Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
80 minutes
Floor 3 Pink Zone 791.4372 ROP
Based loosely on the case of Leopold and Loeb, Rope is a murder mystery with a twist. The film opens with the murder of David (Dick Hogan), at the hands of the nervous Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger) and the charismatic Brandon Shaw (John Dall), who then bashfully hosts a dinner party hiding the body within the table that food is served. The tension of the film resolves around the confusion of the dinner guests at David’s absence and the goading Brandon who attempts to convince his guests that the superior few have the moral justification of murder. The narrative is slow-boiled but relatively engrossing.
The real beauty of Rope is in the filming. The vast majority of the Rope is filmed to appear as though one continuous shot, a particularly impressive feat considering that cameras could only record for ten minutes in the period. Most cuts are hidden through dissolves as actors pass in front of the camera, with rare hard cuts used to emphasise tension and drama. A good challenge is to find all the cuts in rope, there are just 10 over the 80 minute film; to put that into perspective, it is not uncommon for the average shot length of a contemporary Hollywood film to be under 4 seconds.
Interestingly, Hitchcock emphasises the continuation of the party off-camera. Conversations are left unfinished as the cameras focus moves on; conversely, dialogue continues as the cameras focus remains focused on Mrs Wilson (Edith Evanston) clearing up, blissfully unaware of the drama surrounding her. This wondering focus builds the claustrophobic environment of the dinner party and contrasts to the tension felt by Phillip. Despite only being 80 minutes in length (and shot as though in real time), Hitchcock brilliantly manipulates time to present a full, tense, evening. New York’s skyline passes from day, to dusk, to night in a visually impressive and absorbing manner, with Hitchcock fully utilising his first endeavour with colour film.
With over 50 varied works, Hitchcock is a great place to start for anyone wanting to expand their viewing – or even just want to watch a good thriller. The drama, tension, beautiful use of colour, and experimental camerawork of Rope makes the film a fine example of his craft.
Why It’s significant?
Hitchcock’s ‘one-shot’ style demonstrates his continued experimentation in film, as does his first use of colour.
If You Like This, You May Also Like FromThe Library:
Psycho, dir. by Alfred Hitchcock (1960, Paramount Pictures) – Pushing at the boundaries of the Production Code Hitchcock’s Psycho is a must see for horror fans. (791.4372 PSY)
Russian Ark, dir. by Aleksandr Sokurov (2002, Wellspring Media) – 96 minute film taken entirely in a single take at the Winter Palace (St. Petersburg). (791.4372 RUS)
Written by Phil Wintle
