...voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. Rear Window is a film that has been connected to surveillance since its creation; the film manages to put the audience in the wheelchair of the main character L.B. Jeffries. From the beginning of the film when the curtain is raised it makes the audience feel like they are looking through Jeffries window and spying on his neighbours. It is hard to imagine surveillance and voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. Rear Window is a film that has been connected to surveillance since its creation; the film manages to put the audience in the wheelchair of the main character L.B. Jeffries. From the beginning of the film when the curtain is raised it makes the audience feel like they are looking through Jeffries window and spying on his neighbours. It is hard to imagine surveillance and voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. Rear Window is a film that has been connected to surveillance since its creation; the film manages to put the audience in the wheelchair of the main character L.B. Jeffries. From the beginning of the film when the curtain is raised it makes the audience feel like they are looking through Jeffries window and spying on his neighbours. It is hard to imagine surveillance and voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. Rear Window is a film that has been connected...
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...Rear Window Film Review Dawn B ARTS/100 Introduction to the Visual and Performing Arts June 24, 2013 Alfred Hitchcock was considered the master of suspense, and with very good reason. Hitchcock had a very productive film making career in which he made 53 major films. His production of Rear Window, a movie based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich titled, “It Had to be Murder” ("A Work In Progress,” 2013) is one of his most famous. I have seen Rear Window several times over the years, the first time in an art house theater in Lake Tahoe, California. It is my favorite Hitchcock film, and I looked forward to watching again. I relaxed in my recliner with a glass of wine to enjoy this Hitchcock masterpiece after everyone had gone to bed on Thursday evening, June the 20th. Rear Window opens on an apartment complex courtyard- peering into the windows of the people who live there. The camera tracks up and shows the audience a woman getting ready for the day. The camera tracks down and to the left to see the milkman walking away and into the street behind the building before tracking back around to the protagonist, L.B. Jeff Jefferies (James Stewart) in his apartment. A close up on Jefferies reveals the sweat on his forehead before cutting over to a wall thermometer showing how hot it is. Panning over, viewers get a closer look at the various people from the apartment across the street. The viewer sees a neighbor with shaving cream on...
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...sufficient example of a fashionable detachment of Hitchcock’s flesh from Hitchcock’s concepts. High honor is given to Hitchcock himself, but on the other hand, it is slightly troubling for critics and film academicians. (as if Hitchcockian was the monster Kronos who ate all of his own children, in an effort not to be overthrown, but the problem lies in the fact that we are more interested in his children). Moreover, there are couple of other obstacles which keep us from approaching Hitchcock’s films more closely; In the first place, as Robin Wood claims, Hitchcock is not perceived as “a serious director” by many film academicians or critics since he was a part of Hollywood movie production whose commercials intentions were blatant. Hence, Hitchcock is suspected of “ being influenced by commercial interests and compromising his vision to accord to the mob’s taste .”|ustupky komercniho ohledu a na zasadni kompromisy s pokleslym lidovym vkusem |. (Wood 9) What is more, Hitchcock himself offered many murky comments or an absolute silence concerning his movies. William Rothman in “The Murderous Gaze” seems to be irritated by John Russell Taylor’s conclusion in an authorized biography of Alfred Hitchcock which claims that: “It seems unlikely that Hitchcock, even in the secret places of his heart, regarded himself as anything other than a practical movie-maker.” William Rothman, an eager admirer of Hitchcock believes that “Hitchcock’s silences mocked those who took for granted that...
