CLASSIC MOVIE CORNER: 'Rope' (1946)

John Dall
in 'Rope'“Rope” (1946)

MPAA Rating: PG
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Janet Walker, Dick Hogan

The Gist: Who knew a dead man could be the life of the party?

The Story: Brandon and Phillip (Dall and Granger) are two Ivy League college students who commit what they believe is the perfect murder. They strangle an ex-classmate, David (Hogan) and stuff his body in a trunk in their living room. They plan to secretly dispose of the evidence, but not before enjoying a bit sadistic fun and games. Brandon and Phillip host a cocktail party, inviting Rupert (Stewart), the pair’s academic mentor, David’s fiancee (Walker) and parents, and a few other auspicious guests. As long as the two killers keep their cool, no one will suspect the guest of honor is a corpse.

The Review: Hitchcock’s first color film is a tour de force. Hitchcock strived to make “Rope” appear to unfold in real time. Through cinematic sleight of hand, he makes most of the action seem like one continuous take. While many movies based on plays have an inhibited, stagey feel, Hitchcock used that sense of claustrophobia to great effect. The script is loaded with gallows humor and irony, which morphs into high-stakes suspense. The murderers are trapped at the scene of the crime, and what seems like a polite dinner party becomes increasingly tense. By the film’s end, the confined apartment feels like a prison cell.

The Classic Quote: Brandon: “The good Americans usually die young on the battlefield, don't they? Well, the Davids of this world merely occupy space, which is why he was the perfect victim for the perfect murder. Of course, he was a Harvard undergraduate. That might make it justifiable homicide. ”

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)