't get too excited. I'm not sure I was devoting enough attention to the movie, so I am quick to add that the problem was with me. I did definitely enjoy the performances by James Stewart and John Dall in particular. Dall's heartlessness and confidence are quite convincing, even enough that I can believe he'd been able to persuade Farley Granger's character to join in the mischief. Stewart is given the best part in the film, and he subtly milks it for all it's worth.