Rope

 Year:  1948

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay:  Hume Cronyn, based on the stage play Rope by Patrick Hamilton

Starring:  James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Joan Chandler, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, Douglas Dick, Edith Evanson

Running Time:  80 minutes

Genre:  Thriller

New York City:  Two students, Brandon (Dall) and Philip (Granger), murder their friend David (Dick Hogan) for no other reason than the thrill of it.  After hiding the body in a large antique chest, they throw a party to which they invite David's family and friends, as well as their former teacher (Stewart).

Based on a 1928 stage play by Patrick Hamilton, which was itself loosely based on the notorious 1924 Leopold and Loeb murder case, this is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most experimental films.  Aside from the opening credit sequence, the entire film is set within the confines of Brandon and Philip's palatial New York apartment, and it is filmed to appear as if it is almost one continuous take.  The camera moves are impressive, although due to the fact that the cameras of the time could only hold a maximum of ten minutes worth of film, the camera frequently has to move close into the backs of people's jackets or furniture in order to hide the edit when the film had to be replaced.  This was the first of three films that James Stewart made for Hitchcock and he was critical of the film, commenting that the "really important thing being rehearsed here is the camera, not the actors," and stating much later that "it was worth trying... But it really didn't work."  Hitchcock himself dismissed the continuous take technique as "a stunt."  The film's main set of the apartment's living room is impressive, with a large window looking out over a steadily darkening New York City skyline, all of which was achieved in the studio.  While the film isn't entirely successful, it is an entertaining thriller.  The suspense comes not from David's fate, or the identity of the murderers, the film opens with the murder and the hiding of the body, but on when and how the "perfect murder" will unravel.  The film was very controversial on it's original release, possibly because of the strong homosexual subtext, the fact that Brandon and Philip are in a relationship is made pretty much as blatant as it could be in a mainstream movie in 1948.  For the most part the film manages to be more than just an innovative experiment, with sharp dialogue, strong performances, and the steadily building tension.  However, there are points where the technique overrides the content and your left admiring the camera work, rather than being involved in the story.

What a swell party: Farley Granger, James Stewart and John Dall in Rope

Vertigo

Year:  1958

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay:  Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor, based on the novel D'entre les morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac

Starring:  James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones

Running Time:  128 minutes

Genre:  Thriller

San Francisco police detective John "Scotty" Ferguson (Stewart) resigns from the force after a rooftop chase results in the death of a fellow police officer and leaves him with crippling acrophobia (fear of heights) and vertigo.  Some time later Scotty is approached by an old schoolfriend, Gavin Elster (Helmore), who wants to hire him to follow his wife, Madeline (Novak), who Ester fears is suicidal.  Scotty accepts the assignment, however in the course of the investigation he falls in love with Madeline.  However his vertigo prevents him form saving her when she plummets from a church bell tower.  A year later, still dealing with his trauma, Scotty becomes obsessed by Judy (Novak), a woman who bears a remarkable resemblance to Madeline.

This is one of the Master of Suspense's strangest and darkest films.  While it still made money on it's original release, it was not as big a hit as Alfred Hitchcock's previous few films, and was widely criticised by fans (including fellow director Orson Welles) and critics.  However it's reputation has grown considerably in recent years, and it is frequently named as one of the greatest films ever made.  James Stewart, who is probably best known for playing All-American nice guys in such films as It's a Wonderful Life (1946), plays against type as an ambiguous antihero.  While the term "toxic masculinity" was probably not coined in 1958, John "Scotty" Ferguson is a perfect example of it.  The most disturbing passage in the film is where Scotty tries to make Judy into the image of the dead Madeline, changing her clothes, hair colour, hair style, makeup, everything - whether she likes it or not.  The act of looking is a major element in Vertigo:  Scotty's vertigo is triggered when he looks down (the sense of vertigo is depicted by the film's signature "reverse zoom" technique, where the camera is moved backwards which zooming in creating a kind of telescoping effect); spying on the blonde, statuesque Madeline, Scotty falls in love with her without ever speaking to her (of course Alfred Hitchcock had a penchant for blondes in his films); Scotty is doomed to watch helplessly as she plunges to her fate, mirroring the fate of his police colleague at the beginning of the film; and when he meets Judy he becomes obsessed with her purely because of her resemblance to Madeline, completely dismissing Judy as a person in her own right.  Madeline herself is obsessed with a portrait of a long dead relative which she spends hours staring at and prompts Elster to comment that she might be possessed by the ghost of the woman in the portrait.  In the opening half an hour or so of the film, it almost seems to be shaping up to be ghost story, and in a way it is, only not in a supernatural sense.  Scotty and Judy are both haunted by Madeline, and Scotty's attempts to turn Judy into Madeline could be seen almost like a possession.  The plot reveals it's mystery about a third of the way into the film, in an almost throwaway scene, indicating that the plot isn't really important, and in fact the reveal is kind of disappointing, but the mysterious atmosphere of the film lingers.  It's very well made, with a beautiful sense of colour.  James Stewart is fantastic, both pitiable and disturbing in the lead role, and Novak is great in the dual role of Madeline and Judy, although the 49 year old James Stewart and the 24 year old Kim Novak make for a very unlikely romantic pairing.  Barbara Bel Geddes provides some humour and some much needed warmth to the film as Scotty's friend Midge, who of course is madly in love with him.  Vertigo is one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films, and while it might not be the greatest film ever made, which of course is a debate which will never end as long as film exists, it is a truly great film.

