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It begins with a shriek...it ends with a shot! From beginning to end, nothing ever held you like Alfred Hitchcock's ROPE!
Two young men attempt to prove they committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party for the family of a classmate they just strangled to death.
Martin Oaks
Jun 20, 2025 · via TMDB
**Inventing a Style** Hitchcock established himself as one of the great masters of world cinema, whose technique has significantly influenced contemporary filmmakers such as Claude Chabrol, François Truffaut, and Brian De Palma. His prolific film production was combined with the editing of fantasy novels, television productions, and suspense stories. He was deeply concerned with the manner of storytelling and how to define the narrative style. His nature as an experimenter and inventor of forms led him to exploit the possibilities of the medium like few others, achieving true artistic creation. From this bold experimentation, Rope was born, a brilliant exercise in psychological tension that caused him no small amount of headaches, as it was conceived entirely as a single sequence shot. After completing filming and editing, the filmmaker himself ended up so fed up with the technique used that he went so far as to dismiss the film as a minor work in his career. Fortunately, he could not have been more mistaken. Rope is, in fact, a fascinating and disturbing psychological study that delves into the minds of two upper-class university students, Brandon Shaw and Philip Morgan, and the complex motivations that drive them to commit a supposedly perfect murder. The drama unfolds practically in real time, intensifying the claustrophobic feel of the setting. Brandon is the dominant figure: a deeply narcissistic individual who believes himself to be above moral and legal standards. His primary motivation is the assertion of a supposed "intellectual superiority." He views the crime as an artistic act inspired by Nietzschean theories of the "superman," misinterpreted and taken to a perverse extreme. Philip, for his part, is a more passive accomplice, yet he adheres to the idea to be part of an act that distinguishes him from ordinary people. The relationship between the two is clearly dysfunctional and possesses a sadomasochistic dynamic. Brandon exerts absolute control over Philip, who is weaker and prone to anxiety. While Philip is tormented by guilt and fear, Brandon enjoys manipulating him and observing his suffering. This mutual dependency, where one wields power and the other accepts it reluctantly, is the central pillar of their shared pathology. The rope, serving as the murder weapon and container for the body, is also a metaphor for the suffocating bonds that unite them. Although never explicitly stated due to the restrictions of the era, the film is imbued with a strong homosexual subtext. The intimate nature of their relationship, their life together in the apartment, and the intensity of their interactions suggest a bond that goes beyond platonic friendship. The crime can be interpreted, in part, as an act of transgression and a manifestation of their social isolation in a world that does not accept their nature. Both demonstrate a disturbing disregard for human life. For Brandon, the murder is an intellectual experiment; for Philip, the dehumanization of the victim allows him to rationalize the act and endure the guilt. The coldness with which they conceal the body reflects their total detachment from empathy. The arrival of Rupert Cadell—the young men's former professor, invited to a toast alongside the victim's family so that the murderers can secretly rejoice—is the crucial catalyst. Rupert is the intellectual idol Brandon attempts to emulate. As the professor begins to grow suspicious, he becomes the figure who confronts Brandon's vanity. His presence destabilizes Philip, exacerbating his anxiety to the point of collapse, which ultimately unmasks the crime. Rupert embodies conscience and reason against the irrational darkness of the young men. The single sequence shot technique forced unusual working dynamics for the period. The actors' positions were marked with colored chalk on the floor so that everyone knew where to stand. Everything had to be perfect on the first take, something that proved frustrating for a perfectionist like Hitchcock. In the end, the camera moves fluidly through the apartment, revealing raw nerves and mounting suspicions. Every movement and every silence is meticulously orchestrated to relentlessly heighten the tension. There is no escape for the viewer: one is trapped in the same room as the protagonists, sharing their very oppression.
griggs79
Dec 2, 2024 · via TMDB
_Rope_ is often praised for its technical ambition but falls flat in genuine suspense. The single-take gimmick overshadows the storytelling, leaving it feeling more like a stage play trapped in a cinematic format. Jimmy Stewart’s earnest charm feels misplaced here; his usual gravitas is oddly muted, making his presence more distracting than commanding. John Dall is the real standout, injecting a sinister flair into an otherwise tepid cast. The much-lauded homosexual subtext can’t compensate for the lack of tension or stakes. A fascinating experiment, but certainly not Hitchcock at his best.