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...Summary of the Rear Window (1954) The movie Rear Window is basically a story about an injured, yet dedicated journalist who is forced to stay in a apartment room until his recovery. Jeffries, the journalist, is always found near a rear window in his tiny apartment room, where he watches his neighbor and neighborhood every single day that he came to be accustom to it. He has a nanny, Stella, who comes daily to clean and look after him. Stella is none other than an observant, imaginative woman whom foreshadows “trouble” in the area. True enough, Jeffries witnesses fights between Mr. and Mrs. Thorwald in their apartment that leads to a suspicion that Mr. Thorwald has murder his wife, when suddenly, her existence in his rear window view is no longer seen. Jeffries seeks support from Thomas, a detective friend of his; however, Thomas is reluctant to help him, using all kinds of excuses to convince Jeffries that nothing particular actually happened. With the help of his nanny and girlfriend, Lisa, Jeffries fought to reveal the truth. Towards the end, Jeffries sends anonymous letter about Mrs. Thorwald saying, “I know what you did to her” to Mr. Thorwald to frighten him so that he would surrender; yet, it turns out that the action causes the discovery of Jeffries presence. Mr. Thorwald attempt to kill Jeffries by throwing him out of his rear window eventually result him in being recognized as a murderer and was arrested. James Steward – Jeffries Grace Kelly – Lisa Thelma Ritter...
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...Hitchcock Footprint Comparison Essay Alfred Hitchcock’s ability to draw the viewer into an atmosphere where you feel completely immersed is parallel to none. His style of directing has made movies recognizable beyond that of even a modern day film. His movies have been able to transcend that of many scary movies of the time because of the footprints that he embedded into each movie. These trademarks or seen throughout all of his movies, and they all share a common ground. In two of his greatest films Psycho and Rear Window you can see that these footprints attribute to the overall mise en scène of the movie. Some of the footprints that Hitchcock leaves in these two movies are extraordinary situations occurring to ordinary people, voyeurism, sound leading to climax, dark lighting, and close up shots. In Psycho one of the main characters Marion Crane an ordinary realtor's office secretary is thrusts into a situation where she is on the run from the law as well as her won guilt from stealing 40,000 thousand dollars. The fact that she works a nine to five just like every other American of the time creates common ground. When she was eventually murdered in a motel, it made the viewer feel as if it can happen to anyone who stays at a motel. In Rear Window the main character L.B. "Jeff" Jefferies was a photographer, a job which seems pretty ordinary but when he his bed ridden due to a broken leg he is thrust into an extraordinary situation where he is watching a murder investigation...
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...“Fashion Dreams: Hitchcock, Women, and Lisa Fremont” by John Fawell discusses the way femininity and fashion play a significant role in the creation of Alfred Hitchcock’s films. Fawell states that Hitchcock’s “works are characterized by a fascination with women, with their charm, their sophistication, their maturity, their wisdom” (277). This is especially compelling in the way that Hitchcock often treated his actresses on the sets of his films. It seems that Hitchcock is very fascinated with the feminine traits of women and women’s fashion in general. However, as it was stated in the article, Hitchcock often wanted to change his actresses’ techniques and ways in order to show a more human side to them. This fascination with women is shown in the female characters of the film such as Lisa Fremont, and Miss Torso. He often casts them as sexual objects, with Miss Torso’s outfits and dancing...
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...Introduction Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest horror film directors of his era, was born on August 13, 1899 in Leytonstone, England. Alfred Hitchcock was considered by many people the “master of suspense and thriller” as he virtually invented it. Hitchcock told his stories through “intelligent plots witty dialogue and a spoonful of mystery and murder. In doing so, he inspired a new generation of filmmakers and revolutionized the thriller genre, making him a legend around the world”. (http://www.hitchcock.nl/eng.htm) What do you guys think suspense is? What do you believe Thriller is? Alfred Hitchcock loved suspense; it is defined as the feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. Normally in Alfred’s movies the audience is feeling anxious not too excited. One lady did complain about Hitchcock’s movie scene from the movie Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock replied and said “To a woman who complained that the shower scene so frightened her daughter that the girl would no longer shower: "Then Madam I suggest you have her dry cleaned”. This quote also illustrates the bizarre and abnormal side of Alfred Hitchcock as he craves for the petrified and uncertainty of his audience. "To me Psycho was a big comedy. Had to be” said Alfred Hitchcock. Another famous and strange quote from Alfred himself, as “psycho” was no comedy but described as a horrific and daunting movie that even viewer’s who have seen the movie before cringed in despair. “Always make...
