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8.8/10
FilmFascination Rating
Hitchcock never quite fails to surprise me with his art. In fact, almost every Hitchcock film I’ve seen has found its way into the Great Movies List. The only exception so far is Rebecca. It stands strong as a really good film, but its emotional complexities made me decide to revisit it before writing about it. Rope, on the other hand, feels deceptively simple in its premise.
Two friends, Brandon and Phillip, subscribe to the disturbing theory of superior and inferior beings. In their world, superior beings have the authority to take the life of someone “insignificant” – someone who, in their view, doesn’t matter. To test this theory, they strangle their friend David. To make their “perfect murder” even bolder, they host a dinner party the very same evening. Their guests eat and drink around an antique wooden chest – the very chest hiding David’s body. What begins as an intellectual experiment quickly spirals into a nail-biting 80 minutes of tension.
But Rope isn’t just an experiment in story. It is an experiment in filmmaking itself. Hitchcock sets the entire movie in a single apartment, a set so meticulously designed that every object – from the piano to the chest – plays a part in the unfolding drama. With the exception of the opening credits, the film feels like one long, continuous take. The camera moves with the characters, forcing us to share the same space and tension.
One of the shots I loved most was when the camera pans in such a way that we see the table, the hallway behind it, and the kitchen attached – all in one frame. While the focus is on Mrs. Wilson tidying up, conversations about David’s whereabouts continue on the right side of the screen (where we know they are sitting). It’s small details like this that make Rope a directorial masterclass.
When a movie never leaves a single room, the director and actors shoulder enormous responsibility. Hitchcock more than delivers. Within minutes, we gain a clear sense of the apartment’s geography – where the piano sits, where the chest is placed, how the door opens, where the kitchen is. This spatial awareness ensures that when the camera moves, we know exactly where each character stands.
When there are only 80 minutes, introducing the characters and making them known to the audience certainly becomes a tricky task. But here the characters themselves are introduced seamlessly. Brandon and Phillip set the stage before anyone else arrives, telling us about Rupert – their charismatic professor whose cynical philosophy has influenced them, Janet – the woman tangled in complicated past relationships but finally in love, and Douglas – David’s best friend. Add to that Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper who minds her own business, and Mrs. Atwater, the eccentric aunt. By the time the party reaches its climax, we know everyone like they’re our own acquaintances.
The heart of Rope lies in its long takes. Hitchcock borrowed this technique from theatre (since it has been adapted from a play), wanting to keep the audience tethered to the room, to feel the suffocating tension as if we were present. It works brilliantly. The film may not flaunt flashy shots, but the subtle camera tracking, the precise framing, and the claustrophobic pacing make it a must-watch for anyone who loves studying cinematography. Behind the scenes, the set was built on wheels so walls could be moved and the camera could glide across the apartment. That ingenuity pays off – you can feel the craftsmanship in every frame.
Hitchcock’s legacy has been immortalized through Psycho, Rear Window, and North by Northwest. Yet, rarely does Rope get the same recognition in casual discussions of his filmography. That’s a shame. Because Rope is not only an emotionally gripping thriller but also one of Hitchcock’s most daring cinematic experiments.
One quick note if you haven’t seen it yet: don’t watch the trailer. It gives away almost everything and will spoil the experience. Go in blind – trust me, the tension works best that way.
For me, Rope is going to be the film I recommend first to anyone looking to dive into Hitchcock’s world – a tense, underrated masterpiece that deserves far more love.
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