Plot: What’s it about?
Brandon (John Dall) and Philip (Farley Granger) are successful young students, but in a strange turn of events, they decide to murder a friend just for the thrill of the deed. The two strangle their pal David with a strand of rope, then stuff his corpse into a large chest. But the two didn’t murder him for the carnal reasons, instead for the intellectual reasons, just to see if they could commit the perfect murder. The act doesn’t end there however, as the two then prepare the home for a small party of sorts. The chest is not hidden for this gathering either, instead showcased as a table, complete with finger foods and candles. The guest list includes the father & aunt of the victim, the suitor to be of the victim’s girlfriend, the victim’s fiancee, the servant, and Rupert (James Stewart), the teacher whose views on morals helped drive the two to their crime. As the night passes, Brandon drops subtle hints as to what has happened, Philip gets more and more tense, Rupert gets closer to the truth, and everyone is asking about David. Will the two young men be able to pull off this murderous plan, or will they be found out in the end?
In a unique twist, director Alfred Hitchcock chose to shoot Rope in extended, ten minute takes and then use masked transitions between them. So in the end, aside from some obvious switches, it seems as though the picture was shot in one continuous motion, which is a superb concept, if you ask me. I suppose this makes the film more of an experiment than not, but the movie still turns out to be very good, even if not one of Hitchcock’s best efforts. The performances are impressive when you consider the circumstances, especially the work of John Dall and Farley Granger, who seem in excellent form here. But James Stewart seems a little out place at times and in the documentary included on this disc, the interview subjects discuss that topic a little more. I wouldn’t call Rope a traditional film in most forms, but it features all the usual elements, though they’re confined within the unusual form of the film’s concept. In the end, I think this film is very good and if you’re a Hitchcock fan or just want to see a terrific flick, then Rope is more than recommended.
Although the basic approach here gets on my nerves a couple times, I think Alfred Hitchcock pulls off this scheme very well. You can certainly notice when the transitions were made, but the extended takes seem terrific and that is what counts in the end. I like this movie a lot and as a Hitchcock fan, I feel that is because it seems removed from the rest of his work, one of his more unique efforts. I admit that I like most of his films, but this one seems so fresh, even after all this time and that adds a lot to my enjoyment, to be sure. As a film, it doesn’t rank with his finest works, but it is fun to watch and has some wonderful performances. Other films directed by Hitchcock include The Birds, The Man Who Knew Too Much, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Trouble With Harry, and The 39 Steps. The cast of Rope includes John Dall (Spartacus, Something In The Wind), Edith Evanson (Shane, Citizen Kane), Farley Grange (Enchantment, Edge of Doom), Joan Chandler (Dragstrip Riot, Humoresque), and James Stewart (Vertigo, Harvey).
Video: How does it look?
Rope is presented in a full frame transfer, which is how the film was intended to be seen. This one looks pretty good, but nowhere as impressive as some of the other Hitchcock releases. I was pleased with the clean source print, but the image seems too soft at times, which lessens the visual impact. The main flaw lies with the contrast, which is never dark enough and seems very weak most of the time. It seems like a lot of edge enhancement is also present, which doesn’t help matters much either. But the colors look solid for the most part, with natural flesh tones and no signs of smears in the least. This isn’t as good as I would have liked, but given the age of the picture, I suppose this transfer is good enough in the end.
Audio: How does it sound?
A mono track is used and it sounds good, but as usual, don’t expect much. This one is driven by vocals and as such, the mono track performs well and never seems too limited, although some range would have been welcome a couple times. A slight amount of distortion is present, but nothing more than you’d expect from a track this old. I found this to be a clean, clear effort for the most part, which is more than enough. The dialogue is the main selling point and since it comes through in fine form, I have no real complaints here. This disc also includes mono tracks in Spanish and French, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc houses the usual production notes, talent files, and theatrical trailer, but also contains a couple other bonus features. You can browse a nice selection of production photos and promotional materials, which are cool to look through. The real meat here however is Unleashing Rope, a half hour featurette on the production of the film. This piece blends still photos, behind the scenes footage, and interviews, all of which combine to form a terrific look inside this picture.