James Stewart and Kim Novak in Vertigo

The 39 Steps

Year:  1935
Director:  Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay:  Charles Bennett and Ian Hay, based on the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
Starring:  Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle
Running Time:  86 minutes
Genre:  Thriller

Richard Hannay (Donat), a Canadian living in London, meets a mysterious woman, Annabella Smith (Mannheim), who identifies herself as a secret agent and tells him that she is being targeted by a group of ruthless killers, part of a conspiracy to steal British military secrets.  When she is killed by an intruder in Hannay's flat, Hannay is immediately accused of the murder, and finds himself on the run. Hannay finds himself fleeing across Scotland, handcuffed to Pamela (Carroll), who believes he is guilty, and pursued by police and spies alike.

This film, while inevitably dated, still stands up as a hugely enjoyable espionage thriller.  Full of action, twists, suspense and a strong thread of humour, it moves from incident to incident and rarely slackens it's pace.  It is a classic piece of early Hitchcock, and anyone who is familiar with his later works will recognise several Hitchcock tropes (the man accused of a crime he didn't commit, the glamorous blonde lead actress, the Hitchcock cameo - about seven minutes into the film he can be seen crossing the street in front of a bus and important plot points conveyed in small details in intricate wordless sequences, and seemingly minor things turning out to have a huge significance).  The centrepiece of the film, Hannay handcuffed to Pamela while they are pursued across country, is comparatively brief and doesn't occur until quite late into the film.  In fact Madeleine Carroll isn't really in the film much at all, until the last half hour.  Which is a pity because she is really good, and there is real chemistry between herself and Robert Donat.  Donat himself, makes for an engaging leading man.  It isn't a perfect film by any means, it is dated, and there are some of the problems of early sound recording that you find a lot in films of this period, and it has to be said some of the Scottish accents are not very convincing.  In terms of plotting it's very old-fashioned, the supposedly ordinary Richard Hannay seems to be able to get out of any situation no matter how difficult with apparent ease, and without ever once losing his stiff upper lip.  The sequence between the crofter (played by John Laurie, who would later find fame in the television series Dad's Army (1968-1977)) and his wife (played by Peggy Ashcroft) is surprisingly dark.  The film was loosely based on a 1915 adventure novel by Scottish author John Buchan, which has been adapted several times since.     

Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat in The 39 Steps          

Strangers on a Train

Year of Release:  1951
Director:  Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay:  Raymond Chandler, Whitfield Cook and Czenzi Ormonde, based on the novel Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Starring:  Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock
Running Time:  101 minutes
Genre:  crime thriller

Guy Haines (Granger), an amateur tennis star, wants to marry senator's daughter Anne Morton (Roman), and pursue a political career.  First of all, though, he has to get a divorce from his unfaithful wife, Miriam (Laura Elliott).  On a train he chances to meet charismatic psychopath Bruno Anthony (Walker).  The two fall into conversation, and Bruno proposes that they "swap murders", he will kill Guy's wife, if Guy will kill Bruno's hated father.  His theory being that if there is no connection between the murderer and the victim, than there is much less chance of the killer being caught.   Bruno succeeds in killing Miriam, and then tries to force Guy to complete hi side of the bargain.

This film, based on the debut novel of celebrated crime author Patricia Highsmith, has an arresting premise that has been reused several times in movies and television shows.  It features one of the most memorable set pieces in Hitchcock's work, the prolonged stalking and murder of Miriam at a  fairground, the murder itself being shown as a reflection in Miriam's discarded glasses.  It also works with the cat and mouse game between Guy and Bruno, as Bruno stalks Guy and tries to convince him to fulfill his side of the deal.      It's at it's weakest in the family scenes with Guy and his girlfriend Anne, and her father (Leo G. Carroll).  Anne is kind of a dull character who is really only there as a love interest, and her father has nothing to do at all, he's kind of a sober, wet blanket who is only there to dispense sage advice.  As Anne's kid sister, Barbara, Patricia Hitchcock (the director's daughter) provides most of the humour.  Farley Granger is good as the everyman caught in a vortex of suspicion and paranoia as he becomes a murder suspect while being stalked at every turn by the implacable Bruno.  As the charming but ruthless murderer, Robert Walker brings a  touch of humour to Bruno, who is one of Hitchcock's most sinister villains.  From the very strange relationship he has with his doting mother, to his relentless pursuit of Guy, Bruno is a very ambiguous character. He is also as obviously gay as a character could be back in 1951
This is a suspenseful tale, stylishly told. If the pacing slows down towards the middle it is more than made up for with a thrilling climax.  Look out for Hitchcock's cameo as a man exiting a train carrying a double bass early in the film.

