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Rope (Theatre)

 Rope (Theatre)
type
TVTItem
 Rope (Theatre)
label
Rope (Theatre)
 Rope (Theatre)
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Rope
 Rope (Theatre)
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A 1929 stage play by Patrick Hamilton, more famously known as the 1948 Alfred Hitchcock film that was shot in ten takes and cut to look like one.One spring day, two elite young Manhattanites, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger), strangle their acquaintance, David Kentley (Dick Hogan), and hide the body away inside a wooden chest at their penthouse apartment. Their reason for doing so is their desire to commit the perfect murder; to see just how perfect it is, they host a dinner party with the chest kept in plain sight as a buffet table. All the guests at the party — including David's father (Cedric Hardwicke); his aunt, Mrs. Atwater (Constance Collier); his fiancée, Janet Walker (Joan Chandler); and the killers' former prep-school teacher, Rupert Cadell (Jimmy Stewart) — grow worried at David's absence. As Brandon continues to push his luck, Phillip shows remorse and Rupert investigates his suspicions. All of which leads to a discovery...The film is particularly known for its experimental style. Hitchcock abandoned typical shooting and editing methods in favor of long unbroken scenes. Each shot ran continuously for up to ten minutes without interruption. He would go on to use the same technique in Under Capricorn and to a lesser extent Stage Fright (1950). The homosexual subtext was also considered daring for its time. While not a major hit at the time of its release, the film has gained popularity over the following decades. Today, it is often listed among the best of the director.
 Rope (Theatre)
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2024-03-16T17:32:41Z
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2024-03-16T17:32:41Z
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Dropped link to EverybodyHasStandards: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
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EverybodyHasStandards
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DBTropes
 Rope (Theatre) / int_127fc252
type
Creator Cameo
 Rope (Theatre) / int_127fc252
comment
Creator Cameo: Two of them, in fact. Hitchcock is seen as a sidewalk pedestrian during the opening credits, and later a red neon sign of his famous self-portrait silhouette is visible outside the apartment window once the sun goes down.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_127fc252
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Rope (Theatre) / int_127fc252
 Rope (Theatre) / int_14a8e0a2
type
Villain Opening Scene
 Rope (Theatre) / int_14a8e0a2
comment
Villain Opening Scene: The opening scene is a shot of an apartment during a normal, busy day... which is then interrupted by a scream of someone who is strangled to death. A censor requested this scene be removed but was refused, and thus the film was banned in Atlanta.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_1616e13
type
Ripped from the Headlines
 Rope (Theatre) / int_1616e13
comment
Ripped from the Headlines: The stage play from which the movie was adapted was inspired by the infamous Leopold and Loeb murder case from 1924. Another fictionalized version would come about a decade later with Richard Fleischer's Compulsion.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_1db320a1
type
Back Blocking
 Rope (Theatre) / int_1db320a1
comment
Back Blocking: Hitchcock often ends a shot by panning to a character's back blocking the entire screen, then begins the next shot by panning away or when they move aside to give the illusion of a single, unbroken take.
