Rope – Master of Suspense Blogathon

With so many great films by Alfred Hitchcock, I was really excited to see that Rope hadn’t yet been taken for the Master of Suspense Blogathon. I have a few that I consider my favorites, and this is definitely one of them. The suspense here is intense and the long shots are impressive. Not only that, but this was also Hitch’s first color film (and James Stewart’s first full-length color film)… and the only movie James Stewart did with the famous director that Jimmy didn’t like, but more on this later.

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The story takes place in Brandon and Philip’s apartment. Their relationship is open to interpretation, and if you form your opinion based on the actual case this was based on, you’d assume they’re a couple. While it isn’t blatant here, they certainly are… close. The plot surrounds murder… what else? It is Hitchcock afterall. But this one is about the perfect murder and it being justified because they see themselves as superior beings and poor David as an inferior one, so they strangle him. Unfortunately for our killers, they invite over people who can expose them at any given moment, especially an old teacher of theirs. The back and forth about the possibility of them getting caught builds that suspense along with the suburb acting of James Stewart, John Dall, and Farley Granger. The three of them in the cat and mouse game will capture you and hold you for the entire movie.

Unique Points of this Film

The long cuts

The super long scenes are well done here and it’s impressive how much the actors get through without breaks. There are several sneaky cuts… mostly when the camera pans across someone’s back. The entire film was shot in just ten takes. These takes were from 4.5 minutes up to about 10 minutes, which just further shows the talent of our actors.

The lack of music unless Philip is playing the piano

The intense silence just adds to the suspense of the film. There is no background music unless Philip is playing the piano. His practicing gives off a haunting melody, so it is unnerving still when he’s playing. I am particularly fond of the use of the metronome ticking as Rupert interrogates him too.

Synopsis

Two men (lovers?), Brandon (John Dall) and Philip (Farley Granger) kill a man named David, who was supposedly their friend or at least they were friendly with him, and hide him in a chest in the living room of their apartment. They leave him there as they get ready for a party they’re giving, which includes guests such as the deceased’s father, aunt and his girlfriend. Brandon also invites the girlfriend’s old flame named Kenneth and an old teacher of theirs (Stewart), which Philip is unhappy about.

Brandon decides to serve food on the chest concealing David’s body cause he’s kind of a sick SOB. This is a true testament to Dall’s talent that he can show just how crazy Brandon is in his mannerisms, sick sense of humor, and facial expressions. Anyway, the guests arrive one by one, all the while speculating about what could have possibly happened to David. Philip gets increasingly drunk, having a harder time dealing with commiting murder than Brandon. His discomfort is only added to when Brandon does things like use the rope they strangled David with to tie up books for David’s father and tell a story about Philip strangling a chicken. Rupert watches all of this unfold and his suspicions build as David is a no show. He also gains information from the maid about how they moved the setup from the dining room table to this chest, which strikes him as odd. This again goes back to Brandon’s sick sense of humor to literally eat off of David’s interim coffin.

Finally, everyone is so distraught about David missing that they leave, but before they go… Rupert gets the final clue to convince him that Brandon and Philip had something to do with David not showing up.

He leaves, but comes back under the ruse that he left his cigarette case in their apartment. Philip is now having a major freak out and barely holding himself together as Rupert comes back to plant his case and have a drink to investigate his suspicions further. Brandon is now starting to worry a bit, so before they let Rupert back in, he stashes a revolver in his pocket. If he really plans to shoot Rupert, I’m not sure. It would give them two bodies to dispose of, and Brandon really does seem to like him, but self preservation may have won out if it had to. Brandon baits Rupert into talking through what he suspects happened to David. It seems that Brandon wants someone else to appreciate how brilliant he is for pulling it off, which is his fatal flaw really because…

Spoiler!

…of course, Rupert figures it out. Unfortunately for Brandon, Rupert does not think he’s brilliant, but instead very disturbed. He is appalled that Brandon would think such a thing of him—condoning Brandon’s actions. Granted, he does wax on earlier in the party about his concept of the superior and inferior beings, which he told Brandon in the past and is what he latched onto to justify killing David, but apparently Rupert thought it was just talk. Luckily for our hero, he takes possession of the gun that Brandon placed on the table (after fighting Philip for it). He then shoots out the window to bring the police while Brandon has a drink and Philip plays the piano as they await their fate.

The Players

James Stewart

Even though he would disagree, I really enjoy James Stewart in this film. He delivers his lines with such finesse and he is one of my favorite things about this movie. How he can so clearly convey his suspicions about Brandon and Philip by a look or a facial expression is nothing short of mastering the craft.

He is brilliant, but one thing I didn’t get was the whole romance with Brandon and Philip’s housekeeper. I get that Stewart isn’t a young chicken (pun intended if you’ve seen the movie), but she seems too old for him. In actuality, she was about 12 years older than him. I know that he was way older than Kim Novak their films, but this one struck me as odd.

John Dall and Farley Granger

John Dall is brilliant as Brandon. His portrayal is scary in how much he shows the character believing in committing murder. The little things he does like stutter or just his body language tell a story all their own. The same thing with Farley Granger too. His guilt and discomfort make me uncomfortable!

Real Case it was Based on

What’s interesting too is that Brandon and Philip seem super close in the movie, but it’s not blatantly stated that they’re a couple. The real life case was Leopold and Loeb, who were teens (and lovers) living in Chicago. They decided to commit the perfect crime by killing a younger neighbor boy. They almost got away with it, except that Leopold lost his glasses, which were traced back to him. Apparently, they’d fallen out of his pocket when they were dumping the body into a concrete culvert.

Also murking the waters that they’re lovers in the film, Brandon does mention that he used to date Janet (who dated Kenneth and then David after him). Not to say that he might not be bi, but it’s, of course, open to interpretation. People thought they were a couple enough to throw out some censorship though…

Background Trivia

It was banned in several American cities.

Because it is strongly implied that Brandon and Philip are in a romantic relationship, several American cities banned the film at the time. It seems silly today and as I mentioned, you can assume they’re a couple based on their body language and overall demeanor, but it isn’t expressly stated. It is also considered Hitchcock’s most controversial movie because of this given the time period it was released.

What if…?

Cary Grant had been Rupert?

Given how well Cary Grant and Hitchcock seem to work together, this might have been an interesting offering. He was the first choice to play Rupert. He might have been able to pull it off, but I still think that Stewart is well cast here, even if he didn’t think so.

Gregory Peck had played Rupert?

James Stewart said that this was the least favorite of his films with Hitchcock because he felt he was miscast. He even said that he thought that Gregory Peck would have made a better choice because he has “the look, voice and manner of an academic, something I’m afraid I do not.” As is my thought with Cary Grant, I think Peck could have done a good job here too, but I still prefer Stewart.

Montgomery Clift had played Brandon?

Clift was the first choice to play Brandon. I honestly can’t imagine anyone playing Brandon as well as Dall, so I don’t think the film would have been as good with Clift. It’s not to say that he’s not talented, but Dall’s depiction of Brandon makes this film all the more chilling. His absence would be strongly felt.

If you like alternative history or biographical/historical fiction, I write that as well under the pen name Dottie Fray.

Check out the other entries in the Master of Suspense Blogathon at Classic Film and TV Corner! Thanks for hosting, Maddy!

If you purchase this film, I may earn a commission as an Amazon affiliate: DVD, Bluray, 4K or rent/stream!