Movies…with a little bit of obscure culture and sports mixed in
Rope (1948) is an Alfred Hitchcock film that doesn’t rely on outstanding visuals or shocking plot twists. Rather, Rope is an outstanding film because of its tight script, which is brought to life with outstanding performances. Taking place in one room over the course of a few hours, Rope dispenses with the who-dun-it mystery and instead places character’s motivations at the forefront.
“Two men try to convince themselves they’ve committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party after strangling a former classmate to death.”
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: Hume Cronyn, Patrick Hamilton, Arthur Laurents, Ben Hecht
Cast: Dick Hogan. John Dall, Farley Granger, Edith Evanson, Douglas Dick, Joan Chandler, Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, James Stewart
Release Date: September 25, 1948
IMDB
Rope (1948) is an Alfred Hitchcock film that doesn’t rely on outstanding visuals or shocking plot twists. Rather, Rope is an outstanding film because of its tight script, which is brought to life with outstanding performances. Taking place in one room over the course of a few hours, Rope dispenses with the who-dun-it mystery and instead places character’s motivations at the forefront.
The basis for Rope came from a Patrick Hamilton stage play and got further red-penned by Hume Cronyn, Arthur Laurents, and Ben Hecht. All four men deserve credit for a screenplay churning thoughtful conversations while illuminating different types of characters.
The movie begins moments after Brandon (John Dall) and Philip (Farley Granger) killed their former friend David Kentley (Dick Hogan). Together, Brandon and Philip decided they were intellectually superior to their friend, which is all the permission they needed to complete the murder. The two young men hide the body in an old chest, and then hold a dinner party with guests, all of whom have a relationship to the recently killed David.
You know the moment in Django Unchained when Leonardo DiCaprio’s Calvin Candie states: “Gentlemen, you had my curiosity … but now you have my attention.” That is exactly how I felt watching John Dall play Brandon in Rope.
The man only appeared in 12 films in his career, two of which I have seen: Rope and Spartacus (1960). Dall was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in The Corn Is Green (1945) and is often referenced for his work in the 1950 film Gun Crazy. Among all the viewing projects I have given myself, exploring Dall’s filmography seems like kindergarten homework compared to the rest of my overflowing syllabus.
What makes Dall so good in Rope? His portrayal of Brandon is one of the best renditions of pure human evil. Dall shows an immense amount of glee, both outwardly and internally, with every devious choice he makes. His twisted perversion toward manipulating people and conversations is contagious. Brandon’s Greek God smile disguises his malicious intent to the film’s characters while also spotlighting his reveling in stewing chaos to the audience.
Dall is outstanding, but not the man on Rope’s poster. That marketing honor belongs to James Stewart, the rising Hollywood star. Before Rope, Stewart was Oscar-nominated for Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939) before taking home gold for his drunken masterpiece in The Philadelphia Story (1940).
In Rope, Stewart plays Rupert Cadell, a prep-school teacher and publisher who taught Brandon and Phillip a few years earlier. The mood of the tense dinner party dramatically shifts when Rupert enters the room. Brandon, who emanates calm confidence, suddenly gets high on his overflowing, devious supply. Rupert sees himself as an odd invitee, yet his third-wheel antenna is still perceptive enough to sense that something about this dinner party is off.
One of the most critical scenes in Rope is a conversation about murder. With all the guests still in attendance, Rupert gives an objective, thorough thesis on why he may favor murder. Rupert approaches the topic with a comedic tone but still touches on the idea that murder should be an art.
It’s this open-minded thinking that unspooled Brandon’s evil ways. It’s this willingness to approach a taboo subject from a different point of view that results in the actual killing of an undeserving man. The scene shows adult Brandon sitting on the couch like a student, eager to increase his participation grade.
The entire conversation is Stewart and Dall at their very best. We see the unique comedy that Stewart brings to a morbid topic, and we also see Dall taking it too seriously. The murder as an art form conversation grounds the relationship between teacher and pupil. It sets the stage for Rope’s final moments, where the final mental and verbal warfare exam is tinged with dangerous stakes.
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And does Rope get the credit it deserves for laying the groundwork for Blumhouse’s The Purge franchise?
As of mid-June, Rope is streaming on Amazon Prime. If you have the Criterion Collection, it has an outstanding collection of Hitchcock films that is worth checking out.
STANKO RATING: B+
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