HITCHCOCK'S ROPE


September 1948, a representation in LOOK magazine September 14th) in diagrammatic form of the shot sequences in the 80 minutes of Alfred Hitchcock's ROPE where the director attempted "unique continuous action" - forswearing the sense of cinematic editing for an unfolding in real time of the theatrical action (it was originally a stage play mounted in London in 1929. This diagram shows the action unfolding within the flat over the time of the drama. The technicians were intensively trained for movement and for removing fly away scenery. There was a little matter of the limitations of the film stock in the camera - hence the camera passing behind the backs of chairs to allow an edit into the next reel.