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Voyeurism In Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

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Voyeurism is a theme which is represented through many screen based works and is actively a part of society today. The theme of voyeurism in film and media is used to focus primarily on the role of the viewer, relying on cinematography and mise-en-scene to drive the audience's feelings of curiosity and visual stimulation. Due to its prevalence in society, voyeurism is a central theme in many of Alfred Hitchcock's films. His film, Rear Window (1954), is a psychological thriller which incorporates unique visual techniques, especially camera-work, to create this voyeuristic experience for the viewer. As well as film, television shows also incorporate a huge aspect of voyeurism, especially reality television. Big Brother Australia, (Southern Star …show more content…

In just four carefully choreographed shots, the opening sequence in Rear Window already introduces main characters, sets the geography of the setting and creates a subjective perspective.
This conveys the tone of the film for the audience, and the theme of voyeurism is already exposed in the first frame. The sequence begins with a slow track through the windows of the protagonist, Jeffery’s (James Stewart), apartment. This slow reveal captures the audience’s attention and creates a desire to see what will happen next. The camera then pans around the courtyard allowing the audience to get a clear idea of the neighbour’s surrounding apartments. In this scene, Hitchcock’s smooth and subtle way of pioneering the camera to mimic a human’s gaze, forces viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism. Whatever Hitchcock allows the audience to see through these windows is important, as it is the introduction to how Jeffery uncovers a murder. The camera continues to pan around the courtyard; up ladders, stairs, along beams and balconies and then makes its way back into Jeffery’s apartment. Here, the camera stops on Jeffery, sweat drops rolling down his face. Hitchcock cuts to a close-up of a thermometer and then pans back around to the courtyard until a neighbour’s opened window is in clear view.

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Released September 29, 1950, Sunset Boulevard is a film noir of a forgotten silent film star, Norma Desmond, that dreams of a comeback and an unsuccessful screenwriter, Joe Gillis, working together. Ultimately an uncomfortable relationship evolves between Norma and Joe that Joe does not want a part of. Sunset Boulevard starts off with an establishing shot from a high angle shot with a narrative leading to a crime scene shot in long shot (a dead body is found floating in a pool). The narrative throughout the film established a formalist film. Cinematography John F. Seitz used lighting and camera angles in such a way to create a loneliness and hopefulness atmosphere.

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Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rear Window sort to challenge the ideas of ethical and moral values of the characters throughout the film can change or affected by situations and circumstances in different ways. Some character in the film consolidates this idea, as both and Lis and Stella at the beginning of the movie seems to disagree to moral values of Jeff, as they show a strong disputation of his impulsive behaviour throughout. The obsession of Jeff towards observing his neighbourhood has a great impact in the film. In the film, Jeff’s characterise as a great person and have a good moral values base on his personal principles and the way he acts but the fact that he entering other people life because of his own pleasure reinforce the idea that

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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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The film reflects on the fact that the audience assumes the role of voyeurs to the screen exhibition because it plays on emotion through the character of Hugo and his

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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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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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Alfred Hitchcock successfully performs suspense and shock in a number of ways. One way was when he reveals that the cop is following her, making us think that he found out concerning the money she stole. Another way is when we see Norman staring through the hole, examining her as if he is waiting to make his move. The last technique that Hitchcock constructed suspense is when we identify a shadowy character gazing at her take a shower, making us wonder who it could

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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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The connection of shots in this scene portrays Hitchcock’s use of montage very well because of the sound, shots, point of view, and emotions that he creates. Hitchcock uses his images with excellent taste, especially in Rear Window, and this scene. First off, the sound that is in this scene is very interesting to me. There is music that plays the whole time while Jeff and Lisa are conversing and it is very soothing and relaxing. When the lady who owns the dog sees that her dog has been murdered, the music stops, shifts to a different song, and somewhat becomes faster paced.

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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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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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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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