Rope (1948)

ROPE (1948)

By Ralph Santini - ***

“Rope”, Alfred Hitchcock’s first color film, has lots of overall winning elements in spite of wretched performances by the film’s two young stars, John Dall and Farley Granger and that’s because of the fact that it was filmed on a single sound stage, a marvelous story and a terrific performance by James Stewart. The plot concerns two young friends, Bradon (Dall) and Phillip (Granger), having choking an additional friend David Kentley with a piece of rope and temporarily hiding his body into a trunk so they can dispose it in a country, somewhere in New England that night. They later invite most of David’s close companies, including his own best friend, Kenneth (Douglas Dick), his own betrothed Janet Walker (Joan Chandler), David’s own relatives which only include his father (Sir Cedrick Harwicke) and his aunt Mrs. Atwater (Constance Collier) and even David and the murderers’ own philosophy professor Rupert Cadell (Stewart) to show them of the brilliance of the “art” of murder. The only problem with Rupert’s invitation is that Phillip does not agree on it because of his tormented feeling that Rupert is the one to suspect of the pals’ own murder.

                Arthur Laurents’ script, adapted by Hitchcock cohort Hume Cronyn from an British 1929 play by Patrick Hamilton, contains some occasional plot holes that don’t fit in but it doesn’t matter, because it is saved by its unique photography by Joseph Valentine and sound editing by Al Riggs as well as Stewart’s wonderful portrayal of his own supporting character in the film. About the single sound staging in this film, each of its 9 reels has 10 minute takes with no interruption which is extremely interesting because it has seldom happened to other many films, especially if it was made in the 1940s. In fact the takes have only stopped when each of the shots are done filming, that’s why Hitchcock moved the camera close to the back certain cast members until every frame got full then take the next shot and so on. That’s why the filming itself is the real star of the picture, even more than the rather pretentious acting by Dall and Granger. 

As you might know Dall and Granger were, believe it or not, playing a gay couple according to the fact that it was banned in several American cities because of it. In fact there are lots of commentaries of the fact that the boys were murdering their own friend is actually an allegory of homosexual desire. That’s exactly what caused controversy with this film; it glorifies homosexuality by making Dall’s character say “until his body went limp, and I knew it was over,” admitting the importance of killing David, plus the scene where he and Granger tell Kenneth that they are going to his family’s farm the day after the party, telling us the fact that Granger and Dall actually live together since the film reveals about Granger’s own key copy to Dall’s house. 

 “Rope” may have flaws with the poor acting of John Dall and Farley Granger and some confused plot holes, but the single sound staging, beautiful cinematography and a fine performance by James Stewart are all reason enough to make this film worth seeing. It may not be one of Hitchcock’s great masterpieces, but it still has some effective moments that make it extremely interesting. The movie was not a big hit when first released in the United States but today it is important for queer movie buffs to experience for their movement against homophobia as well as everyone crazy with Hitchcock wanting to see something slightly different from his other thrillers that made he made throughout his entire career.