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Rope (Theatre) / int_1db320a1
 Rope (Theatre) / int_1f250372
type
I Need a Freaking Drink
 Rope (Theatre) / int_1f250372
comment
I Need a Freaking Drink: Several characters, most notably Phillip after the party guests have left. Brandon’s final act before the credits roll is to wordlessly pour himself one last drink as he, Phillip and Rupert await the police’s arrival.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_237404cc
type
Ironic Echo
 Rope (Theatre) / int_237404cc
comment
Ironic Echo: When a devastated Rupert wonders why the murder of David was committed, Brandon rationalizes that he was only living by Rupert's earlier words about "superior and inferior beings". The same one that justified that a superior few were privileged to take the lives of the inferior.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_281de59f
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Extremely Short Timespan
 Rope (Theatre) / int_281de59f
comment
Extremely Short Timespan: The events take place over the course of a single evening, and actually unfold even faster than Real Time.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_2af6bbeb
type
Break the Haughty
 Rope (Theatre) / int_2af6bbeb
comment
Break the Haughty: Brandon, the less remorseful of the two killers, gets his comeuppance when Rupert gives him a big "The Reason You Suck" Speech before alerting the police to the murder.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_2bb06191
type
Adaptational Sexuality
 Rope (Theatre) / int_2bb06191
comment
Adaptational Sexuality: Brandon and Philip being gay was a lot clearer in the original play, but is reduced to subtext in the film (mostly due to Hays Code censorship of the time), and Brandon is implied to be bisexual. Hitchcock claimed Rupert was written as being gay, too, and had even had an affair with Brandon.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_2ed5e99d
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Depraved Bisexual
 Rope (Theatre) / int_2ed5e99d
comment
Depraved Bisexual: Brandon is implied to be this, as there is obvious subtext that he and Phillip are involved and he also refers to a past relationship with Janet.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_2ed5e99d
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Rope (Theatre) / int_2ed5e99d
 Rope (Theatre) / int_3126c34a
type
Insufferable Genius
 Rope (Theatre) / int_3126c34a
comment
Insufferable Genius: Brandon. He puts on as elaborate a display as he can of the murder, as part of a joke only he'll enjoy. Phillip calls him out on this, accusing him of secretly wanting to get caught just so he can boast about how cleverly he committed the act.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96
type
Kick the Dog
 Rope (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96
comment
Kick the Dog: When discussing why it was wrong to invite David's friend and her ex-boyfriend to the party, Janet justifies herself to Brandon that she chose David because he's nicer. To this, Brandon also snidely inquires if the reason he left her previous boyfriends (himself included) is because David is the richest out of them all.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_34dcfc96
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_40cc0c7e
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Bittersweet Ending
 Rope (Theatre) / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: Rupert figures out what Brandon and Philip have done and alerts the authorities, but it's clear that by now he is a broken shell of a man. And you can imagine what effect David's murder will have on his parents.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_41a3e267
type
Hidden in Plain Sight
 Rope (Theatre) / int_41a3e267
comment
Hidden in Plain Sight: The chest containing David's body.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_41a3e267
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_44c279ae
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Guilt-Ridden Accomplice
 Rope (Theatre) / int_44c279ae
comment
Guilt-Ridden Accomplice: Phillip.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_44c279ae
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_4b86a724
type
Getting Crap Past the Radar
 Rope (Theatre) / int_4b86a724
comment
Getting Crap Past the Radar: The play is explicit about the homosexual relationship between Phillip and Brandon, but production codes of the time required Hitchcock to demote the relationship to an obvious but still implicit subtext in the film. It's already unusual for two men of their age and social class to be living together in the 50's, but it can also be inferred that they share a bedroom.note When Janet asks to use the phone, Brandon says it's in the bedroom. Not his bedroom or Phillip's bedroom. Hitchhock knowingly cast gay (or bisexual, in the case of Farley Granger) actors for the characters and expressed approval over the chemistry they brought to the film. It's not a great surprise that the radar blipped in a few American cities, where their implied homosexuality got the movie banned from theaters. David's murder is also portrayed surprisingly sexually, with David looking like he's orgasming as he's strangled, Brandon smoking after committing the murder, and opening a bottle of champagne in a rather suggestive way.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_4b86a724
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_4f84cdef
type
Smug Snake
 Rope (Theatre) / int_4f84cdef
comment
Smug Snake: Brandon. Brandon. And Brandon.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_4f84cdef
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Rope (Theatre) / int_4f84cdef
 Rope (Theatre) / int_55fa41e2
type
NietzscheWannabe
 Rope (Theatre) / int_55fa41e2
comment
Nietzsche Wannabe: Our two "heroes" decide that David's "inferiority" justifies his death. Rupert Cadell also counts, considering the murder was inspired by his rhetoric, but he renounces his way of thinking once he realizes what happened.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_55fa41e2
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Rope (Theatre) / int_55fa41e2
 Rope (Theatre) / int_5f1999a0
type
Building of Adventure
 Rope (Theatre) / int_5f1999a0
comment
Building of Adventure: The entire film takes place inside one apartment.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_5f1999a0
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_60194b82
type
Spanner in the Works
 Rope (Theatre) / int_60194b82
comment
Spanner in the Works: Rupert Cadell. Ironically, this was the point: Brandon wanted someone who might catch on in order to entertain himself. Mrs. Wilson ends up mixing up Rupert and David's hats, giving him the final piece of proof he needs to fully suspect what Brandon and Phillip has done.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_60194b82
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Rope (Theatre) / int_60194b82
 Rope (Theatre) / int_617f0563
type
Heel–Face Turn
 Rope (Theatre) / int_617f0563
comment
Heel–Face Turn: Rupert does one at the end. Although... Jimmy Stewart could never really be a heel, anyhow. (He hadn't been in Vertigo yet...)