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...TermPaperWarehouse.com - Free Term Papers, Essays and Research Documents The Research Paper Factory JoinSearchBrowseSaved Papers Home Page » Film and Music Opening Shot Analysis of Rear Window In: Film and Music Opening Shot Analysis of Rear Window The opening scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window essentially acts as one long establishing shot — only rather than establishing just the location of a scene, it establishes the entire film in more ways than one. One particularly important shot in the scene, beginning 00:02:36 into the film, tells the audience much of what it will need to know about Rear Window’s setting, characters, and themes. The long take begins with an alarm clock waking up a couple, sleeping out on their balcony. As the camera moves from window to window around the courtyard, we see a few brief snippets of characters’ lives. And finally, the audience sees inside the apartment that has been its point of view all along. Mise-en-scene, framing, and cinematography all play a role in this shot. But while the first device reveals information about the film’s setting and some of its major characters, cinematography and framing are the dominant devices because they illustrate what truly lies at the center of Rear Window: its themes. An attentive viewer could gather troves of important information about the story and its characters from the mise-en-scene in this shot. In the audience’s brief tour around the courtyard, it sees a number of things that...
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...In this essay, I will discuss the cinematography, montage, musical composure, and the effect it had on the movie it was used in. I recently had the pleasure of viewing Alfred Hitchcock’s movie titled “Vertigo”. It is based on the 1959 novel “D’entre les morts” that was written by Boileau Narcejac. Jimmy Stewart who was portrayed “Scottie” was stellar in this film as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s presence and directorial style; paramount. Cinematography, which is the combined art and technology of films and how it is created, was evident in this film (Cinematography). One of the features that Alfred Hitchcock is heavily noted for is the use of color to draw in feeling and emotion within a scene. For instance, in the opening scene of Vertigo, the first thing you will notice is the use of red, blue, and green. The colors shifted from one to the next with the changing of objects and certain panning techniques that were used to focus the audience on a certain point of the frame and color significance. Most importantly, Hitchcock used those colors as a lead in to the rest of the entire movie, which they are used throughout every scene and have a specific meaning and connection. For an example, the color red was used in a matter that would have the viewer assume that emotions like that of terror, fear, and horror. However, throughout the film the same color is used in flowers, wallpaper, and other scenery, which had a different meaning as in warmer emotional feelings. The color blue...
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...Modern cinema described both Staley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock as the pioneers of their genres and professions. Social culture on the other hand named Kubrick an undeniable genius, free-spirit and in a biography of Stanley Kubrick, a “talented shit” (Baxter) and Hitchcock “The Master of Suspense” and what I gather to be mainly just a sick, obsessive pervert. That all being said, these men faced the new world that was emerging in film. It was the early 1960’s and the Hollywood Studio System collapsed which led to an intense weakening on censorship rules. From fluffy tales of love, suggestive and symbolic vampires, and only whispers and innuendos to appease the audience need for guttural expose, rose the dawn of sex and violence. This concept of weakened censorship paved the way for two very disturbed, very brilliant people to move to the forefront of mainstream cinema. Stanley Kubrick was a targeted to resurrect “Spartacus” at the beginning of his career and it was an instant classic and quite a feat for someone as new as he was. Hitchcock on the other hand was riding on success after success with his films “Vertigo” and “North by “Northwest.” While they had many differences in genre and execution, they were both...
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...The opening scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window essentially acts as one long establishing shot — only rather than establishing just the location of a scene, it establishes the entire film in more ways than one. One particularly important shot in the scene, beginning 00:02:36 into the film, tells the audience much of what it will need to know about Rear Window’s setting, characters, and themes. The long take begins with an alarm clock waking up a couple, sleeping out on their balcony. As the camera moves from window to window around the courtyard, we see a few brief snippets of characters’ lives. And finally, the audience sees inside the apartment that has been its point of view all along. Mise-en-scene, framing, and cinematography all play a role in this shot. But while the first device reveals information about the film’s setting and some of its major characters, cinematography and framing are the dominant devices because they illustrate what truly lies at the center of Rear Window: its themes. An attentive viewer could gather troves of important information about the story and its characters from the mise-en-scene in this shot. In the audience’s brief tour around the courtyard, it sees a number of things that provide a set-up for the following narrative. The shot opens on a couple waking up to an alarm clock from a nap on their balcony. They are wearing sparse and light clothing, rubbing sweat off their foreheads, and have bright natural light from above shining on...
