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Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window And Vertigo

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Alfred Hitchcock was born on the 13th of August 1899 in London England. From a young age Hitchcock had an interest in photography and this led him into the art of directing (2016). His directing debut was seen in Blackmail in 1929. In his 51 years of making films he directed over 50, some of which were nominated for various awards. Over the years Hitchcock’s directors style was observed by many and is how he is remembered and how audiences can recognise a Hitchcock film. He was known as the master of suspense which was gained from his suspenseful choices of music, special effects, camera angles and sound effects. As well as these features Hitchcock films also had other defining characteristics which can be seen in His 1954 Rear Window and 1958 …show more content…

Audiences of Hitchcock movies new to expect the unexpected when watching one of his films and he never failed to surprise audiences with his plot twists and unconventional storyline as well as his exclusion of stereotypical norms. This is demonstrated in Rear window as one of the main characters Jeffries (James Stewart) is seemingly disabled with a broken leg. Having this disability and being only a photographer audiences are initially positioned to see him as a helpless character, however, Hitchcock exceeds this expectation by making him become the hero of the film. Towards the end of the film Jefferies lures the killer through guilt and is confronted by him in his room, this scene is made much more impactful by Hitchcock’s effective use of techniques such as lighting, camera angles, sound effects and effectively positioning overrule earning Hitchcock the title of ‘the master of suspense’. These techniques can be seen in this clip from the scene. Similarly, to Rear window, Vertigo also has an unconventional plot, not being what is expected and not following cultural assumptions of people with disabilities. The character Madeleine appears to be helpless being possessed by her great grandmother’s spirit and the audience is positioned to feel sorry for her and then when we see her falling react in a way to believe that she was so …show more content…

Rear window does not have many major pieces of music used for effect or to add suspense instead mainly the use of various camera angles was used. Vertigo on the other hand does use music very effectively to add suspense and evoke fear amongst audience members. One scene where this is demonstrated effectively along with other effective techniques is in the final scene. Sound effects are also often used by Hitchcock to evoke responses from the audiences some of these include sounds of screaming which was heard in the previous clip from vertigo and is a sound often featured in many of his other films. By using sound effects and suspenseful music Hitchcock manipulated his audiences to become more on edge and scared and create a more suspenseful atmosphere.

Overall Hitchcock was a very versatile director using a variety of techniques to make each of his films a masterpiece. Through unique use of camera angles, effective special effects, personal cameos, outstanding music selections, impactful sound effects and the use of unconventional plot, Hitchcock separated his films from that of any other director. To this day he is still known to be one of the greatest directors of all time and will forever remain the master of

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Hitchcock utilizes sound, camera work, MacGuffins, and plot twists to tell the storylines of the movies. Hitchcock understood the importance of camera work and sound because he began his career making silent films.12 It is why he uses many close up shots so the audience can pay attention to specific details and the emotions on the character’s face. He does not rely on dialogue to tell the story. He uses sound to help convey the message of a scene.

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Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window has several themes. One major theme is relationships. The lead character, Jeff Jeffries, a photographer and committed bachelor, is involved in a relationship with Lisa Fremont, a model, although the relationship has some tension due to Jeff’s lack of commitment. When Jeff is confined to his apartment recovering from a broken leg, he begins spying through his rear window on his neighbors in a nearby apartment. Through her frequent visits, Lisa is drawn into this spying as well.

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Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Rear Window, is an excellent film that brings together some very interesting aspects. The film takes place in the main character, Jeff’s apartment; he is a professional photographer who broke is leg and is confined to his apartment. Jeff begins watching the daily lives of his neighbors for entertainment, he suspects that his neighbor murdered his wife and the movie is all about gathering evidence and probing that this really happened. Throughout this movie Hitchcock makes use of Mise-en-scene, characterization and secondary plot, all of which are very interesting topics that work together to make an exceptional film. Mise-en-scene is present throughout this film, but a couple aspects that are particularly significant include, the lighting, costumes/makeup, and the setting.

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Gender roles and marriage- a thematic approach Alfred Hitchcock was a successful English film director and producer. He was often known as “the master of suspense.” He filmed psychological thrillers, one of these thrillers include “Rear window” which in mostly all of his films, he portrays women to look and act a certain way. Two significant themes portrayed throughout this film include marriage and the gender roles within the film.

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McMurphy placing in the mental ward In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, a man by the name of Mr McMurphy is incorrectly inducted into a mental ward. A mental ward is a facility that houses people who have a psychological disorder. A psychological disorder is a mental disability characterized by patterns of thought, emotion, or behavior that are maladaptive, disruptive, or uncomfortable for the person or the people around them. The people who run the mental ward do not believe that McMurphy is insane, nor does McMurphy himself.

