Submissive archetype & the dominant partner...
Added 9/19/2009
From the opening 'rope trick', this movie kept moving. "Inspired by the real-life Leopold-Loeb murder case" is the snippet on Netflix. Well, this is such a different thing in some ways - especially considering the age & interconnectedness to their victim. Stewart was ... well... himself in this film. Nothing surprising and his face broadcast nearly everything he was thinking. Farley Granger was crawling the walls during the entire party - and it was fun to watch him slowly come unglued. Like the "Telltale Heart" - the elephant was in the room with him and he couldn't bear it. But I was glued to John Dall's oily self-assuredness. Everyone on the film was completely charmed by Dall. This would be a good one to update...
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Shallowness
Added 7/22/2009
Although I may not find this film as great as Rear Window, To Catch A Thief, Vertigo, Dial M, or Stage Fright, I can't help finding it compelling, or almost as good as any of the aforementioned Hitchcock film. I haven't seen all the Hitchcock movies, but I hypothesize that this is the only Hitchcock film where you don't have a leading lady along with a leading man. Perhaps, that will explain the lack of success of this Hitchcock film. After all, the great director always had to have a great leading lady and some good romance.
Along with many of his other great films, Hitchcock reveals the shallowness and superficiality of middle-class culture, as revealed by the stupidity of these two pseudo-intellectuals who misread Nietzche, to the chagrin of a person's life. Brandon and Phillip twist the philosopher's words only to cover up what they really wanted to do all along. Shallowness is also shown to us through the party. This party works as a facade. Not only does it work to cover up a crime, but it also shows other cover ups. Why is it that Janet wants to marry David? Is she really in love with him? Throughout her presence, we can see a lot of ambiguity in her words, as well as in her gestures. There is plenty of shallowness and superficiality in the small talk of the guests, especially, David's aunt, whom refers to the horoscope and does some hand-reading to say ironic things (stressing the more on how ignorant is she about what's really going on beneath the surface). Apparently, Rupert is the only character who can read beyond the surfaces, catching the nuances of Brandon's and Phillip's nervous behavior and speech, he makes fun on small talk about the movies by Mrs. Atwater. And one can also read between the lines of his words toward Janet, "Do you deserve justice?"
Following this line of thought, one may argue that the film tries to reveal what is underneath social conventions. A party about books is not really about books; marriages are not about love; Harvard graduates are not different from the average person; and middle-class people are not more intelligent than the maid, who also percieves that something funny is going on. The film begins with an exterior shot, which shows a world of safetiness and order (a cop helps a little boy cross a street). But under this appearance of tranquility, behind the closed curtains, there is something dark and sinister taking place. This beginning serves well as a framework to the film. Interestingly, at the very end, when Rupert makes his discovery, instead of calling the police on the phone, he opens the window and shoots to let the world in the room. The noises, the voices, and all the sounds coming into the room is as if Rupert had broken the distance between the surface and what goes on under it.
Looking at it from this perspective, this film is brilliantly done. And it doesn;t depart from Hitchcock's tradition of works, except for the lack of a leading lady.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Great script, sort of a neglected Hitchcock classic
Added 6/23/2009
Rope, a thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, is based on the Leopold-Loeb murder case and involves two friends who have an idea of creating the perfect murder. Hitchcock decided to make Rope a bit of an experimental film, filmed with one long set, so there are several pauses where the camera actually goes in back of a character. While this was a unique way to create the film, it does have its advantages. Rope seems to play out almost like a "stage play" in which the camera is still, but characters move around on the set. Much like Rear Window, the setting of the film does not move to other spots, but stays right in the very apartment where the murder was committed. Rope is more a psychological thriller about whether the two men will get caught than whether they actually did it, and it examines what goes through the conscious of those who have killed.
The murder is committed within moments after the opening credits, as the two friends kill David and then put his body in the very spot where people will later gather for a party. Once the murder is committed, the differences of the two men begin to unfold before the audience. Philip is more passive and nervous about what they have done, and clearly he has second doubts as to what they should do or whether they should have done this at all. His motives come from not being caught, and taking the necessary precautions. As the night wanes on, Phillip becomes more and more paranoid about the murder, and the questions he gets asked by his former school master, Rubert Goodell (James Stewart), who knows something is amiss. Brandon, on the other hand, is Phillip's opposite. Brandon is sly, sneaky, and has a malicious and dark humor throughout. He seems to get a "thrill" not only about having committed the murder, but the idea of trying to get away with it, and his callously bold attitude is evidenced as the story unfolds. He cleverly has everything all planned out, and can deflect questions and suspicion with ease. But, will he be able to outwit the equally resourceful Rupert? As more characters show up to the party, things get more and more dicey for the pair, and Rupert smells foul play.
