Rear window film techniques for students lisa tran youtube. Alfred hitchcocks rear window this essay will try to give an overview of two interpretations of rear window, both of which focus on the gaze and voyeurism of the movie, and both. Rear window is a 1954 american technicolor mystery thriller film directed by alfred hitchcock and written by john michael hayes based on cornell woolrichs 1942 short story it had to be murder. Known as the master of suspense, hitchcock had a special touch to each of his pictures that made him stand out as a director.
This scene is used to create suspense as the audience gain a feeling of uncertainty. Hitchcocks rear window 1954 builds a distinct view of the world and how, in the directors opinion, men and women fit in it. The end this scene creates suspense as the vulnerable victim is in a life threatening situation. Structurally alfred hitchcocks 1954 classic, rear window appears rather simple but when you examine the films editing, complexity and intention is revealed. Another camera technique that adds to this sense of constraint is the panning. Visual techniques in the work of alfred hitchcock paige a. What i like about this sequence is how we dont see their faces.
Jeffries is a highclass magazine photographer for what seems to be a worldwide publication. Alfred hitchcocks 1954 thriller rear window encapsulates his masterful use of controlling information to create deepseated. Essay analysing the themes, which wore used in the film red road 2006, and also the surveillance, misery and love and. Watching alfred hitchcocks 1954 thriller rear window is an interesting and somewhat unusual experience. The following analysis reveals a comprehensive look at the storyform for rear window. In his suspense masterpiece, hitchcock utilizes all of his favorite gender roles for. The camera shot is a extreme closeup so that we can see the victims face and how dangerous it is. One of the prime examples of hitchcocks use of optical pointofview shots is his 1954 film, rear window. For all intents and purposes, rear window is a film about voyeurism, so it makes sense that hitchcocks approach to the film would be. The films rear window, directed by alfred hitchcock, and the last laugh, directed by friedrich wilhelm murnau, both feature protagonists going through change, for better or for worse.
The narrative techniques used by hitchcock in rear window l. Themes and plot devices in hitchcock films wikipedia. How hitchcock used editing to turn rear window into a. Without criticizing or supporting these roles, rear. This way the audience feels like they are one with the character or are sharing something personal and intimate together. Alfred hitchcocks rear window a short analysis of the use of nonverbal. Camera movement in rear window an analysis task for film. Jeffries, jeff james stewart, a photojournalist, whose profession and travels mean everything to him.
How does hitchcock use rear window to define gender. Jeff expresses his own opinions on marriage in a conversation. In rear window, alfred hitchcock decided to create a professional. Sequence analysis assignment rear window, is a classical hollywood mystery capturing many aspects of human curiosity and society as it was in the twentieth century. In rear window 1954, lighting is used again to convey deeper. It has some of the best cinematography i have ever seen. This analysis will be conducted on this scene from alfred hitchcocks rearwindow 1954 situated at the climax of the film, this scene depicts l. Rear window by alfred hitchcock lisas study guides. An analysis of the themes and techniques in the movie. The importance of set design in hitchcocks rear window. Hitchcock used her a lot in notorious, to catch a thief, vertigo, and. There are such a vast number of planes to appreciate rear window on and one of those is its impeccable use of sound as well as a score courtesy of franz waxman. Unlike most of the analysis found herewhich simply lists the unique individual story appreciationsthis indepth study. The movie, rear window, filmed in 1954, directed by alfred hitchcock utilizes a wide variety of lighting techniques.
The set is designed to give you an easy map to follow of their surroundings. With james stewart, grace kelly, wendell corey, thelma ritter. Alfred hitchcock is not only the master of suspense, but pure cinema. This goes back to hitchcocks beginnings in silent film. There are two main purposes for his use of optical pointof view shots in rear window. Theme analysis for red road and rear window essay 1088 words 5 pages. The narrative techniques used by hitchcock in rear window. Film techniques of alfred hitchcock suspense, camera. Without sound, filmmakers had to create ways to tell the story visually in a succession of images and ideas.
Like jeff james stewart, the audience is also confined to a limited. Here are 3 of his filmmaking tips that you can apply to any film genre. Jeffries played by james stewart has been staring across the courtyard at him for most of the film, lars thorwald played by raymond burr confronts jeffries by. Without criticizing or supporting these roles, rear window puts every gender stereotype in play in one neat package and offers them for observation on a platter. Windows are usually a metaphor for freedom, but in hitchcocks rear window. The thriller is at the forefront of rear window 1954, but the film is really a love story between l. Ten essential film techniques or cinematic techniques all students studying rear window can find.
Innovations in filming or lighting or camera techniques. As summarized on the website the museum of film history, men are shown as damaged and needing help, while women are shown as caregivers. Marriage is a frequent topic of conversation during the first act of rear window, and this discussion forms the emotional core of the film. Rear window is therefore a film about filmmaking, yes, but its also a complex movie with depth, range, humor and warmth thats here, first and foremost, for our repeated pleasure.
A short film scene that shows what a character the subject is looking at. Hitchcock had a rather concrete opinion of how men and women fit into society in the 1950s, particularly as was represented in film. Alfred hitchcocks rear window analysis essay example. A wheelchairbound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and. The costumes for rear window were designed by edith head, one of the most famous costume designers in hollywood history. An educational edit of the opening of rear window that makes clear where some camera movements are used. In rear window, jeff is not a moralist, a policeman or a dogooder, but a man who likes to look. It is safe to say, then, that while hitchcocks techniques and films are not and. The film tells the story of a socialite who meets a tennis player on a train and shares with him a plan for a perfect murder and get away with it.
The 10 most ingenious techniques used by alfred hitchcock. Analysis of themes in rear window essay 1436 words. One of alfred hitchcocks very best efforts, rear window is a crackling suspense film that also ranks with michael powells peeping tom 1960 as one of the movies most trenchant dissections of. When watching a hitchcock film, the audience is seeing things in ways that. Rear window 1954 is an intriguing, brilliant, macabre hitchcockian visual study of obsessive human curiosity and voyeurism. Jeff jefferies, a professional photographer who is stuck in his wheelchair. Alfred hitchcock frequently began his movies with a scene that introduces the viewer to both character and setting in an understated, economical way. A hand draws back a shower curtain and a blade appears through the steam. The film rear window was added to the united states national film registry in the library of congress as being culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant. One of the main lighting techniques is low key lighting, this leaves a.
In the movie rear window, hitchcock can build the suspense the audience feels by building the one felt by the character. Men think women are interested in money or status or success, while women are only interested in love. Hitchcock uses multiple cinematic techniques, including camera. It goes without saying that alfred hitchcock is one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema. Alfred hitchcock called rear window his most purely cinematic film. There are crucial moments in the film where he is clearly required to act, and he delays, not because he. John michael hayes screenplay was based on cornell woolrichs with pen. Rear window film techniques for students lisa tran 1.
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