The Meaning Of Voyeurism In Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

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Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film Rear Window is truly a masterpiece, as it uses fascinating cinematic elements to carry the story and also convey the meaning of voyeurism. Throughout the film we are in one room, yet that does not limit the story. This causes the viewer to feel trapped, similar to the main character, while also adding suspense to the detective story. The opening scene itself, draws the viewer in. In just five minutes and 27 shots, the viewer is given an introduction to the main character, his lifestyle, his condition, and his neighborhood. The lighting, the costumes, and the set are all presented in a way to catch the viewers eye, compelling them to crave more. Combining vivid lighting, edgy cinematography, and unique set design, Rear Window, proves why Hitchcock is still remembered as one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time.
Rear Window tells so much of the story visually, using the camera as a narrative. Through a long crane shot, the camera movement introduces us to the neighborhood and the people who live there. Eventually, a man sleeping in the apartment from which we were looking, is shown with sweat covering his forehead, causing the viewer to assume it is hot. The camera then moves to the wall to show a thermometer that reads 92 degrees, proving this assumption correct. To go along with camera movement, Rear Window, strongly demonstrates the Kuleshov theory. This theory created by a Russian film theorist discusses how editing can affect a persons perception. The theorist noted that you could take a shot of an actor’s blank face and intercut it with an object, therefore changing what the audience believes to be the emotion the actor is expressing. Throughout this film Hitchcock shows us wh...

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...m plays a considerable role in this film. Jeffries, the films protagonist is bound to his apartment, so for entertainment he watches people through his window without them knowing. From the very beginning these characters seem to so interesting, so no wonder Jeffries decides to watch them. While watching the film, we become witnesses of their private lives, making us voyeurists too. In this film windows are not used in a traditional sense, they expose people, they symbolize confinement, and they allude to suspenseful plot devices. Hitchcock’s aesthetic configuration of the film manipulates the audience into questioning several aspects of the film and in life in general. Hitchcock’s originality in Rear Window was not only successful during the golden age of Hollywood, but it continues to be creatively adapted and consistently influential in today’s cinema as well.

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