The skill in this film is clearly in a superb screenplay. Some viewers might not like the fact that there is little movement, or "action", but the exceptional feeling of suspense builds as more and more pieces of the puzzle come to light. The script is quite amazing, and leads to a suspenseful "cat and mouse" game between Brandon and Rupert. The last twenty minutes of the film are superbly crafted and written; it is during this part where Hitchcock's genius is evident.
Over all, this is a highly overlooked classic from the master of suspense. The extras included on the DVD include a commentary on the film entitled "Rope Unleashed."
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The perfect murder?
Added 6/19/2009
Two friends, Brandon and Phillip (John Dall and Farley Granger), kill a classmate - mainly for the thrill - but also because they believe themselves intelligent and superior enough to get away with it. They then have a dinner with several of the victims friends and family, all while the body lies inside a large wooden chest from which the food is served. But Phillip is bothered by the murder, and acts nervously and drinks constantly. Brandon, on the other hand, is thrilled at having done it, and can't help but make suggestive comments in front of the group. One of the guests, Rupert (James Stewart), is a former teacher of the young men, and begins to notice the odd behavior of the pair and suspects something is wrong.
Had I seen this film a few years ago I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed it very much. On the surface it's not a very exciting film, but it's actually a very well-told story. The idea came from the very sensational and disturbing crime of the teenage "thrill killers" Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb in 1924, but the thought of justifiable murder of "inferior persons" was perhaps a reflection of Nietzsche or the recent Nazi holocaust (the film was made in 1948).
But the strange behavior of the pair serves to heighten the tension and build suspense throughout the film. The rope used in the murder turns up in a rather shocking way, and a scene where the housekeeper cleans up, almost uncovering the body, is quite dramatic. You almost find yourself hoping they won't get caught. For budgetary considerations, the whole film was shot inside the apartment in maximum 10 minute segments (the limit of a roll of film), giving the real-time feeling that you're in the room or maybe watching it as a play. The transitions from one roll to the next are a bit odd, but nonetheless clever.
While it wasn't a commercial or critical success when released, and even Hitchcock wasn't particularly pleased with it, it's still an interesting and entertaining film.
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A Good Hitchcock Film From The 1940s
Added 4/18/2009
These "stage plays" made into movies often bore me but this one was a notch above many of the tedious and too-talky films of the 1940s. That includes Alfred Hitchcock's films, which I loved in the '50s and '60s.
John Dall, who went on to "cult status" fame with "Gun Crazy" (a.k.a. "Deadly Is The Female) two years later, was the most interesting character in this film. He played "Brandon Shaw." His partner-in-crime, "Philip Morgan," played by Farley Granger, was the annoyingly-wimpy guy who cracked under the pressure. The biggest name actor in the movie is James Stewart but these other two guys are the main stars.
As people know, this is about two smug, college males who think they have pulled off the perfect crime because of their supposedly superior intellect and elitist attitude. It's based on a true-life event, famously labeled "The Leopold and Loeb Case." No sense going into more details as the case is pretty famous.
Suffice to say, this is well-acted, has a good amount of black humor with the dialog and has people that are easy to root against. Two things that are different from normal film fare of its day: it's in "real time" and it's in color. Some criticize the famous director for using the real-time method, but I give him credit for trying something new and bold. That "gimmick" certainly has worked in the successful TV series, "24."
"Rope" is definitely worth a look if you've never seen it, just to see what happens to these arrogant punks. I found subsequent viewings less appealing but I stillI think this is Sir Alfred's best work of the 1940s.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Submissive archetype & the dominant partner...
Added 9/19/2009
From the opening 'rope trick', this movie kept moving. "Inspired by the real-life Leopold-Loeb murder case" is the snippet on Netflix. Well, this is such a different thing in some ways - especially considering the age & interconnectedness to their victim. Stewart was ... well... himself in this film. Nothing surprising and his face broadcast nearly everything he was thinking. Farley Granger was crawling the walls during the entire party - and it was fun to watch him slowly come unglued. Like the "Telltale Heart" - the elephant was in the room with him and he couldn't bear it. But I was glued to John Dall's oily self-assuredness. Everyone on the film was completely charmed by Dall. This would be a good one to update...
