"Rope" starts off with a murder right off the bat, committed by a pair who quickly reveal themselves as a same-sex couple with a massive power imbalance. It's unclear if viewers back in 1948 picked up on the undertones of Brandon and Phillip's relationship, but the fact that Brandon, who is quite controlling and unpleasant, somehow maintains his friendships is baffling.
The movie, based on a play from the 1920s, shows its age in storytelling. The characters are bizarre, with little clear reasoning behind the protagonist's ability to solve the murder mystery—well, not much of a mystery to us viewers, of course. Brandon plays the fool, treating Phillip not as an equal but as something less, which screams of an abusive relationship, confirmed with a slap.
As always, Hitchcock's talent for suspense doesn't disappoint, with several scenes crafted masterfully within the confines of a single setting, making the 80-minute runtime creatively engaging.
3 stars. If you've got 80 minutes to spare, it’s worth a watch just to see how Hitchcock pulls this off.