A Gothic Approach to "Rope"

Alfred Hitchcock's universe offers more than a three dimensional spectacle to many viewers, myself included. As a true magician, his extensive knowledge on human perception leads us to the intended illusion. The more we watch a movie, the more we are able to glimpse different facets calling our attention, as elements of a larger and fascinating framework. At least, that is what happened to me, as I enjoyed "Rope" (1948), for the zillionth time. A traditional English ghost story, which also features an old chest, is referenced in the film. That allusion prompted me to write a post on a Gothic perspective, in order to embroil ourselves in one of Hitchcock's most notable literary influences.

Psychoanalysis and Film Noir

It is no accident that cinema and psychoanalysis were practically born at the same time, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Up to a certain extent, there has always been an interconnection between the two disciplines. The focus on the mental structure of human beings, their social behaviour and, most importantly, the representation of reality and that which escapes from it, are the most prominent evidences of the proximity between cinema and Freud’s theories*. Furthermore, the very movie theatre atmosphere is in many ways a dream-like analogy. The dreaming experience is reenacted with all these perfect gimmicks such as darkness, abstraction or the constant exposure to a succession of images. So, let’s sit on the couch, turn off the lights and switch on our minds. And remember, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.