Movie Review Rear Window - 1227 Words

I. INTRODUCTION While several of his works dwell considerably on voyeurism, Hitchcock’s 1954 film Rear Window addresses it most directly. Not only does the film comment explicitly on ‘rear window ethics’, it also forces audiences to identify with the characters who violate them. No character in Rear Window is morally clean, and through several cinematic techniques, Hitchcock compels viewers to sympathize with nearly all of them. More than anything, Rear Window is a film about the audience’s complicity with ethically imperfect characters and their ethically imperfect behavior. This is particularly evident in two climactic scenes. The first scene creates a close identification with L.B. Jefferies, the main character and principal voyeur†¦show more content†¦This serves to frame the murder mystery plot and distinguish it from the numerous personal developments and narratives experienced by the other neighbors. Looking beyond its narrative function, the use of binoculars is a morally problematic development in Jefferies’s voyeuristic project. This is acknowledged by the film itself. As Stam and Pearson note, Stella criticizes Jefferies as a ‘Peeping Tom’ and â€Å"‘window shopper’, and [†¦] refers to Jefferies’s telephoto lens as a ‘portable keyhole’†. Inherently, the lenses represent a more potent and intentional violation of privacy than merely gazing out of the window. But despite the film’s self-conscious critique of voyeurism, Jefferies continues to utilize his lenses as a tool for his spying, and the audience continues to share his point of view. The technique forces upon the audience complicity in Jefferies’ voyeurism, and it can often evoke discomfort, especially when the lens’s gaze is focused on a private or intimate moment. It is also worth noting that Hitchcock relies on the framing technique to evoke discomfort in his other films. For example, in his 1960 film Psycho, Hitchcock employs the round framing technique to force the audience to identify with the murderer Norman Bates. As Norman looks through a hidden peephole at his victim as she undresses, theShow MoreRelatedMovie Review : Rear Window1083 Words   |  5 Pagescharacters that lead the story, and both Kazan and Hitchcock take advantage of that by allowing those characters to provide depth to their respective worlds. Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released on August 1st, 1954 follows a newspaper photographer with a broken leg, who passes time recuperating by observing his neighbors through his window. He sees what he believes to be a murder, and decides to solve the crime himself (but with the help of his nurse and girlfriend, of course). On The WaterfrontRead MoreMovie Review : Rear Window1649 Words   |  7 PagesIn Rear Window, Hitchcock uses visuals in order to capture the perfect cinematic film and experience. We as the viewers identify with Jeff because much like how he is watching his neighbors, we are also speculating his life as a film. Our hero, L.B. Jeffries or â€Å"Jeff†, out of boredom creates an outdoor theater for himself by spying on his the people outside his window. Hitchcock uses â€Å"murder-as-entertainment† and the idea of watching a cinematic film as ways to captivate the viewers and make us subconsciouslyRead MoreAlfred Hitchcock s Psychologi cal Pressure, Mystery, And Wit1430 Words   |  6 Pageselements of Hitchcock’s films have also inspired the genre of horror films that many know well today. Alfred Hitchcock, known for the false accusations and incredible suspense in his movies, was an extremely successful director and influenced the movie industry with his unique form of film entertainment. Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in London in August of the year 1899. 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