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...Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window is another great movie I watched during this class. In the movie, a photographer is stuck in his house because he has cast. He is bored and starts watching and observing his neighbors. I did not get why the neighbors do not mind exhibiting themselves all day long while doing even the most private staff. So he has an idea and attitude for each neighbor. He watches some neighbors having sex, some neighbors paying instrument, some neighbors dancing, some neighbors arguing, or doing art and so on. In the first five minutes of the movie a very nice looking women dances half naked while she is taking care of some errands at home and a women being portrayed in the beginning of the movie is just a great example to Mulvey’s idea of gender role which is a controlling force in movies and it is mostly created for the pleasure of the male viewers. “The cinema offers a number of possible pleasures. One is scopophilia. There are circumstances in which looking itself is a source of pleasure, just as, in the reverse formation, there is pleasure in being looked at” (Mulvey 4). Women in movies also like being looked at and we can see the examples of that in the Rear Window and as...
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...How far can Alfred Hithcock’s unique styles and themes classify him as the ‘perfect auteur’? Alfred Hitchcock is frequently acknowledged as an ultimate example of an auteur from the themes and techniques displayed by his films. The film master is a father of mystery, suspense, and nerve shaking scenes as well as other themes like sexuality, roles of women and voyeurism. His work is highly stamped by thematic and stylistic devices and their consistency, personal aesthetic vision, inveterate themes and a defined view of the real world which attracts his audience. In his structure and content of the screenplay he is able to create moods which are sustained and shifted manipulate audience desires and fears; apply economy and wit and many other characteristics that make him a special auteur to be dealt on. Amazingly he is able to transcend the artistic challenges of studios and make highly personalized films that bear the stamp of his art personality rather than just sitting as a director. Hitchcock can be defined as an auteur through his films which is marked by his mastery of cinema techniques which is very unique and an exception from other film makers which is displayed in his use of camera viewpoints, elaborate editing and soundtrack to build some thematic instances such as suspense. Example of...
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...revenue. After the small infant industry saw the potential of creating films it took off. Moviemakers made sure films avoided controversial topics and offensive content fearing government regulations. The infancy of cinematography, a race of people thirsty for entertainment, mixed with a visual oriented guy with an interest in crime and a broad view of the world helped create a director to influence movies into countless generations. Born in London’s East End, on August 13, 1899, was Alfred Hitchcock. The beginnings of the world famous director were humble beginnings. His father worked tirelessly as a grocer, with long hours that paid very little. As a child, Hitchcock found himself interested in theater and the early beginnings of film. As a child, Hitchcock had an intense interest in crime, particularly British crime. After committing a minor crime, his father made him go to jail for....
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...Charlie Chaplin composed his own music for City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936) and Limelight (1952). That was the exception, and few film-makers would imitate him. He wasn't clear at all whose job was to score the soundtracks. German cabaret pianist Friedrich Hollaender scored Josef von Sternberg's Der Blaue Engel/ The Blue Angel (1930), which included Marlene Dietrich's signature tune Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe Eingestellt/ Falling In Love Again. Von Sternberg kept changing musicians: Karl Hajos scored Morocco (1930) and Franke Harling Shangai Express (1932) and The Scarlet Empress (1934). In the 1930s, after a few years of experimentation, scoring film soundtracks became an art in earnest thanks to a small group of foreign-born musicians, first and foremost two Austrian-born and classically-trained composers. Erich-Wolfgang Korngold's coined a lush, overwhelming, operatic style with Michael Curtiz's Captain Blood (1935) and especially The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and The Sea Hawk (1940), as well as Charles Gerhardt's Anthony Adverse (1936) and Sam Wood's Kings Row (1942). Max Steiner explored many different moods, sensational in Ernest Schoedsack's King Kong (1933), one of the first soundtracks to rely heavily on sound effects, pathetic in Victor Fleming's Gone With The Wind (1939), including Tara and countless references to traditional songs, exotic in Michael Curtiz's Casablanca (1942), melodramatic in Irving Rapper's Now Voyager (1942), gloomy...
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