"Rope" - What to Watch For

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Published on Tuesday, 01 December 2009 18:52

Alfred Hitchcock made Rope in 1948 but the film was kept out of wide general release until the mid 1980s. The film had a theme that was unusual even for Hitchcock: two college students kill a friend for thrills, then hide the body in their apartment, where it remains hidden through a dinner party.

The plot was inspired by the 1924 case of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy University of Chicago students who, influenced by the Nietzschean concept of "superman," killed a 14-year-old boy in an attempt to commit a "perfect crime."

Based on a stage play, action is confined largely to a single set and the film plays out in near real time. The film stars Jimmy Stewart (left, seated) with John Dall and Farley Granger.

AMU Literature Professor Michael Raiger, who will lecture and lead a discussion of the film, says he will raise the question of whether the film shows "an accurate depiction of Nietzsche's philosophy" and will look at "broader social and historical questions that the film raises."

The screening is at 7:15 p.m. in the Academic Building Lecture Hall with the lecture and discussion following at the Queen Mary Pub and Grille in the town center. All are welcome, and there is no admission charge for the film.

The classic film series featured four films this semester by Alfred Hitchcock. Next term, the series will explore films directed by or starring Orson Welles.

 Dr. Raiger holds a Ph.D in English and American Literature from New York University.