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.
