Rope
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
1948
*****
For me Rope was the beginning of the 'Hitchcockian' genre as we've come to know it. Admired for its single take by those who don't know and celebrated by its clever editing by those that do, it was certainly the film that raised the most debates at film school. Personally, I felt this was Hitchcock's two finger salute to stale Hollywood and the cliche riddled thrillers of the time. John Dall's brilliant performance and brilliantly written character are a complete contrast to the old school (and far more limited) performance of Farley Granger (as much as I love his films). This is a new way of thinking vs. the old, a perfect thriller and one where the darker side of you wants them to get away with it, alas they don't, thanks to the weaker characters actions, therefore a reflection that film making needed a radical transformation, a fresh idea, a logical progression. You don't get a genre named after you for nothing!