“Murder
is or should be an art.”
Alfred Hitchcock through his film did make murder look
like an art. His murders were like plays. They started off as perfect ideas,
acted out as dramas, and unfolded like tragedies upon the murderer. Hitchcock’s
1948 film Rope is based off a play
and feels like a play caught on camera.
The film begins with two friends Brandon Shaw and Phillip
Morgan (Farley Granger) strangling their friend David Kentley to death with a
piece of rope. They place David’s body in a chest in the living room. Brandon
feels excited about what they have done, killing someone just for the danger of
committing the perfect crime. Phillip struggles with how he feels. It is very
obvious that Brandon dominates Phillip into getting him to doing and thinking
anything he wants him to.
To make the crime even more of a perfection and even more
dangerous and thrilling Brandon throws a party. He has invited David’s parents
and girlfriend and even their old school house master Rupert Crandell (James
Stewart). Brandon even has the food served on the chest where David’s body has
been placed. When David’s father and aunt arrive at the party Phillip becomes
so nervous he breaks a glass in his hand.
Phillip’s nerves run to the extreme throughout the party.
Brandon has to tell him to relax and put him in his place from time to time.
Rupert takes notice of these exchanges. To get more out of the boys he talks
about his philosophy of murder and how it should be an art and done by inferior
people.
Eventually everyone begins to worry about David not
showing up. His mother calls the father and says she is frightfully worried
David may have gotten hurt and wants him to call the police. Everyone leaves
including Rupert. The maid hands him a hat but it is not his. The initials on
the inside are DK. Brandon relaxes a little bit once the party has all left
including the maid. Phillip just becomes more agitated and drinks more to try
to calm his nerves. Rupert comes back citing a forgotten cigarette case. Now
Brandon has cause for alarm. His perfect plan is coming apart.
Whenever Rope is discussed one of the first bits of
trivia you will no doubt read is how there are homosexual undertones between
Brandon and Phillip. Maybe there is but I did not see their relationship that
way. I see Brandon as always having been a manipulative person. When they were
younger Brandon saw that Phillip was not as strong in character as he was and
just how easily he could get Phillip to do whatever he wanted. Brandon has a dominant,
superior personality. He tries to manipulate everyone and everything around
him. He thinks he is clever which is why he killed David. When David is killed
it is not Brandon who does the actual killing it is Phillip. There was probably
no way Brandon was going to be the one to do the actual killing that is what
Phillip the weaker one is for. I find Brandon Shaw to be one of the creepiest
film characters. He knew exactly what he was doing the entire time, he was
dominating and manipulative, and he was insane.
I have had Rope
on DVD for years. I remember watching the film on TCM a few years ago and
absolutely loving it. Even when I rewatched it on DVD I thought it was great. Watching
it now I think it is a good film but not one of Hitchcock’s best. To me there
is no great tension like the director’s other films unless you count the
tension between Brandon and Phillip or Phillip’s building nervous tension
throughout the film. I liked how it was filmed in real time. There are no quick
edits just close ups of the back of a jacket or an object where the film had to
be changed out. The filming style was not bad I liked how it felt like a play
but it just does not feel like a typical Alfred Hitchcock film. Sometimes I like
it when a director or actor or actress does a film or role outside of their
typical ones but with Hitchcock his typical formula and style never got old. Rope is not one of the first Alfred
Hitchcock films I would recommend seeing. Only watch it if you are familiar
with his other films.
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