Rope

Title: Rope
Year: 1948
Studio: Warner Brothers/Transatlantic Pictures
Screenplay: Adapted by Hume Cronyn, screenplay by Arthur Laurents
Source Material: From the play Rope's End by Patrick Hamilton.
Running Time: 77 minutes

Monday 14th March, 2:00pm
I'm back! Yes, it has been a while, but I did warn you I'd be taking a bit of a hiatus. Firstly it was only supposed to be for about a month while I was on holiday in the UK, but then when I returned to Australia I came down with sinusitis which crippled me for a bit. So, my return was delayed by a couple of weeks. Never fear, for I am back.
Even though I have enjoyed my break from this blog, I am glad to be back into the rhythm of it all. One thing I have come to learn is that writing out detailed synopsis is both tiresome and redundant. So I will make those entries much briefer - for your sake and for my sanity.
So, back to the project... A lovely one to ease me back in.

Cast
Rupert Cadell - James Stewart
Brandon Shaw - John Dall
Phillip Morgan - Farley Granger
Mr Kentley - Sir Cedric Hardwicke
Mrs Atwater - Constance Collier
Kenneth Lawrence - Douglas Dick
Mrs Wilson - Edith Evanson
David Kentley - Dick Hogan
Janet Walker - Joan Chandler

Synopsis
The movie begins with a murder in a New York apartment. David Kentley is being strangled with some rope by his two fellow students, Brandon Shaw and Phillip Morgan. The two young men lower David's corpse into a chest and try to recover themselves.
Brandon is exhilarated and rather pleased with himself. Phillip is winded with realisation of his crime.
The two have organised a party to be attended by David's friends and family, purely to entertain the ego of Brandon. To put the icing on the cake, Brandon also decides to use David's coffin as the buffet table for the evening's food.

First, Mrs Wilson, the boys' housekeeper, returns from the shops having had the entire afternoon to do all the shores. Then each guest arrives.
Kenneth Lawrence, a fellow student, arrives first. Phillip and Brandon explain that this soiree is merely a sort of farewell as Phillip is heading off to Connecticut to spend time rehearsing his piano skills at Brandon's mother's place as he has a concert at the town hall in a few weeks.
Janet Walker, David's girlfriend, is the next to arrive. She once dated Kenneth, but (as we discover later) he dumped her and she fell into the arms of David, making the social situation a little awkward.
David's father, Mr Kentley, arrives without his wife as she has come down with a nasty cold. Mrs Atwater, his sister-in-law, has come in her place.
She calls out "DAVID!" when she sees Kenneth, mistaking him for her nephew and Phillip nervously breaks his champagne glass and cuts his hand (shame about the continuity which fails to follow this up - especially when we see his hands unscathed later on!)
Rupert Cadell turns up last, the boys' former tutor and the one to whom Brandon feels a particular bond as it was Rupert's thoughts on Friedrich Nietzsche and the Übermensch which led him to this afternoon's crime.

Throughout the evening, there is debate about inferiority and murder, much to the distaste of David's father who is uncomfortable with the macabre humour.
There are also a number of moments where Phillip's paranoia gives tell-tale signs to Cadell that something is not all that it should be. Phillip squirms when Brandon uses the murder weapon to tie up some books for Mr Kentley. he panics while Mrs Wilson talks about the use of the chest for the buffet. Slowly, Rupert is becoming suspicious of the boys. His suspicion is exacerbated by Brendan's cockiness and unsubtle hints about his recent personal victory. It is clear that Brandon is keen to show off to his old tutor about what he has succeeded in doing.

The guests grow a little concerned about David's absence and when Mrs Kently telephones to express her distress, the party breaks up. On the way out, Mrs Wilson accidentally gives Cadell the wrong hat from the closet and he notices David's initials inside.
They all leave and Brandon is gloating. However, Rupert Cadell fabricates a story about leaving his cigarette case behind so that he can re-enter the apartment and piece a few things together. Phillip is beside himself with fear and betrays their facade but Brendan doesn't seem to care as he even helps Rupert put the pieces together.
When Rupert discovers the corpse, he is horrified and appalled. Even more so when Brendan implies it was all inspired by things Rupert had once taught them.
Stunned and gutted, he lectures about the ethics involved the total disregard for human life Brendan and Phillip have shown. He wrestles a gun off Phillip and fires it out of the window, alerting pedestrians below to the scene. Sirens wail and help is on its way. Rupert, in his abhorrence for the other two states that they will pay for their malicious crime with their lives.

Brandon nonchalantly pours himself a whiskey.
Rupert staggers to a seat by the chest and sits down.
Phillip begins playing the piano for one last time.

(That was still a fairly long synopsis... oh well.)

Great Lines
Brandon and Phillip quote their old tutor:

"Murder is a crime for most men but a privilege for the few."

Janet's response to the fact Rupert publishes books on philosophy, mainly:

"Small print, big words, no sales."

Mrs Atwater tries to read Phillip's fortune by reading his palms:

"These hands will bring you great fame!"

And Rupert's explosion of anger:

"You're going to die! Both of you!"

Comments
Rope is based on an British play which was, in turn, based on a true life murder case. In Chicago, 1924, two young men named Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murdered Robert Franks purely for the thrill of it. It made the headlines around the globe for the sheer macabre nature of the crime.
So the story went from Chicago, to England and then to New York where the movie is ultimately set.

It's also worth noting that, although not explicitly stated, this film is about two gay men who try their hand at murder. It was always the intention of the screen writer and the director that it was about homosexuality, but due to the conservative nature of the Hollywood studios, it was never allowed to be made too obvious.
Well, they may have fooled the censors, but they certainly didn't fool a lot of the audience!
Originally, Montgomery Clift was supposed to play Brandon, but as he was struggling with his own sexuality at the time, he felt it would be too complicated for him to take on this role.

Hitchcock's first "Technicolor" picture. Apart from that splash of red in Spellbound, this was Hitchcock's first dabble with colour on screen. He was so fastidious about it, they had to re-shoot a couple of reels as he wasn't happy with the finished tones.

Rope is also famous for the long takes and the panning camera around the rooms, trying to make it appear as if it is one long take. Some of the cuts are a little clumsy, whereas some work nicely. There are a couple of natural cuts which, due to the pace of the movie, one may not even notice.

Arthur Laurents, the screenwriter, has gone on record to say that he didn't approve of Hitchcock putting in the opening shot of David's murder as it took away some of the tension from the rest of the movie. I have to say, I am inclined to agree.

There has, over the years, been a lot of criticism over Farley Granger's performance in this film. However, I think he does a fantastic job and I love him even more in Strangers on a Train - very handsome too.
Both Farley Granger and John Dall suit their roles perfectly. I love the way John inhabits the role of Brandon so efficiently. His stutter is perfect without being too dramatic and that lovely touch of him raising a toast to his own success early in the picture - his stance and tone of confidence betrayed by the tremors in his hand as he holds his champagne. It's touches like that which make me want to be an actor myself.

Oh, and I love the moment Mrs Atwater is trying to recall the name of the film with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. A nod to Notorious, surely?

My Verdict
As an unashamed fan of theatrical performances, I love the stagey atmosphere of this movie. Although the long takes were essentially a technical gimmick, I appreciate the challenge Hitch gave himself. The themes and social politics the film provokes are delicious in their dark way and I enjoy the performances from all. 8/10