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Mise-En-Scene In Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

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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. The lighting during the daytime scenes is very natural creating a realistic effect for the viewers, …show more content…

At the beginning of this film it is pointed out that Lisa wants Jeff to stay in New York and start photographing in fashion, that way they can settle down and be together where Jeff wants to travel and be adventurous. Jeff claims that Lisa would not be able to live his lifestyle and that their relationship should just remain the same and not get married. Lisa’s involvement with the investigation throughout this film shows Jeff that Lisa can be adventurous, for example when Mr. Thorvald is not home Lisa climbs into his apartment to find evidence and ends up getting arrested. While this was going on Jeff was on the edge of his seat and realized how much he really loved her and although it wasn’t said or confirmed it appeared as if he was beginning to change his views on marriage. This all occurred because Lisa went outside of her comfort zone and showed Jeff that she could be adventurous and when she was in trouble and was unable to help her he realized his true feelings for

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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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By the utilization of this technique, the film’s mise-en-scene brings the audience’s attention to the space as a sort of institution of relaxation, in times of

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In Sunset Boulevard (Wilder 1950), the space of mise-en-scene is used to ‘guide the audience 's attention across the screen, shaping the sense of the space that is represented and emphasising certain parts of it ' (Bordwell 2001, p.176). For instance, when Joe Gillis is escaping the repo men at the beginning of the clip, the main focus is the speeding cars coming from the background to the foreground of the shot. Another notable scene is when Norma Desmond 's character lifts the rug and the chimpanzee 's arm flings out and swings back and forth, it instantly captures the audience 's attention. This is done because ‘moving items draw the audience 's attention more quickly than a static item does ' (Bordwell 2001, p.176). This method of presenting action corresponds with the structure of classical Hollywood as it was ‘designed for on-screen events to

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873 Words | 4 Pages

Rear Window Argues that people should mind their own business. Do you agree? Rear Window, a 1954 romance/murder-mystery by the renowned golden age director Alfred Hitchcock, is a film that explores a multitude of themes and genres through the voyeuristic gaze of protagonist L.B. Jefferies. Jefferies, or ‘Jeff’ as he commonly known throughout the film, is a middle-aged bachelor recently hospitalised due to his high-risk career as a photojournalist. This hindered condition serves as an important foundation on which the movie is built upon as Jeff’s forced lifestyle being in a wheelchair causes an abrupt stop in his usual high intensity way of life and causes him to quench his boredom in other ways, predominantly watching the other residents in his apartment complex through the ‘rear window’ of his apartment.

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In both films, a lot of the actions were taking place outside, so mostly sunlight was used and for the interviews the light was adjusted

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The idea of similarities among all people, an underlying connection, is expressed by Hitchcock when Lisa in Rear Window argues with Jefferies, saying, “There can't be that much difference between people and the way they live! We all eat, talk, drink, laugh, sleep, wear clothes --“. When she says this, Lisa has a lamp light shining from the upper right side of the screen to indicate the truth of her argument. There is also an instance in Rear Window where the ability to understand a person sprouts empathy. Jefferies is sitting in the dark, after Lisa leaves angry, when the piano man comes home.

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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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Camera narration is crucial to the effect the movie has on its audience. It is noticed that the viewer rarely gets close to the apartments or characters across the courtyard. The viewpoint is mainly fixed to Jeff’s apartment, apart from a few occasions where the camera plunges out of the window. The fronts of the buildings facing the main street are never shown either; instead all of the action takes place within the mystery and secrecy of the backyard, hence the title name ‘Rear’ Window. Perhaps Hitchcock realised that many people would not behave the same way in their front facing windows.

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To the unknown eye, Hitchcock has carefully and skillfully used Mise-en-scene to his advantage, causing the audience to feel fear and a sense of caution towards the character of Norman Bates. It isn’t until we reflect back on the scene and notice how intelligently Hitchcock uses the positioning of props and the characters, lighting, camera angle and staging, that we notice how he has added meaning to his characters but has also to the film, creating suspense and fear from one scene to the end of the film. Ultimately proving the point that Hitchcock “the master of suspense” uses Mise-en-scene to not only help make a brilliant film but also uses it as his disposal to add meaning in his

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She argues that the act of moviegoing satisfies these voyeuristic desires in people. She writes, “The mass of mainstream film portray a hermetically sealed world which unwinds magically, indifferent to the presence of the audience, producing for them a sense of separation and playing on their voyeuristic fantasy,” (pg. 186). In this essay, I will further discuss her viewpoints on cinema and voyeurism, and how it connects to the film Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock. Rear Window is a film that follows the

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719 Words | 3 Pages

The use of background light was an important focus in this picture, there was less attention to lighting the actors faces but in almost every frame there is well placed background light often combined with a moving light source. Repetition was also evident within the visual composition of the frame, the actors were rarely positioned within the center of the frame but always to the left or the right with a light source covering them from behind. Ridley Scott perfectly matches colorful high key light with low key lights creating impeccable contrast, this lighting used could be described as a modern Citizen Kane style. Although this is overall a very dark and low light film, the motif of shadows and darkness allows the beauty of light to truly be

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1225 Words | 5 Pages

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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774 Words | 4 Pages

These were explored by the use of the motifs of birds, eyes, hands and mirrors (Filmsite.org, n.d.). Hitchcock skilfully guides the audiences through a tale

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