When you think about Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, you think about the neat gimmick that hangs it all together (in case you were born in a cave, Hitchcock presents the illusion that the movie was filmed in a single take through several clever editing techniques). Take that away, though, and what to do you have? Well, a pretty good thriller, but nothing special - and definitely not a better Hitch movie than Shadow of a Doubt, which isn't in the Top 250. Of course, there's lot of good stuff to be found there; Rope is a taut little thriller, and - gimmick aside - it manages to hold your attention from beginning to end. But it's also a tad stupid, with characters acting in ways that they most definitely wouldn't in the scenario presented to us, and featuring a good number of scenery chewing performances that occasionally clash to ill effect. Seriously: why is Shadow of a Doubt not in the Top 250?
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
