Rear Window Essay

The Classical Hollywood Cinema was a period of time that roughly lasted from 1917-1960 where the production of film followed both visual and narrative style. These films follow the same structure with a beginning of the film with an opening shot, and then an event occurs that causes a problem which sets the characters in motion to work towards a goal which by the end has been resolved which the common route for a classical film is. This essay will analyse the components that construct the film Rear Window (1954) and why this classic Hollywood film appealed to the audience. As well as analyse why Django Unchained (2012) can be classed as having a classical Hollywood narrative and how it could be argued that Quentin Tarantino and Alfred Hitchcock

’ Where Bordwell, Staiger and Thompson argue that the classical style has 'persisted ' since 1960’ as stated by Neale and Smith (1998) contemporary Hollywood films follow the classical style and narrative. Hitchcock and Tarantino have differently styles of directing, they are auteur directors but despite this they produce the classical Hollywood narrative within their films. Django Unchained includes an underlying love story as Django (Jamie Foxx) is joining Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in hope of being reunited with his wife, accompanied with a happy ending from the perspective of the main character. The male graze that was often portrayed in classical cinema is also shown in Django as although he is searching to find her, she is merely a side character and can be seen as just an object for the men in the film and the audience to gaze at. This is because ‘Hollywood Cinema has been a key source of idealised images of femininity in this culture’ stated by (Jackie Stacy, 2013, p.90) The men would then be interested in the films because they would be fascinated by how the women looked and the women would look up to the actresses wanting to be them. (Schauer, 2007)said ‘Rather than abandoning the art of storytelling, it seems as though Hollywood has in

The spectator has the privilege of being ‘invisible’, looking without being looked at.’ (Jackie Stacy, 2013, p.21). It’s suggested that the act of voyeurism cause people secret pleasure sometimes it’s linked in with sexual pleasure for some so makes them have a connection to the film. The main difference from the directing styles is how the violence and special effects were composed in films as in Rear Window the techniques used to create the film was produced with no fancy CGI as the atmosphere and narrative is enough to captivate the audience and the violence wasn’t allowed to be as bad due to censorship. (Schauer, 2007) stated ‘Rise of a film aesthetic that asserts its presence much more forcefully than the ‘invisible’ camerawork and editing of classical Hollywood. A flashy, attention grabbing style and innovative special effects may allow a particular film to rise above its competition and attract a large audience.’ This expansion of the new techniques creates a bigger following of people as they enjoy the visual effects of the scene accompanied with narrative. However, style of which the film is shot with the mysterious mood, alone appeals to the audience as they were unable to detach themselves from the story thus becoming a part of it as the ‘invisible’ character. Through voyeurism we see it from the perspective of the main character that we