Alfred Hitchcock is considered the godfather of thriller films. Rear Window is one of his most famous works. The film tells the story of Jeff, a photographer who breaks his leg and spies on his neighbors from his apartment window. He becomes convinced one neighbor, Lars Thorwald, has murdered his wife after witnessing suspicious events. The film uses point-of-view shots to put the audience in Jeff's perspective as he voyeuristically observes his neighbors, objectifying them without their knowledge or consent. A major theme is sexual objectification, particularly of the female ballet dancer neighbor Jeff watches undress.
Media course work on Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock .
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.
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.
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.
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.
Media course work on Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock .
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.
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.
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.
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.
2. Alfred Hitchcock
For many people, Alfred Hitchcock is seen
as the godfather of thriller, developing proto
horror films, which is still used as a base in
most . Hitchcock developed many motifs
used in thriller films and created the
narrative for thrillers.
Examples of Hitchcock’s work ;
• Psycho
• North by North West
• Rear Window
3. Rear Window
The film is about man ‘Jeff’, a photojournalist, who
recently broke his leg whilst shooting for a news
article. Due to his accident Jeff has no choice but to
stay in his room until his leg is healed.
Whilst sitting in his room, Jeff decides to observe his
neighbours through his ‘rear window’. One night he
hears a loud scream and a glass breaking. He then
sees Lars Thowald leaving the apartment.
This is where the mystery begins, as Jeff starts a race
to find out if Thorwald had in fact killed his neighbour.
Rear window uses a lot of POV and shows the
audience voyeurism and scopophilia as Jeff uses his
camera to spy on his neighbour.
4. POV
Rear window uses the POV shot excessively. This
shot allows the audience to see what is
happening through the eyes of the character.
The POV shot was developed by Alfred
Hitchcock, which he used to convey mystery
and build an atmosphere of unknown, which
makes thriller movies very suspenseful. The POV
shot also make the audience feel as if they are
in power.
In regards to Rear Window, the POV shot
objectifies the neighbours and makes the
audience think that the power lies in Jeff.
However, as Jeff is temporally disable, we know
that in reality Jeff has a very limited power.
The use of the POV shot in rear window is an
example of both scopophilia and voyeurism, as
the audience is able to gain a sense of please
by looking at the neighbours when the
neighbours don’t know, which makes the
audience feel empowered.
5. Sexual Objectification
A major theme in the film Rear Window is
sexual objectification. Sexual
objectification is when someone is
objectified by another person through
many different means.
In the Rear Window, the main source of
objectivities is from the main character,
Jeff. In a sense he is objectifying all of his
neighbours, as he is spying on them.
However, he is especially sexually
objectifying the ballet dancer, as on many
occasions he sees her getting changed
and was possibly gaining pleasure from
this.
