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 Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Year of Release:  1962
Director:  John Ford
Screenplay:  James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck, from a short story by Dorothy M. Johnson
Starring:  James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien
Running Time:  123 minutes
Genre:  Western

In the Old West, idealistic lawyer Ransom Stoddart (Stewart) arrives in the remote frontier town of Shinbone.  On the way his stagecoach is held up and Stoddart is brutally beaten by vicious local bandit Liberty Valance (Marvin).  Ransom is determined to bring Valance to justice.  However, the local marshal (Andy Devine) lacks the courage and the skill to tackle Valance and his gang.  The only one willing to stand up to the bandit is tough local cowboy Tom Doniphon (Wayne).  In Doniphon's view, the only way to stop Valance is with a bullet, but Stoddart, who doesn't even carry a gun, is determined to bring Valance in alive and by the book. 

Filmed in crisp black-and-white, this late John Ford directed Western is one of his best, and a classic of the genre.  James Stewart is in good form as the idealistic lawyer who tries to civilise the tough frontier town by opening a school, and trying to teach the townspeople about politics and Government.  John Wayne is well used as the gruff cowboy.  Wayne was not a particularly good actor, but he had a lot of presence, and Ford always managed to get the best out of him.  Vera Miles is very good as Hallie, the cook and waitress who attracts the attention of both Stoddart and Donophin.  She gives the role some real depth and emotion.  Also worthy of note is Lee Marvin as the snarling, savage Liberty Valance.  The film is bookended by sequences set twenty five years later which are effective but unnecessary.  This is a surprisingly dark film, and quite ambiguous towards the end.  It does have slow patches, but it has some real tension, and a lot of humour.  Considering it is a John Wayne Western it is surprisingly progressive, and has a real elegiac feel about the beginning of the end of an era and the beginnings of the modern United States.

Lee Marvin, James Stewart and John Wayne in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance     

It's a Wonderful Life

Year:  1946
Director:  Frank Capra
Screenplay:  Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling and Farank Capra, based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern
Starring:  James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers
Running Time:  130 minutes
Genre:  Fantasy

Christmas time again:  The decorations go up, enough food is bought to feed a small army, parents fight with other desperate hollow eyed shoppers for the chance to get their hands on the latest must-have toy, Cliff Richard and Slade dominate the radio for weeks on end, forgotten comedy shows wheel out special extended episodes, office workers jeapordise their careers in drunken rampages after the work parties, and It's a Wonderful Life makes it's annual appearance.

The film revolves around George Bailey (Stewart), who lives in the small town of Bedford Falls, and has dreams of becoming a famous architect and travelling the world.  However, because of his innate drive to help his family and friends he stays to take over the family Buildings and Loan association, eventually giving up on his dreams entirely to stay in town and marry girl next door Mary Hatch (Reed).  As he comes into conflict with the wealthy and evil Henry Potter (Barrymore), George's life begins to unravel.  Eventually, on Christmas Eve he decides to commit suicide and a strange angel, Clarence (Travers), is sent to help him, by showing him what the world would be like if he had never existed.

This film has a reputation for being the very epitome of schmaltzy, feel-good sentiment.  However there is more to it than that.  The film, for the most part at least, is actually very dark.  Don't forget, it is about a man who is driven to the very brink of suicidal despair.  However, in a way the darkness makes the light shine more brightly.  It features some superb performances, especially from James Stewart, who plays the everyman role that he was so famous for, and yet provides layers of self-doubt, despair and rage balanced against the essential decency of George's personality.

Not a great success on it's original release, the film became an acknowledged classic through being a staple of Christmas TV schedules.   The film is occasionally a little too pious, but not too much.  It is essentially a fable.  Ultimately though the title comes across as being somewhat ironic.  How wonderful is George Bailey's life, really?  And, more importantly, how wonderful will it remain?  The film itself has developed a life of it's own and hangs in the movie firmanent somewhere beyond criticism.  It's very easy to be cynical about it, but it still packs a powerful punch and is probably the best Christmas movie of all time and is likely to be still viewed for as long as the holidays are celebrated.

It's a Wonderful Life for Donna Reed and James Stewart