    Farley Granger and Robert Walker are Strangers on a Train

Psycho

Year: 1960
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Joseph Stefano, based on the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, Martin Balsam
Running Time: 109 minutes
Genre: Horror, crime, thriller, drama

Summary: Phoenix, Arizona: Marion Crane (Leigh), a secretary at an estate agents, steals $40,000 from one of her employer's clients, and drives off to meet her divorced boyfriend, Sam Loomis (Gavin), at his California home. On the road, Marion becomes increasingly paranoid about getting caught and what might happen to her. Eventually in the middle of a heavy rainstorm, tiredness forces her to seek shelter for the night in the remote Bates Motel. The place is owned and managed by a shy young man named Norman Bates (Perkins) who tells her that he lives with his invalid mother in the large, run-down house that overlooks the motel. Marion overhears a furious argument about her between Norman and his mother. After talking to Norman, Marion decides to return to Phoenix the next day to return the money. First of all however, she decides to take a shower. Big mistake.


Opinions: This movie is probably one of the most influential ever made. It's easy to forget after all the sequels, remakes, parodies and references as well as the slew of imitations, just how good the original is. The story is structured in a way where if you didn't know the film it looks as if it's going to be about a woman who steals some money. For the first 45 minutes or so the film follows Marion exclusively and events are seen from her point of view and then it takes a sudden turn with probably the most famous sequence in cinema history and becomes something else entirely.
The script was written by Joseph Stefano (who subsequently became known for creating the classic television series The Outer Limits (1963-1965)) based on a 1959 novel by prolific horror and thriller author Robert Bloch. The book was inspired by the real-life Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein (whose activities also inspired The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991)). The film follows the basic storyline of the book pretty closely but with a few basic changes. The novel focuses mainly on Norman Bates and many of the events are seen through his eyes. Also Norman is a much more sympathetic character in the film than in the book. Incidentally, at the time of writing the screenplay, Stefano was undergoing therapy about his own relationship with his mother.
The movie features a brilliant central performance from Anthony Perkins as the tormented Norman, who manages to be both sinister and sympathetic at the same time. In fact he is quite a likeable character which makes his actions all the more startling. Anthony Perkins, who at the time was best known as a pop singer and a romantic lead, suffered from typecasting due to the immense success of Psycho but stated afterwards that he would still have taken the role even if he knew that he would be typecast. The film also had it's main "name" star, Janet Leigh, killed off towards the middle of the movie, which was a really shocking move for the time. This is said to be the reason behind Hitchcock's heavily promoted "requirement" that no-one was allowed to be admitted in to see Psycho once the film had begun. This was highly unusual for the time when people were in the habt of wandering into films whenever they felt like it, but Hitchcock felt that if people came in during the second half of the film expecting to see Janet Leigh and she did not appear, then they would feel cheated.
Of course everyone knows about the famous shower sequence which is a masterpiece of direction, editing and scoring. The scene runs for about three minutes and includes about fifty cuts, and it is done in a way where you think that it is more violent than it actually is. You see the shower head, Janet Leigh screaming, and you see the knife stabbing, but you never see any actual contact. The only blood in the scene is seen swirling down the plughole. Coupled with Bernard Herrmann's legendary strings-only score, it is one of the greatest scenes in film history. The censors initially asked for the scene to be cut, because they thought that Leigh's breasts were visible. Hitchcock simply resubmitted the film again without touching it and it was passed uncut. People who have way too much time on their hands have analysed the scene frame by frame for a glimpse of the offending breast but, as far as I know, they have been unsuccessful. Apparently after watching the scene, Janet Leigh refused to take showers unless she absolutely had to, and then she would lock all her doors and windows and leave the shower and bathroom door open.
There is another story that Hitchock received a letter from an angry father who said that his daughter refused to take a bath after seeing the 1955 film Les Diaboliques and now refused to take showers after seeing Psycho. "How am I supposed to get her clean?" the outraged man demanded.
"Take her to the drycleaners," replied Hitch.
The film also features a startling second murder, which is in it's own way as memorable as the shower scene, and it also has a strong vein of humour running through it.
Alfred Hitchcock has a small cameo in the film as a man wearing a stetson who is seen standing outside the window of the real estate agency where Marion works.
This was also the first film to feature a shot of a toilet flushing, which also caused some trouble with the censors, and was removed for some international prints.
The film is often stated as being the first of the slasher movie subgenre of horror.
The film was followed by two direct sequels and a made for television prequel. It was also pointlessly remade in 1998 by Gus Van Sant. The original is a classic and is well worth checking out by anyone. If you've never seen it, then definitely see it, and if you have seen it, then see it again.


"We all go a little mad sometimes." - Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) in Psycho



"Have you got the shower working yet?" Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh in Psycho