"Rear Window"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Alfred Hitchcock's film, "Rear Window". It analyzes the film according to film critic Laura Mulvey. The paper specifically focuses on visual pleasure in the film and analyzes a particular scene that involves fade-in and fade-out. It shows how Hitchcock doubly achieved a thorough analysis of the human need for visual pleasure through his character, Jeffries, as well as through his production of a visually stimulating and thought provoking film.

From the Paper:

"Following the initial expository scenes of the film that reveal Jeffries' confining condition and establish plot devices, Hitchcock transitions via a fade-in to the first really meaningful scene of the film. Hitchcock uses a fade-out from the previous scene to a fade-in to this scene to indicate its relative importance. Following the fade-in, the camera pans around the apartments opposite Jeffries'. Unlike depictions of the apartments in previous scenes, the apartments are lit in a strangely dim, orange hue. While it doesn't out right conflict with the verisimilitude of the film since it could represent the time of day, there is something about it that suggests a new perspective, perhaps that the apartments will be viewed differently from this point on. This expository shot of the apartments is clearly not meant to represent a human perspective since far too much visual information is available. It is simply meant to establish what is accessible to Jeffries if he so chooses to see it. He has a sort of omniscient visual perspective of the neighborhood. In each of the apartments, people are going about their business, unaware that someone has full access to their lives. While in the film, Jeffries has yet to become interested in these neighbors, this shot, full of action, foreshadows his future obsession with the exciting view out his rear window. Additionally, the music accompanying this music serves not only to reveal the close proximity of the apartments, but also, since the music is a vocal range, it is meant to reveal the range of characters residing in the apartments. Finally, once the vocalist hits her top note, the camera rests on sleeping Jeffries, covered in shadow. The shadow represents the audience's knowledge of Jeffries' internal workings at this point in the film; it also falsely suggests his vulnerability."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Film Theory and Criticism. 5th Ed. Mulvey, Laura. 836

More papers on "Rear Window":

• Essay # 51140 : "Hitchcock's "Rear Window"
• Film Review # 9838 : "Rear Window" by Alfred Hitchcock"
• Film Review # 9457 : "The Rear Window"
• Film Review # 7863 : "Rear Window"

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