After viewing "Rope"

Rope was not what I expected. I can see now the ties to Leopold and Loeb; two prep school friends commit what they deem the perfect murder in order to feel powerful and alive. They believe themselves superior to their victim, and are thus privileged to commit murder. The allusions to Nietzsche’s Superman and Freud were reminiscent of the Tribune articles detailing the psychoanalysis on Leopold and Loeb. I found the arrangements of the credits very interesting. The first character listed is David, then every character after is titled in their relation to him; Janet is “David’s girl”, Kenneth is “David’s rival” and Brandon and Phillip are “David’s friends”. This reminded me of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The play is named after Caesar even though he dies with half of the story still remaining. Shakespeare does this to show the power Caesar has over the characters even in death; his assassination weighs on the consciences of the murderers throughout the entire play. In this same vein, David is the central character or theme; everything in the film comes back to David. His power, his influence are heightened by his death.
In the film, Brandon is clearly in charge; he orders Phillip around, he argues most passionately for his cause, he invites Rupert to challenge his intellect and skill and he is less affected by the murder than is Phillip. The Tribune articles show both Leopold and Loeb as the manipulator of the other; each boy’s role in the relationship is never completely clear. Even though Rupert predicts both boys will suffer for their act, I think the film portrays Brandon as the true villain; Phillip seems more human because of his fear and regret. Brandon is more convinced of his own infallibility, which is even more enforced when Rupert utters “Did you think you were God?!”
The use of off-screen sound in this film emphasizes the suspenseful, uncertain plotline. As the party questions how best to find David, the camera pans away from the circle of friends to Mrs. Wilson who is clearing the chest of the dinner things. The audience anxiously awaits her discovery of David’s body as she slowly removes the plates, then one candelabra, then the next, and finally the tablecloth but is shocked when Brandon suddenly stops her just as she is about to open it; we could not see that he noticed her because he was outside the shot. In addition, as a character has an epiphany of sorts, the rest of the party is out of shot, but we hear them carrying on with the night’s activities.