 Rope (Theatre) / int_617f0563
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Rope (Theatre) / int_617f0563
 Rope (Theatre) / int_6b3c357e
type
Ivy League for Everyone
 Rope (Theatre) / int_6b3c357e
comment
Ivy League for Everyone: David was attending Harvard prior to his death. Janet and Kenneth went there as well, as did (presumably) Brandon and Phillip.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_6b3c357e
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_6fbe85e6
type
Adaptation Personality Change
 Rope (Theatre) / int_6fbe85e6
comment
Adaptation Personality Change: Most of the supporting characters. Rupert gets a significant one also, from a young, effete, and bitchy World War I veteran and poet to a more middle-aged, staid, conventional Jimmy Stewart type. The film's Rupert is also more of an explicit mentor and authority figure to Brandon and Phillip, being their former teacher, while the play's version appears to be an older childhood friend who underestimated his influence.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_6fbe85e6
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_722b3319
type
Camp Gay
 Rope (Theatre) / int_722b3319
comment
Camp Gay: Rupert Cadell in the play is a poet, described in stage directions as 'a little foppish' and so 'enormously affected' in his manner that it 'almost verges on effeminacy'. The film version, not so much.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_722b3319
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Rope (Theatre) / int_722b3319
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7503483d
type
Original Position Fallacy
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7503483d
comment
Original Position Fallacy: Rupert previously had no qualms about simply saying everyone (or at least the privileged few) should have the right to kill others. If anything, he only said it because he imagined it happening to complete strangers. But when his student David is the victim of Brandon and Phillip's twisted game, it hits too close to home for Rupert, shaking his faith in his rhetoric. It's even by his own admission that he regrets ever supporting his own idea.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7503483d
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Rope (Theatre) / int_7503483d
 Rope (Theatre) / int_777baed3
type
Out-of-Character Alert
 Rope (Theatre) / int_777baed3
comment
Out-of-Character Alert: David provokes an alert by his mere absence, since he was known as The Reliable One and would never be late for an engagement without telling anyone. Janet suspects trickery on Brandon's part, but only Rupert realizes just how right she is.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_777baed3
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Rope (Theatre) / int_777baed3
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7a6e47f6
type
Instant Emergency Response
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7a6e47f6
comment
Instant Emergency Response: At the end, Rupert alerts the police by shooting the gun out the window. Sirens are immediately heard, signaling they're coming. It's possible some had just been near already, though multiple patrol cars are unlikely.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7a6e47f6
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_7d89315b
type
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7d89315b
comment
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Rupert gives a big one to Brandon (and partially himself) when the latter tries to justify David's murder with Rupert's rhetoric.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_7d89315b
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Rope (Theatre) / int_7d89315b
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8015df5d
type
Reverse Whodunnit
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8015df5d
comment
Reverse Whodunnit: We know the two are guilty; the only question is if they can get away with it.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8015df5d
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Rope (Theatre) / int_8015df5d
 Rope (Theatre) / int_808cbaeb
type
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking
 Rope (Theatre) / int_808cbaeb
comment
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:
 Rope (Theatre) / int_808cbaeb
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_83a8d697
type
Oblivious Guilt Slinging
 Rope (Theatre) / int_83a8d697
comment
Oblivious Guilt Slinging: When David's aunt predicts Phillip's future using his zodiac (Cancer), she cheerily predicts that "[his] hands will make [him] famous", unaware those same hands which had strangled her nephew to death. This leaves Phillip speechless as he looks at his hands with guilt, as well as fear of being caught.