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Shallowness
Added 7/22/2009
Although I may not find this film as great as Rear Window, To Catch A Thief, Vertigo, Dial M, or Stage Fright, I can't help finding it compelling, or almost as good as any of the aforementioned Hitchcock film. I haven't seen all the Hitchcock movies, but I hypothesize that this is the only Hitchcock film where you don't have a leading lady along with a leading man. Perhaps, that will explain the lack of success of this Hitchcock film. After all, the great director always had to have a great leading lady and some good romance.
Along with many of his other great films, Hitchcock reveals the shallowness and superficiality of middle-class culture, as revealed by the stupidity of these two pseudo-intellectuals who misread Nietzche, to the chagrin of a person's life. Brandon and Phillip twist the philosopher's words only to cover up what they really wanted to do all along. Shallowness is also shown to us through the party. This party works as a facade. Not only does it work to cover up a crime, but it also shows other cover ups. Why is it that Janet wants to marry David? Is she really in love with him? Throughout her presence, we can see a lot of ambiguity in her words, as well as in her gestures. There is plenty of shallowness and superficiality in the small talk of the guests, especially, David's aunt, whom refers to the horoscope and does some hand-reading to say ironic things (stressing the more on how ignorant is she about what's really going on beneath the surface). Apparently, Rupert is the only character who can read beyond the surfaces, catching the nuances of Brandon's and Phillip's nervous behavior and speech, he makes fun on small talk about the movies by Mrs. Atwater. And one can also read between the lines of his words toward Janet, "Do you deserve justice?"
Following this line of thought, one may argue that the film tries to reveal what is underneath social conventions. A party about books is not really about books; marriages are not about love; Harvard graduates are not different from the average person; and middle-class people are not more intelligent than the maid, who also percieves that something funny is going on. The film begins with an exterior shot, which shows a world of safetiness and order (a cop helps a little boy cross a street). But under this appearance of tranquility, behind the closed curtains, there is something dark and sinister taking place. This beginning serves well as a framework to the film. Interestingly, at the very end, when Rupert makes his discovery, instead of calling the police on the phone, he opens the window and shoots to let the world in the room. The noises, the voices, and all the sounds coming into the room is as if Rupert had broken the distance between the surface and what goes on under it.
Looking at it from this perspective, this film is brilliantly done. And it doesn;t depart from Hitchcock's tradition of works, except for the lack of a leading lady.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Great script, sort of a neglected Hitchcock classic
Added 6/23/2009
Rope, a thriller from Alfred Hitchcock, is based on the Leopold-Loeb murder case and involves two friends who have an idea of creating the perfect murder. Hitchcock decided to make Rope a bit of an experimental film, filmed with one long set, so there are several pauses where the camera actually goes in back of a character. While this was a unique way to create the film, it does have its advantages. Rope seems to play out almost like a "stage play" in which the camera is still, but characters move around on the set. Much like Rear Window, the setting of the film does not move to other spots, but stays right in the very apartment where the murder was committed. Rope is more a psychological thriller about whether the two men will get caught than whether they actually did it, and it examines what goes through the conscious of those who have killed.
The murder is committed within moments after the opening credits, as the two friends kill David and then put his body in the very spot where people will later gather for a party. Once the murder is committed, the differences of the two men begin to unfold before the audience. Philip is more passive and nervous about what they have done, and clearly he has second doubts as to what they should do or whether they should have done this at all. His motives come from not being caught, and taking the necessary precautions. As the night wanes on, Phillip becomes more and more paranoid about the murder, and the questions he gets asked by his former school master, Rubert Goodell (James Stewart), who knows something is amiss. Brandon, on the other hand, is Phillip's opposite. Brandon is sly, sneaky, and has a malicious and dark humor throughout. He seems to get a "thrill" not only about having committed the murder, but the idea of trying to get away with it, and his callously bold attitude is evidenced as the story unfolds. He cleverly has everything all planned out, and can deflect questions and suspicion with ease. But, will he be able to outwit the equally resourceful Rupert? As more characters show up to the party, things get more and more dicey for the pair, and Rupert smells foul play.
The skill in this film is clearly in a superb screenplay. Some viewers might not like the fact that there is little movement, or "action", but the exceptional feeling of suspense builds as more and more pieces of the puzzle come to light. The script is quite amazing, and leads to a suspenseful "cat and mouse" game between Brandon and Rupert. The last twenty minutes of the film are superbly crafted and written; it is during this part where Hitchcock's genius is evident.
Over all, this is a highly overlooked classic from the master of suspense. The extras included on the DVD include a commentary on the film entitled "Rope Unleashed."
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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