James
Oct 20, 2023 · via TMDB
**It ends with a shot** Like no film ever did that.
James
Oct 20, 2023 · via TMDB
Somebody should have stopped Hitchcock from all this innovating business…
CinemaSerf
Jul 9, 2022 · via TMDB
Now I may be completely off beam here, but there is something ever so slightly homo-erotic about the relationship between John Dall ("Brandon") and Farley Granger ("Philip") in this rather clunky murder tale that is less of a mystery and more of a bragging exercise. The two, having murdered their college friend "David" invite some folks round for a dinner party that shows the pair - especially Dall - as obnoxious men with a profoundly mis-placed superiority complex. As their odiousness is enhanced by over-confidence and drink, their former school master "Rupert" (Jimmy Stewart) starts to suspect that there is more to the absence of "David" (the more suspicious because his father, Sir Cedric Hardwicke has come to the supper) than meets the eye; and soon he begins to put two and two together. I found the long takes helped build the tension quite effectively, but the dialogue was relentless and the fine line between characterisation and irritation - for me, anyway, was well and truly crossed. If Dall's purpose was to alienate the room and the audience, then he succeeded spectacularly - and it says in the trailer - it's certainly not a film you will ever forget.
barrymost
Aug 25, 2020 · via TMDB
Rope was the first Alfred Hitchcock/James Stewart collaboration. They would go on to do "Rear Window", "The Man Who Knew Too Much", and finally, "Vertigo". This being the first, and also a kind of experimental film on Hitchcock's part, it is the weakest of the four. Shot as a play, mainly in one room, and with only a handful of cast members, the concept of how it was done is intriguing even today. Done in roughly a dozen takes, the only times that the camera ever cuts are when it closes in on someone's back and then angles around to the other side. That's the tell-tale sign of the only cuts in the entire film. John Dall's acting is commendable, in the part of the more ruthless killer, Brandon Shaw. He's a very cool character, and feels no guilt over the brutal murder he's just committed. James Stewart, great as he is, seemed a bit out of his element, as intellectual publisher Rupert Cadell. Stewart is always immensely enjoyable, and I have massive respect for his talent. However, he does appear somewhat uncomfortable with his part throughout the film. Another aspect that detracts from the tension is the opening scene of the murder taking place. After David Kentley is dead, he is placed in the wooden chest and the audience knows he's dead from scene 1. Had Hitchcock omitted the scene of the murder, the audience would no doubt be wondering "Is there really a body in that chest? Did they really do it? What's going on here?" And the red herrings in the film would only add to the suspense. As it is, we know from the start who's dead and who-done-it. That said, it's a decent movie, and certainly still worth the watch.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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James Stewart
Rupert Cadell
John Dall
Brandon Shaw
Farley Granger
Phillip Morgan
Cedric Hardwicke
Mr. Henry Kentley
Constance Collier
Mrs. Anita Atwater
Douglas Dick
Kenneth Lawrence
Edith Evanson
Mrs. Wilson
Dick Hogan
David Kentley
Joan Chandler
Janet Walker
Alfred Hitchcock
Man Walking in Street (uncredited)
Adrian
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Ben Hecht
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Alfred Hitchcock
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Alfred Hitchcock
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Natalie Kalmus
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Hume Cronyn
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Arthur Laurents
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Patrick Hamilton
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Aug 26, 1948
New York City, New York
Sep 25, 1948
Mar 26, 2001
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The Skin of Our Teeth
1983
Aruba
2006
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
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