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Rope (Theatre) / int_83a8d697
 Rope (Theatre) / int_842426f3
type
Grande Dame
 Rope (Theatre) / int_842426f3
comment
Grande Dame: Mr. Kentley's sister-in-law, Mrs. Atwater.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_842426f3
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Rope (Theatre) / int_842426f3
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8928fe5f
type
Dead Man's Chest
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8928fe5f
comment
Dead Man's Chest: Brandon and Phillip hide David's body in a chest, which they then use to serve supper on.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8928fe5f
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_898ff050
type
Villain Protagonist
 Rope (Theatre) / int_898ff050
comment
Villain Protagonist: Brandon and Phillip allow no time (or doubt) for the audience to get to know them first. They commit the murder during the first seconds of the film. The rest of it is based around Brandon's sick games with the victim's familiar ones and Phillip's nervous breakdown.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_898ff050
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_8b568cb7
type
Posthumous Character
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8b568cb7
comment
Posthumous Character: David.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_8b568cb7
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_95b7c400
type
Faux Affably Evil
 Rope (Theatre) / int_95b7c400
comment
Faux Affably Evil: Brandon. He loses whatever "charm" he has very fast.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_973d220f
type
Never My Fault
 Rope (Theatre) / int_973d220f
comment
Never My Fault: Rupert explicitly tells his students that the world would be better if the smartest people were allowed to murder their "inferiors" from time to time. Yet, when he finds out Brandon actually did it, he accuses Brandon of "twisting his words" and insists that he never meant to endorse murder.
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_a1b141f4
type
My God, What Have I Done?
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a1b141f4
comment
My God, What Have I Done?: Rupert can almost be seen as a Karma Houdini if one ignores that unlike Brandon, he is not sociopathic enough to be able to live well with the knowledge of what he unwittingly and at least partially contributed to.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a1b141f4
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_a681bfc6
type
Amicable Exes
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a681bfc6
comment
Amicable Exes: Kenneth and Janet develop into this. Brandon's attempts to play matchmaker without David around causes them to not only realize he is being an asshole to them, but also lets them come to terms with the end of their engagement, as Kenneth apologizes for dumping Janet and she confesses to truly being in love with David.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a681bfc6
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_a6c69bd
type
MacGuffin
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a6c69bd
comment
MacGuffin: It's Hitch, so it's pretty much required. In this case, it's David's body.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a6c69bd
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_a7e47a11
type
Your Approval Fills Me with Shame
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a7e47a11
comment
Your Approval Fills Me with Shame: Rupert is disgusted to learn that his musings on inferior humans, which to him were purely rhetorical, were the inspiration (or perhaps just the excuse) for David's murder.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a7e47a11
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 Rope (Theatre) / int_a8593e70
type
Real Time
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a8593e70
comment
Real Time: Hitchcock crafted the movie to give off the appearance of real-time, though it is, in reality, slightly sped up: the film is 80 minutes long, and approximately 100 minutes pass in-universe.
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1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_a8593e70
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_a8593e70
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65
type
Dramatic Irony
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65
comment
Dramatic Irony: Any time the other guests wonder why David is late to the party. The audience knows he isn't late at all (at least, not in that way) and was actually early to the party. Brandon is a fan of invoking this actively, making quips that only the audience realizes are subtle brags and references to his crime, such as when Kenneth asks if it's someone's birthday that he's forgotten, and Brandon responds that it's "almost the opposite". Janet saying that Brandon's sense of humor is "a little too malicious", when the extent of said maliciousness is lost on her but not on the viewer.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_ab5eea65
 Rope (Theatre) / int_aba8065b
type
Fatal Flaw
 Rope (Theatre) / int_aba8065b
comment
Fatal Flaw: Brandon's is Pride. He and Phillip probably could have gotten away with the murder (at least for a while) if Brandon hadn't been taking risks and dropping subtle hints that aroused Rupert's suspicion, all because he had to have an audience at whom to flaunt his "perfect crime".
