The document discusses Alfred Hitchcock's mastery in creating psychological suspense, particularly through his film 'Rear Window,' which features themes of voyeurism and character-driven storytelling. The protagonist, Jeff, is a wheelchair-bound photographer who becomes obsessed with watching his neighbors, allowing Hitchcock to explore the power dynamics of watching and being watched. The film also highlights sexual objectification and engages the audience as voyeurs, using point-of-view shots to enhance viewer involvement and commentary on gender stereotypes.

1. Rear Window
RALIA AMINU & DIEGO

2. Alfred Hitchcock
Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was nicknamed the "Master of
Suspense" for employing a kind of psychological suspense
in his films, producing a distinct viewer experience.
Hitchcock is most famous for his voyeuristic style, twist
endings, and cameo appearances in his films.
he is called the master of suspense because he used
lighting, music and camera angles to build suspense in films
in ways that were not done prior to him. His most excellent
movies such as Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo etc… are
gripping and have got great plots, great acting and are
never predictable, this is why he is masterful.

3. Rear Window
 Alfred Hitchcock's rear window is a film full of symbolism,
narratives, voyeurism and characterisation. The film focuses
around the Main protagonist Jefferies, who is a photographer who
recently broke his leg and is restricted to a wheelchair. The main
character Jeff spends his days and nights watching the
neighbours through a pair of binoculars. The audience are shown
life through Jefferies eyes within the six weeks of his recovery.
 Rear Window (1954) made viewers voyeurs, then had them pay
for their pleasure. In its story of a photographer who happens to
witness a murder, Hitchcock provocatively probed the relationship
between the watcher and the watched, involving, by extension,
the viewer of the film.

4. Point of view shot
Hitchcock uses the point of view shot in order to show
what Jeffery was seeing , using this shot doe not only allow
the audience to see what he is seeing but it allows There
are two main purposes for his use of optical point-of view
shots in Rear Window.
One has to do with the story itself. The point-of-view shots
help to pull the audience into the film and to identify more
with the characters, most notably the main character Jeff.
The second reason is much more universal, having to do
with the nature of film itself, and the essence of cinema.

5. Sexual Objectification
In Rear Window, female exhibitionism and objectification
occurs. This is evident with the character Lisa. Lisa’s moves
and poses suggest not only that she is confident and
comfortable being looked at but also that she invites being
looked at.
Lisa becomes a partner in Jeff’s gazing/voyeurism and an
active investigator – maybe because this might be a
stratagem for marriage, like her failed seduction attempt with
the dinner from 21 and the sexy negligee.
Lisa’s wardrobe is expensive, high fashion (couture), and
different in every visit. She is portrayed as only caring about
her looks and the latest fashion which is a way of sexual
objectification of women.

6. The Gaze
The gaze exercises power but also carries risks; it exposes Jeff to being seen by the other.
Watching others without being seen gives Jeff a sense and a position of power, but then
it is threatened and lost when Thorwald sees him from his apartment.
stereotypes are being used as the gaze is a male activity and the female the object of
gaze, however Hitchcock undermines these stereotypes throughout the plot.
Jeff becomes powerless and passive when Thorwald breaks inside his apartment.
When Thorwald enters Jeff’s apartment, his eyes are lighted but his face and body are
dark.
The gaze is an important element in this movie and there’s significance to Jeff using flash
bulbs to try to blind and incapacitate Thorwald as to make an equal sense of powerless,
however he fails.

7. Rear Window - Motifs
Voyeurism - We watch Rear Window as voyeurs (sexual pleasure gained
through looking at human form when they’re unaware of it). Jeff the main
character takes an interest in the ballet dancer in the apartments , as he is
spying on her he gains pleasure from this, we can see this through his
paralinguistic features (facial expressions).
We as the audience are voyeurs as we are also “spying” on the people as
well. Through the POV shot we are seeing exactly what Jeff is seeing which
makes us feel as though we are apart of the act of spying. Hitchcock made
this technique even more effective as the camera is moving back and forth
between apartments and allows us as the audience to be more engaged.