Rating of
3.5/4
Can murder be Art???
MovieAddict - wrote on 03/28/13
'Humanity, It seems is for the weak and weary.’
Two young men, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Philip Morgan (Farley Granger), murder one of their classmates, David Kentley (Dick Hogan), for the sheer thrill of it just know what it feels like! Brandon, who is so satisfied by his "perfect crime", decides to host a going away party with David’s body stuffed in the old chest that serves as a buffet table. Among his guests are David's family and his girlfriend, as well as their former schoolmaster Rupert Cadell (James Stewart), whose ideas about a few superior individuals being privileged to murder inferior human beings are what triggered Brandon and Philip to strangle David with a rope.
Phillip, however, regrets doing it from the moment after it happens and it very uneasy throughout the meal prompting Rupert’s curiosity as to what his two students are up to. Numerous hints and clues etc are dropped, all to great dramatic effect.
My favorite scene is when Brandon takes the rope and blatantly walks past the maid with it! Glorious! Made in 1948, this movie has withstood the test of time and is a decent time-filler if you have 80 minutes to spare. The entire movie takes place in the apartment after the murder has taken place. I believe Hitchcock made history with this film by proving that it could be done. All in all this is an enjoyable trip into the exploration of some very disturbed minds.