 Rope (Theatre) / int_aba8065b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_aba8065b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_aba8065b
 Rope (Theatre) / int_adfd3165
type
For the Evulz
 Rope (Theatre) / int_adfd3165
comment
For the Evulz: Brandon's motivation is to act on his theory that as a "superior", he should prove it by committing The Perfect Crime against one of the "inferior" ones. Which he does out of amusement, enjoying more than anything the idea of getting away with killing someone.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_adfd3165
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_adfd3165
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_adfd3165
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438
type
Deadpan Snarker
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438
comment
Deadpan Snarker: Rupert, at times.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_ae3d6438
 Rope (Theatre) / int_bd39588d
type
Desecrating the Dead
 Rope (Theatre) / int_bd39588d
comment
Desecrating the Dead: Played with. Brandon decides to have the party's dinner served on the very chest where David's body is hidden. The cruelty of it is that the morbid meal is served to David's father, aunt, friend, and girlfriend, none of whom suspect that he is right under their noses.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_bd39588d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_bd39588d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_bd39588d
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c1b2c63f
type
Dull Surprise
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c1b2c63f
comment
Dull Surprise: James Stewart as Rupert Cadell.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c1b2c63f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c1b2c63f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_c1b2c63f
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c271fe08
type
Machiavelli Was Wrong
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c271fe08
comment
Machiavelli Was Wrong: Played with. This is a rare variety where the proverbial "Machiavelli" himself admits he was wrong. Rupert has always felt distant toward his other people, and has tried to cope with it through rhetoric about how murder is an art form that only the few should be allowed to practice. But when he finds that his own student was pointlessly murdered by his two other students inspired by that rhetoric, it turns his stomach and proves to him that no one has the right to decide who lives and who dies.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c271fe08
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c271fe08
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_c271fe08
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: Janet's and Mrs. Atwater's conversation about Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman starring in a movie with a One-Word Title that neither Janet nor Mrs. Atwater can remember is a clear reference to Notorious. Mrs. Atwater also sings the praises of James Mason ("So attractively sinister!")... who, a decade later, would appear as a villain in another Hitchcock film.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_c75df49a
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c9597a03
type
Self-Deprecation
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c9597a03
comment
Self-Deprecation: Janet is constantly making little offhand remarks about what a mess she thinks she is.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c9597a03
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_c9597a03
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_c9597a03
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d39d4b71
type
The Perfect Crime
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d39d4b71
comment
The Perfect Crime: Brandon brags that it is "the perfect murder", which leads to him being extremely cocky about it.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d39d4b71
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d39d4b71
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_d39d4b71
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
type
Gun Struggle
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
comment
Gun Struggle: Between Rupert and Phillip.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_d73ecb18
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d7f63a30
type
High on Homicide
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d7f63a30
comment
High on Homicide: Brandon states he found a sense of euphoria from killing David.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d7f63a30
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_d7f63a30
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_d7f63a30
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dae815bb
type
A Glass in the Hand
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dae815bb
comment
A Glass in the Hand: On arriving at the apartment, Mrs. Atwater sees Kenneth and mistakes him for David, promoting her to call out David's name... and Phillip immediately breaks the champagne glass he's holding, cutting his hand.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dae815bb
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dae815bb
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_dae815bb
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc057cf3
type
Adaptation Name Change
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc057cf3
comment
Adaptation Name Change: Every character except Rupert has their name changed from stage to screen. Wyndham Brandon and Charles Granillo become Brandon Shaw and Phillip Morgan. The victim's name changes from Ronald to David, and his father and aunt change from Sir Johnstone Kentley and Mrs Debenham to Mr Henry Kentley and Mrs Atwater. Leila Arden and Kenneth Raglan become Janet Walker and Kenneth Lawrence. Sabot, Brandon and Granillo's French manservant, becomes Mrs Wilson the housekeeper.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc057cf3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc057cf3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_dc057cf3
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc955e66
type
Inspired by…
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc955e66
comment
Inspired by…: See Ripped from the Headlines below.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc955e66
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_dc955e66
