- "This party will be the most exciting ever given," brags Brandon (John Dall). His roommate and accomplice Philip (Farley Granger) isn't so sure. You see, Brandon's idea of excitement involves strangling their mutual friend David (Dick Hogan) and throwing a party. As if that wasn't going quite far enough, he even decides to serve dinner on top of the chest in which David's body has been stowed! In fact, Brandon seems particularly keen on tempting fate in every way imaginable. Soon, the guests begin to arrive. "Now the fun begins," snickers Brandon.
- The guest list is a further indicator of Brandon's sick sense of humor. Not only does he invite David's austere father (Cedric Hardwicke) and frivolous aunt (Constance Collier) to dine in the presence of their recently departed loved one, but he also awkwardly reunites David's girlfriend Janet (Joan Chandler) with her ex-boyfriend Kenneth (Douglas Dick). Of course, the truly daring move was to invite Rupert Cadell (Jimmy Stewart), the eccentric but insightful schoolmaster from the boys' prep school days. Rupert could always tell when the boys, Brandon in particular, were up to no good, but will he be able to solve the mystery of what happened to David?
- As Brandon predicts, the party itself is immensely exciting, particularly for the film's audience. Hitchcock slowly allows the tension to build as Philip's nerves and Brandon's audacity alternately threaten to reveal the truth about what happened to David. In one of the best scenes, the increasingly unhinged Philip vehemently denies that he has ever strangled a chicken. Why would he get so angry over such a trivial accusation? The audience knows why. In another wonderful scene, the housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson (Edith Evanson), slowly goes about clearing the plates after dinner while the camera stays fixed on that chest that, as the audience knows, contains more than just books. Meanwhile, Rupert grows ever more curious about Philip and Brandon's strange behavior, and he rightly begins to suspect that they know more about David's unexpected absence than they're letting on.
- Rope is an immensely enjoyable suspense film that provides Alfred Hitchcock with a well-deserved opportunity to show off. His decision to film and edit Rope so that it appears to be one long take is generally regarded as a gimmick or, to use Hitchcock's own word, an "experiment," but I think it works. Specifically, his direction and the beautifully realized background sunset profoundly affect the audience's perception of time, convincing us that an entire dinner party has fit into the span of only 80 minutes. Long takes aside, the film is also a very interesting exploration of the practical implications of philosophy. Although Jimmy Stewart is not the most believable proponent of Nietzsche, his two young disciples are actually quite convincing as aesthetes, lovers, and idealists whose twisted ideas get the better of them. The result is an appalling murder and a dinner party perfectly suited to the tastes of the master of suspense.
- I spotted Hitchcock walking outside at the film's opening, but I didn't notice his silhouette in the background.
- The film was based on a book that was obviously inspired by Leopold and Loeb, the only U of C students who ever accomplished anything.
- Hitchcock's first color film.
- There are some amusing references by Mrs. Atwater, David's aunt, to earlier Hitchcock films such as "Something" or "Something of a Something."
