Rear Window.
Apr 13th, 2005 by Kate
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window: A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.
We watched this movie in my Methodologies of Art History and Visual Culture class (ART 4305) as part of our study on the gaze. I really enjoyed this movie. It had humor and suspense, the typical ‘curiosity killed the cat’ complex. I’m pretty sure that if I had broken my leg and was stuck inside all day I’d revert to watching my neighbors, what else is there to do? I will admit that I look out the window of my room across the courtyard to see what the guys in the next wing are up to. I usually don’t see much but imagine if I did…
One thing I really enjoyed about this movie was that all of the sound in the film was diegetic: all the music, speech, and other sounds all come from within the world of the film. Most movies aren’t made that way. I also enjoyed watching what Jeffries’s neighbors were doing. There is “Miss Torso” who dances around in her underwear, plays with all the pretty boys and in the end, welcomes her nerdy Army boyfriend home. Then there are the newly weds who keep their blinds closed for obvious reasons. *blush* There is the composer who lives in the studio with the fabulous windows and the married couple who sleep outside on their terrace because it is so hot. They also lower their dog into the backyard with a basket and string, genius idea I tell you. Each of these people go about their daily lives while Jefferies watches from the comfort of his home.
I also enjoyed how Jefferies (Jimmy Stewart) went back and forth between believing that his neighbor had murdered his wife and that he was being absurd. His detective friend, Doyle, seems to put out the flame on his suspicion while his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) fuels that fire with her “feminine psychology.”
Now I just have to write a paper comparing this movie and ‘the gaze’ to turn it in next Tuesday. If only I had some chips and salsa.