Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

The Outside Perspective of a Community

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window embodies the significant importance of community outside its most literal sense. The relationship formed within oneself and the residential group in which such individual associates with, gathers an understanding of where this person fits within this community. With a detailed analysis on how cinematic framing, voyeurism and the importance of community within the film are connected, a better understanding of the entire film as a whole will be further comprehended. Hitchcock embodies the ethical question of whether its morally acceptable to spy on the people living in the same neighbourhood, for the goodness of everyone living in that same community. The angle of the

Hitchcock makes sure to focus the attention to the specific people at specific times. The windows are being used as frames for the people within the apartments and this happens to ensure that the plot follows because of the fact that there are so many characters. Framing the community as a whole helps to focus the attention on the main issue happening during the film. The cutting from one window to another reinforces the sense of isolation. The ideal of having a perfect community with each neighbour opposes to voyeurism. Stella warns, “We’re a race of Peeping Toms. People ought to get out of their homes and look at themselves.” Thorwald is the only tenant who shows no concern for the death of the dog allowing for the dog’s death becomes further proof of Thorwald’s guilt. In Rear Window’s scene, Hitchcock clearly favours giving ambient sounds to each neighbour to further enhance their character. All of these noises that each character gives off is used as a way to connect each individual with one another. The sounds give life to the characters and to the community as a whole as it boosts the realism of the film’s setting. The bereaved mistress of the murdered dog denounces her neighbours or apartment society for not being a community. The set isolates individuals by having each character or couple appear in separate windows. The

It also involves the voyeur with no responsibility as Hitchcock presents voyeurism ambiguously. Throughout the film, L.B. Jeffries, a photographer is bound to a wheelchair in his apartment until his broken leg will heal. His perception is limited to a world only seen through his apartment complex window. The tenants of Jeffries’ apartment open their windows and reveal personal stories to Jeffries without them knowing. Each window opens a unique narrative for each individual and he even gives the characters titles as he follows their lives. By maintaining the voyeuristic point of view from the rear window of Jeffries’ apartment, the audience views the same events that Jeffries stumbles upon from the same limited perspective. Hitchcock reveals minimal but enough information to the audience in order to keep them interested as events unfold in the movie’s narrative. Because the viewer knows as much as Jeffries does, they are forced to make their own conclusions regarding this mysterious murder plot. Rear Window creates a minimalist cinematic world within the confines of a single apartment complex in comparison to a lot of films that portray cinematic worlds with numerous settings and sets. The camera’s gaze never leaves Jeffries’ apartment or what is just outside his window. Sight is the primary sense being used therefore a great amount of