Rope

Rope is a psychological crime thriller film that was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1948. It stars James Stewart, John Dall and Farley Granger. It would be the first time that Hitchcock worked with Jimmy Stewart, and they would go on to make three other successful films in the 1950s. Rope is based on the real life crime of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, a homosexual pair from Chicago who killed a fourteen year old boy just to prove their superiority and commit the perfect crime, although they would get arrested for the murder soon after. It is surprising that the film was allowed by the censors at the time, as the implications that the two murderers in the film are homosexuals is quite clear, for example there is only one bedroom in the apartment they both share, and homosexuality and any references to it was seriously frowned upon by censors at the time. The film was one of Hitchcock’s more experimental films, and the original idea was to film it in one take, although constraints prevented this. However, thanks to clever cuts, it appears to be one continuous take by zooming in and out of characters backs when a reel change was required. In total, there are ten cuts in the film.

The film opens with two students, Brandon Shaw (Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Granger) strangling their friend David Kentley to death. They did this to prove that they could commit the perfect murder and prove their superiority. They are to host a dinner party, and convinced David to turn up early so they could kill him. After killing him, they put his body in a large chest in the living room. Brandon then decides to move the cutlery from the dining room to on top of the chest, just for the thrill of it. Although Brandon is calm, Phillip is a nervous wreck, which will play up throughout the film. The idea for the murder came from conversations with their professor, Rupert (Stewart), who had discussed such theories as Nietzsche’s Übermensch with them at university. As the first guests arrive, Brandon says the fun is just beginning.

The guests at the party are the pair’s housekeeper, David’s father Mr Kentley and his aunt Mrs Atwater, his fiancée Janet Walker and her former lover and David’s former best friend Kenneth Lawrence. Rupert is also invited, as Brandon feels that he will appreciate what they have done. Throughout the party, Brandon keeps hinting at David’s absence, which leads to everyone worrying about him, little realising his dead body is in the chest in the room. Brandon gets Rupert to share his theory of murder being a privilege for the chosen few, which greatly upsets David’s father. Rupert realises that something is off with Phillip and questions him about David’s absence, although he denies all knowledge. He also notices strange behaviour between the two, such as Phillip denying he had ever strangled a chicken even though Rupert had previously seen him strangling several chickens before and Brandon stammering when talking, which Rupert knows he only does when he is excited.

Brandon increases the tension by trying to set up Janet and Kenneth which greatly annoys the pair of them. He also makes numerous mentions of death which further serves to increase the tension surrounding David’s disappearance. As the party dies down, the housekeeper begins to remove the cutlery and candles from the chest and prepares books to put back in the chest. Just as Rupert is offering to help her lift the books into the chest, Brandon rushes over and insists they not bother, which further raises Rupert’s suspicion. Eventually, David’s mother rings and says he hasn’t been home. This leads to everyone leaving, not before Brandon hands David’s father some books, tied with the same rope they used to kill his son. The pair think they have got away with the crime, but Rupert calls up and claims he left a cigarette case and asks to come back up. Nervously, the pair agree.

When he arrives and when the pair are not looking, he hides the case behind some books and the chest and then to talk to them about David’s disappearance. Although Brandon is excited and eggs him on, Phillip, by this time very drunk, snaps and says the famous line, “Cat and mouse, cat and mouse. But which is the cat and which is the mouse?” Suspicious of the chest, Rupert goes to open it although Brandon tells him he won’t like what he sees. He opens it and is shocked and horrified by what he sees, David’s dead body. Rupert realises he is a cause for the murder, and turns his back on his previous theories of murder being for the privileged few. Another famous quote from this scene is, “Did you think you were God Brandon?”

Noticing Phillip is preparing a gun in his pocket, a struggle ensures before Rupert seizes the gun. He fires a few shots out the window and as the police sirens draw nearer, Rupert pulls a seat and sits down waiting for the police to show up.