One of my personal highlights of this year has been discovering more Alfred Hitchcock films including 1948’s Rope.
For years the film was considered lost and up until the early 2000s up until its DVD release and it started to gain traction for re-appraisals.
The boldest thing about the film is its homoerotic subtext, given it was released in 1948 when homosexuality was still criminalised. Adding further weight to this point, actor Farley Granger was a closeted actor, who stars as one of our main protagonists, Philip, who along with partner Brandon commits the murder of former college friend David and then hosts a dinner party with the body hidden within their home.
Granger’s performance is truly fantastic as Philip, with the character literally crumbling before our eyes under the pressure of getting caught. Based on this and his role in Strangers on a Train its a shame that Granger didn’t have a bigger Hollywood career. Whether Granger’s sexuality had anything to do with his career’s trajectory is unknown. He would appear again in the horror genre in the 80s with a role in the renowned slasher The Prowler.
Rope has the classic ‘bomb under the table’ technique from Hitch, with the constant paranoia of guests, almost finding the body and when James Stewart’s Rupert gets suspicious and Brandon and Philip’s plan starts to unravel.
Largely filmed in one big set, Hitch also films up to 10 long takes throughout the 80-minute runtime (one of the director’s shortest efforts), which only enhances the viewing experience as we see day turn into night and the intensity only build.
Films such as Psycho, North by Northwest, Vertigo and Rear Window often jump to the top of Hitchcock film lists but Rope certainly deserves its place comfortably in the higher rankings.
While Hitchcock might not have been fully aware of the impact at the time, Rope is considered one of the earliest mainstream queer features and a trailblazer in many ways. Also, with the revival of the murder mystery sub-genre with Knives Out and its follow-up plus See How They Run, Rope certainly deserves fresh eyes and no doubt will become plenty of viewers favourite Hitch film soon.
Rope is available now on Blu Ray, DVD and digital download.
Bloody Flicks 