"It begins with a shriek...it ends with a shot! From beginning to end, nothing ever held you like Alfred Hitchcock's ROPE!"
Rope - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
Good and evil, right and wrong were invented for the ordinary average man, the inferior man, because he needs them.
— Brandon Shaw
Context:
Brandon says this to Phillip early in the film, after they have committed the murder and are discussing their motivations. It is a key moment that establishes the philosophical underpinnings of their actions.
Meaning:
This quote encapsulates the core of Brandon's twisted philosophy. It reveals his belief in a master-slave morality, where superior individuals like himself are not bound by the conventional moral codes that govern the rest of society. It is a direct and chilling expression of his intellectual arrogance and the justification for his crime.
Did you think you were God, Brandon?
— Rupert Cadell
Context:
Rupert utters this line in the film's climax, standing over the open chest containing David's body. He is filled with a mixture of horror, shame, and fury as he confronts Brandon and Phillip with the reality of what they have done.
Meaning:
This is the culminating question of the film, delivered by Rupert after he has discovered the body. It cuts to the heart of Brandon's delusion, exposing his act not as a display of intellectual superiority, but as an unforgivable act of hubris. It signifies Rupert's complete rejection of the philosophy he once espoused and his condemnation of his former students' actions.
Cat and mouse, cat and mouse. But which is the cat and which is the mouse?
— Phillip Morgan
Context:
Phillip says this during the dinner party, as he becomes increasingly intoxicated and unnerved by Rupert's probing questions and Brandon's reckless taunts.
Meaning:
Phillip's drunken and desperate exclamation captures the shifting power dynamics of the evening. Initially, he and Brandon are the cats, playing with their unsuspecting guests, the mice. However, as Rupert's suspicions grow, the roles begin to reverse. The quote highlights the psychological tension and the feeling of being trapped that is central to the film's suspense.