Rear Window

Rear Window, another classic Hitchcock film. Based on “It had to be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich (screenplay written by John Michael Hayes), tells the story of L.B. Jefferies (Jeff). A photographer, who just recently became wheelchair bound, must stay in the confines of his home, and goes people watching on a daily basis. This seemingly harmless pastime soon leads Jeff into a big mystery that he feels he must solve.

Directing Rear Window seems like it must have been one of the easier of Hitchcock’s films to direct. Besides a few shots, the film was completely shot from the perspective of Jeff from the window. The entire film is basically 3 camera shots, because Hitchcock only lets the audience to see what he wants them to see. In order to catch everything in the film you must watch it a few times to see everything Hitchcock puts into every shot. If not you could miss some key details that help the story flow more. The main difficulties in directing this film I would imagine would only be set dimensions, and lighting.

The lighting in Rear Window is very key for the scenes that it is used in. The focal point that I saw with the lighting was that it created a lot of shadows. It was very realistic and created normal lighting effects that light directly from the sun would also make. During the day scenes Jeff’s apartment was very bright with light filling the entire room creating once again a very lifelike feel. The night scenes had the entire apartment overflowing with shadows. For example when Mr. Thorwald came to Jeff’s apartment to confront him he becomes engulfed in shadow to the point where the audience can only see his legs and lower torso creating a scary scene. Another part of that scene that becomes very creepy is when the only light is on Thorwald’s eyes creating an uncomfortable feeling in the viewers gut.

Sound in rear window was kept to mainly dialogue and music. No big flashy special effect sounds just the basics. The music was mostly lighthearted and happy, but also dramatic at times. This marks the importance and type of scene. While I was watching the film I found that the music would blend with the dialogue and almost get lost in it. Thus making the music sometimes nonexistent.

The colors used in the film where mainly cold with lots of grays, blues, and whites. At the very beginning of the movie when the blinds open and reveal the courtyard and the building on the opposite of Jeff’s building the screen is consumed by warm colors, yellows, browns, light reds, and golds. The costumes in rear window are very limited. Jeff wears his pajamas for the entire film and everyone else is either wearing suits, or dresses and in one case two other people are wearing pajamas.

The only example of special effects that I saw in this film was when Jeff was hanging out of the window. This for its time was a good effect and very believable. But now it just looks cheesy.

Once again Hitchcock delivers another masterpiece of film. Rear Window although it is shot in a very confined area the audience gets consumed in a big story and it feels like you want to help solve the mystery and that is exactly what Hitchcock wanted.