This is an analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's film 'Rope'
This is an examination of themes from Alfred Hitchcock's 1948 film Rope.
Art
Brandon’s fusion of murder and art are represented by Phillip--who’s a pianist--strangling David.
Dehumanization
David’s life is reduced to that of a chicken, an animal raised on a farm and eaten by humans who are considered superior. Like a chicken, David is viewed as unimportant and something unworthy of remorse which may be why Phillip goes along with Brandon to murder David thinking that doing so will be as easy, but it doesn’t turn out to be the case for Phillip who has to deal with his conscience and the fear of being caught. Phillip does the actual strangling which is why when he asks Brandon how he felt killing David Brandon felt good because he didn’t get his own hands dirty but the hands of someone else, and an artist at that.
The Window
The window plays a role in showing the nature of good and evil as it pertains to light and dark. Crimes such as murder are usually committed at night to avoid detection but in this film, the murder is done in the daytime to represent Brandon’s vanity; the darkness of the window represents the darkness of our souls that we don’t want anyone to see and what comes out of this darkness under the right circumstances; Brandon’s philosophical justification that murder should be the right of superior individuals is the ideal circumstance that frees Phillip from any inhibition blocking him from expressing a deep sickness within him, a sickness he shows by wringing the necks off of chickens. This sickness is an urge he has no control over. But his reactions after he murders David are remorse and fear, human reactions. But Brandon feels no remorse for the murder. Light doesn’t bother him like it bothers Phillip and he opens the cycloramic window to let the whole world see his masterpiece.
The light coming through the window coincides with the discovery of their crime and other secrets of their past including Phillip’s violent tendencies that he releases on the chickens at the farm. At the beginning of the party, the sky through cycloramic window is powder blue; however, as the evening progresses and Rupert Cadell begins to question Richard, the window dims and by the time Rupert discovers David in the chest, the window is completely dark creating the perfect condition for the truth about David’s murder to come to light. The light and darkness of the window also coincides with the truth about Janet and Kenneth’s breakup. At the outset of the party, the audience is led to assume that she dumped him; however, at dusk right before the window becomes dark, it is revealed that Kenneth dumped her. So, as in the case involving David’s murder, darkness coincides with the truth and secrets.
Terrific film that's my 2nd favorite Hitchcock film along with his 1944 film lifeboat. This dude doesn't need a lot of time--or room--to get the job done unlike most of today's directors who think that everything they do needs 3 hours minimum and a zillion locations. Rope is stripped down filmmaking with nothing for the director or actors to hide behind like CGI, explosions, profane language, etc. Great film if you haven't seen it and if you call yourself a filmmaker, shame on you if you haven't seen it. Want to know how to shoot a stripped down film? See Rope and have your pen and notepad out to take notes.
Art
Brandon’s fusion of murder and art are represented by Phillip--who’s a pianist--strangling David.
Dehumanization
David’s life is reduced to that of a chicken, an animal raised on a farm and eaten by humans who are considered superior. Like a chicken, David is viewed as unimportant and something unworthy of remorse which may be why Phillip goes along with Brandon to murder David thinking that doing so will be as easy, but it doesn’t turn out to be the case for Phillip who has to deal with his conscience and the fear of being caught. Phillip does the actual strangling which is why when he asks Brandon how he felt killing David Brandon felt good because he didn’t get his own hands dirty but the hands of someone else, and an artist at that.
The Window
The window plays a role in showing the nature of good and evil as it pertains to light and dark. Crimes such as murder are usually committed at night to avoid detection but in this film, the murder is done in the daytime to represent Brandon’s vanity; the darkness of the window represents the darkness of our souls that we don’t want anyone to see and what comes out of this darkness under the right circumstances; Brandon’s philosophical justification that murder should be the right of superior individuals is the ideal circumstance that frees Phillip from any inhibition blocking him from expressing a deep sickness within him, a sickness he shows by wringing the necks off of chickens. This sickness is an urge he has no control over. But his reactions after he murders David are remorse and fear, human reactions. But Brandon feels no remorse for the murder. Light doesn’t bother him like it bothers Phillip and he opens the cycloramic window to let the whole world see his masterpiece.
The light coming through the window coincides with the discovery of their crime and other secrets of their past including Phillip’s violent tendencies that he releases on the chickens at the farm. At the beginning of the party, the sky through cycloramic window is powder blue; however, as the evening progresses and Rupert Cadell begins to question Richard, the window dims and by the time Rupert discovers David in the chest, the window is completely dark creating the perfect condition for the truth about David’s murder to come to light. The light and darkness of the window also coincides with the truth about Janet and Kenneth’s breakup. At the outset of the party, the audience is led to assume that she dumped him; however, at dusk right before the window becomes dark, it is revealed that Kenneth dumped her. So, as in the case involving David’s murder, darkness coincides with the truth and secrets.
Terrific film that's my 2nd favorite Hitchcock film along with his 1944 film lifeboat. This dude doesn't need a lot of time--or room--to get the job done unlike most of today's directors who think that everything they do needs 3 hours minimum and a zillion locations. Rope is stripped down filmmaking with nothing for the director or actors to hide behind like CGI, explosions, profane language, etc. Great film if you haven't seen it and if you call yourself a filmmaker, shame on you if you haven't seen it. Want to know how to shoot a stripped down film? See Rope and have your pen and notepad out to take notes.
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