Much like 1954's Dial M For Murder, this film is shot exactly like the play upon which it is based: all is set in one apartment and filmed in (mostly) continuous, very long, theatrically executed takes. The technical skill that goes into shooting a film in just nine takes is undeniably impressive - as this set of reviews so aptly points out - and the effect is one of being at the theatre. I'm usually wary of filmed theatre, but of course, this is Hitchcock, and so he pulls it off effortlessly. If you miss the theatre in these times of lockdown, this is the film for you!
But there are many USPs other than the filming technique. John Dall and Farley Granger are great fun to watch as the two main leads. (I much prefer Farley here than in his second collaboration with Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train.) Initially, I completely missed that the two main leads were implied to be homosexual, both the significant use of 'the' when referring to "the bedroom" and the close proximity the two of them stand at throughout the course of the story completely passing me by. Whilst I maintain you can watch this film without interpreting them as gay, it is even more entertaining to rewatch it with that in mind - because once one knows, the chemistry is sizzling! You can practically feel the tension as Philip (Granger) tries to wrestle with his feelings for Brandon (Dall) while also wracked with guilt at the murder.
Of course, the main thread throughout the story is ultimately the murder, not the relationship. Such a simple premise - two people have killed, hidden the body in the room, will they get away with it? - but it's oh-so-effective. If you are a Hitchcock fan, this is one of his more agreeable classics, and it has earned every critical acclaim and positive review it has earned over the years (although to watch it solely for its technical expertise, as I've said, is somewhat reductive towards its greater merits).
But there are many USPs other than the filming technique. John Dall and Farley Granger are great fun to watch as the two main leads. (I much prefer Farley here than in his second collaboration with Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train.) Initially, I completely missed that the two main leads were implied to be homosexual, both the significant use of 'the' when referring to "the bedroom" and the close proximity the two of them stand at throughout the course of the story completely passing me by. Whilst I maintain you can watch this film without interpreting them as gay, it is even more entertaining to rewatch it with that in mind - because once one knows, the chemistry is sizzling! You can practically feel the tension as Philip (Granger) tries to wrestle with his feelings for Brandon (Dall) while also wracked with guilt at the murder.
Of course, the main thread throughout the story is ultimately the murder, not the relationship. Such a simple premise - two people have killed, hidden the body in the room, will they get away with it? - but it's oh-so-effective. If you are a Hitchcock fan, this is one of his more agreeable classics, and it has earned every critical acclaim and positive review it has earned over the years (although to watch it solely for its technical expertise, as I've said, is somewhat reductive towards its greater merits).