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_dc955e66
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e34400ab
type
Ambiguously Gay
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e34400ab
comment
Ambiguously Gay: Brandon and Phillip in the movie thanks to the Hays Code.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e34400ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e34400ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_e34400ab
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e42e91b4
type
Godwin's Law
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e42e91b4
comment
Godwin's Law: A discussion of Nietzsche and Brandon believing in the concept of supermen prompts the response "so did Hitler" from David's father.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e42e91b4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e42e91b4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_e42e91b4
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e7e558
type
The Oner
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e7e558
comment
The Oner: Hitchcock wanted to make the film one long, continuous shot. Sadly, this wasn't feasible with the technology of the time: film would run out after about ten minutes. But he tried to get as close to this as he could. The finished film consists of ten long shots, ranging from four to ten minutes in length, joined together mostly by Body Wipes (the camera zooms in on some person or something, and zooms out when it cuts). But because film reels need to be changed every twenty minutes in cinema screenings, Hitchcock still had to put four "hard cuts" in the film. But, given that the average film has hundreds of hard cuts, that's still impressive. But, to accomplish all of that, Hitchcock needed to limit Rope's running time to a mere 1 hour and 20 minutes, far and away his shortest film after he relocated to Hollywood in 1940.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e7e558
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e7e558
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_e7e558
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f
type
Exact Words
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f
comment
Exact Words: "You're going to die!" Rupert tells Phillip and Brandon this whilst he brandishes a gun, but they don't die the way they expect to. Instead, he fires off the gun merely to get the attention of everybody outside, which will no doubt set off a domino effect of the police getting involved. The die has been cast, and it's only a matter of time before Phillip and Brandon are tried, convicted, and executed.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_e9e35e8f
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ea38ddd5
type
Sissy Villain
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ea38ddd5
comment
Sissy Villain: Brandon and Phillip.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ea38ddd5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ea38ddd5
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_ea38ddd5
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ec0ce986
type
Spotting the Thread
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ec0ce986
comment
Spotting the Thread: Rupert cottons on to something being off with Phillip's behavior early during the party until he eventually unravels the whole thing. Earlier, Janet and Kenneth start to suspect something's up when they realize that Brandon did know they broke up, but dismiss it as one of his crude pranks.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ec0ce986
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_ec0ce986
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_ec0ce986
 Rope (Theatre) / int_f6b698ac
type
Complexity Addiction
 Rope (Theatre) / int_f6b698ac
comment
Complexity Addiction: Brandon's insistence on style is the reason they get caught almost instantly.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_f6b698ac
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_f6b698ac
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_f6b698ac
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
type
Have a Gay Old Time
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
comment
Have a Gay Old Time: Although, given the homosexual subtext, this may be intentional. Discussing her reaction to Kenneth having dumped her, Janet explains, "I just couldn't be the gay girl anymore." When Janet offers Brandon some chicken, he says he never eats it, prompting her to reply, "How queer!"
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_fa6bfde9
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3ac5b7
type
Astrologer
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3ac5b7
comment
Astrologer: Mrs. Atwater is one, or at least professes to be.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3ac5b7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3ac5b7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3ac5b7
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3c0a6
type
Firing in the Air a Lot
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3c0a6
comment
Firing in the Air a Lot: Rupert does this at the end to call the authorities.
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3c0a6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3c0a6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_fb3c0a6
 Rope (Theatre) / int_name
type
ItemName
 Rope (Theatre) / int_name
comment
 Rope (Theatre) / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rope (Theatre) / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Rope (Theatre) / int_name
 Rope (Theatre) / int_name
itemName
Rope (Theatre)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Body in a Breadbox / int_1afad37b
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Bottle Episode / int_1afad37b
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Hide Your Lesbians / int_1afad37b
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
High on Homicide / int_1afad37b
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Instant Emergency Response / int_1afad37b
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Machiavelli Was Wrong / int_1afad37b
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Minimalism / int_1afad37b
 Rope
seeAlso
Rope (Theatre)
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Sword Cane / int_1afad37b
 Rope (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ãœbermensch / int_1afad37b