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Alfred Hitchcock is remembered as the "master of suspense", most notably in one of his cinemas, "Psycho". Hitchcock used a variety of sensory details, to shock moreover frighten his audience. Three sensory details that he used, is when we notice a cop following Marion, we see that Norman is stalking Marion, and when a shadowy figure shows up while Marion is taking a shower. The first sensory detail that creates suspense is when we see the cop following Marion. We believe that the cop recognizes something is up furthermore, is going to assert Marion for stealing the money.

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Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock is a fillm full of symbolism and motifs that provides viewers with a bigger meaning. It shows these rhetorical appeals through Hitchcok’s eyes that would not be recognized if not analyzed. Through these appeals I have recognized the window as being a symbol and marriage and binoculars as motifs. After understanding much more than what the eye anitially sees when viewing this film there is a fine line between understanding what is going on in the film and observing what the protagonist Jeff is viewing.

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With Rear Window (1954), Alfred Hitchcock proved himself to be one of the best directors of suspense thrillers filled with mystery and humour. He himself called the film his most cinematic one because it was told only in visual terms (Morrow), but it was also a challenging “editing experiment” as the entire film was shot from one place, Jeff’s apartment that overlooked his backyard. The Film follows L.B. Jeffries “Jeff” (James Stewart), a photographer confined to a wheelchair in his apartment after breaking his leg at work. He spends his days watching his neighbours and eventually suspects that one of them killed his wife. His caretaker, his girlfriend Lisa and his detective friend, at first unconvinced of his suspicion, eventually join him in his voyeurism and help him to solve the crime.

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After watching The 39 Steps (1935), I realized that Alfred Hitchcock really did have a talent for establishing suspense through films. Even though suspense was the primary focus, Hitchcock managed to effectively and intelligently mix humor, romance, and thriller. He uses a variety of techniques to convey these feelings to the audience. According, to some of his interviews with Francois Truffaut, Hitchcock mentions his love for The 39 Steps, specifically about the techniques he uses to create a bewitching experience throughout the film. In this film, he uses a variety of themes that he continued to constantly use throughout his later films.

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Both of Alfred Hitchcock’s films, North by Northwest and Rear Window, were great movies with lots of suspense. The suspense, however, would not have been created without the entire mise-en-scene of the movies. Hitchcock was a master at using the elements of lighting, sound, and cinematography to heighten the suspense in his movies. The first key element of mise-en-scene that played a significant role in both movies was lighting.

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This meant the guilt of a burning secret kept within the main antagonist became known to that of the main protagonist. This created a deeper connection between the two characters, and the audience could also feel the overwhelming guilt of the main antagonist. as well as a sense of triumph for the main character. This is evident in Hitchcock's film "Rear Window" (1964). The transference of guilt is made crystal clear when Jeff starts to resort to what could be considered to be almost drastic measures such as peeping with a telescope and having Lisa and Stella assist in leaving the safety of the apartment to scout certain areas where they had suspicions on such as the flower bed in order to bring the murderer Thorwald to justice.

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Alfred Hitchcock 's Rear Window explores the lives of those who feel isolated within society. The 1954 film, set in the tenements of Grenwich village, depicts those who are incapable of fitting into society 's expectations, as well as those who feel isolated from common interaction with others. Moreover, Hitchcock displays how its human nature to seek comfort and deeper connection even with those who are surrounded by others. Despite depicting characters as lonely, the progression of the film illustrates how individuals can be freed from isolation. The director asserts the loneliness and struggle that comes from fitting into social mores.

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Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho redirected the entire horror genre, and in doing so dismantled the prudent 1950’s societal barriers of cinema. Although unseen for its potential by the large studios of the time, Psycho became one of the crowning achievements of film history. While based partially on a true story of murder and psychosis from Wisconsin, the widespread viewing of this tale made way for a new era of film and ushered in a new audience of movie goers. The use of violence, sexual explicitness, dramatic twists, sound, and cinematography throughout this film gave Hitchcock his reputable name and title as master of suspense.

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Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcocks powerful and complex psychological thriller, horror film “Psycho” (1960) was classes as the first sub genre of horror, the slasher. The film ushered in the era of slashes with graphic content of blood-letting and shocking killings of the time. Although this was Hitchcock’s first horror film, he was labelled as a horror film director ever since. The film contains disturbing themes of corruptibility, confused identities, voyeurism, human vulnerabilities and victimisation. These themes symbolise the effects of money, oedipal murder and the dark histories.

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In the film Rear Window, the director, Alfred Hitchcock uses a variety of techniques to create suspense and leave viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the film. Hitchcock uses a good assortment of tempo to create thoughts in the viewer's mind. He slows down the pace to create anticipation, and speeds it up to show a change in intensity. In the ending scene of Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock uses changes in pace and tempo, lighting, and a short term deadline to constitute an immense atmosphere of suspense in the viewer's mind.

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