Use Of Mise-En-Scene Techniques In Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

Situated in the rising action of the film, Rear Window (Hitchcock, 1954), this scene depicts Jeff sending a note to his neighbor, Mr. Thornwald, with the help of Lisa and Stella letting him know that they know about his crime. Hitchcock's use of mise-en-scene elements such as, lighting, setting, props, spacing and expressions between characters all allow Hitchcock to prove Jeff’s’ inability in the situation and develop important themes such as opposite perspectives and peoples’ engrossment with lives other than their own.
The scene begins with Jeff, Lisa, and Stella intrigued waiting for Jeff to finish writing the note directed to Mr. Thorwald saying, “What have you done with her?” This action represents the first step in the consolidating

of Jeff’s personal and romantic life with the mystery that is developing. Scene starts with a complex zooming shot, where the camera moves through space, from the long shot of the three to focusing in the note being written.

Zooming causes the audience to stare at the fix point, the note, compressing the world in the suspense of the scene. This scene ends with a fade cut, fading into black and returning from black. This creates the suspense that lets the audience know that something climactic will take place. This setting shows how as Jeff continues to piece together the puzzle, his case for Mrs. Thorwald’s murder becomes more inescapable, and eventually, Lisa and Stella become Jeff’s confidants.
As, the scene fades back from black, non-diegetic sound takes place as the background sound source. Sound that hasn't been implied to be present in the action: added for the dramatic effect. The suspense in the scene is constructed from this sound. Furthermore, props throughout this movie are essential, the audience are

shown everything through Jeff’s eyes by the use of binoculars, which represent his sight. Allowing the audience to get a real feel for Jeff and his isolation. Moreover, the camera switches to a third point of view perspective to show the audience the subjects that Jeff and Stella are viewing, as a subjective point-of-view. Once again, the camera switches back to Jeff viewing from his binoculars and this time the audience is experiencing his reaction to what he sees as well as experiencing his perspective. The framing in this view is essential since it focuses circularly in the important parts of the scene. An important moment is when Jeff’s binocular focus on Lisa walking to Mr. Thorwald apartment; Lisa’s waving alerts the audience and foreshadows that Thorwald is being watched. This cinematic technique allows the audience to find with Jeff as they are seeing the situation literally through his eyes. This technique also highlights Jeff’s voyeurism as well because it emphasizes how he physically watches their lives. Because of this, the viewers come to expect that what Jeff is noticing is a significant part of the action or plot of the story, creating a suspenseful mood. As a part of the storytelling, the general audience has learned to predict that the drama will unfold either because of, or through, this point of view. Ultimately, the audience is implicated in Jeff’s voyeurism because they are forced to take part in it along with him.
Throughout the setting of Lisa in Mr. Thorwald building there are diverse scenes that include different cinematography effects. The spacing chosen by Hitchcock of emerging the body shot is essential as he uses the walls between windows as tension-congested in hiding places. Mr. Thorwald moves from one window to the next, and when he disappears behind walls in the transitional space, are unknown settings. Similar effect as when Lisa moves from one side of the building to other. While Lisa tries to escape from Mr. Thorwald, the camera angles that Hitchcock uses reveal Jeffries’ powerlessness in the situation. Hitchcock uses medium close ups when the camera is focused on Jeff’s and Stella reactions and long shots when it’s focused on Lisa and Thorwald’s interaction in the apartment. This technique puts the audience in Jeff’s situation, far away from Lisa and Thorwald and unable to help her get away from him. This sense creates suspense since no one can help Lisa and Jeff is uncapable of doing something. Up until this point, lighting in Mr. Thorwald’s apartment has been illuminated allowing the viewers to see the breathtaking scene.
Lisa returning from the suspenseful scene, Stella focuses in Miss Lonelyhearts preparing to take a dangerously large amount of sleeping pills, but Lisa redirects their attention to Thorwald and his wife's handbag.

Essentially, it is important to remark how Jeff changes his expression after Lisa risks her life in Thorwald’s apartment. It’s not until she enters his fantasy world that his impression of her begins to change. There is a change in Jeff’s feelings for her and represent how different they are from their neighbors. The scene of Miss Lonely-hearts allow Jeff to see how isolation leads someone to suicidal thoughts and can finally see the impact Lisa has in his

life.
The alternating point-of-view shots, particular framing choices, specific visual elements the audience sees, and dialogue that Hitchcock used in this film prepare the audience for plot development and send the right signals as to what the audience should be picking up from this scene. The plot of this film relies on the audience’s own participation in this voyeurism because if they had not joined Jeff as he inappropriately watched his neighbors, the criminal would not have been caught.