Rope tells the tale of two disillusioned young fellows who, convinced that they are somehow superior human beings, decide to practice the art of murder on a fellow student whom they perceive as inferior, for the thrill. If we ignore the first 10 minutes, we will see that there is tremendous potential for suspense during the entire movie, in which we merely hear the two fellows talk about their murder, but we never see it. Finally, there is a great sequence when James Stewart approaches the coffin to see what's in it, but any suspense cannot really be upheld at this point given the first 10 minutes, because we have been shown the murder in the opening scene -- which I have no idea why Mr. Hitch decided to go that route. I can only imagine a lot more suspense and intensity if the viewer was not entirely sure what to expect when Stewart lifts up the wooden coffin.
Rope was not a big hit when it came out. It is not as polished as some of Hitch's later masterpieces that I have seen, but it's still worth a look, if only to witness the impressive long takes (which motivated me to check it out).
Rope was not a big hit when it came out. It is not as polished as some of Hitch's later masterpieces that I have seen, but it's still worth a look, if only to witness the impressive long takes (which motivated me to check it out).