"Rear Window" Analysis Paper

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film “Rear Window” demonstrated a suspenseful and terrifying storyline, which captured the attention of a variety of audiences. The film focuses on James Stuart (Jeff) and ultimately his neighbors who live around him. Stuart is crippled from the beginning of the movie and is unable to leave his apartment. Due to his immobility, he remains confined in his home with a broken leg and begins to watch his neighbor’s particular behaviors and routines. The film progresses into drama and suspense that is seen through music, lighting, film editing processing and extensive detail to the neighborhood being watched. Rear Window exhibits these details in the scene where Grace Kelly who plays the role of Lisa, attempts to investigate Thorwald’s home by breaking in.
Sound plays a key element in the film Rear Window. Set in New York City, the busy city sounds such as traffic noises are heard as well as the noises and sounds of the apartment complex. It is in extremely hot summer season, and the courtyard of apartments that face each other all have their windows wide open. Music is an important sound element. The background music heard is suggested from a musician’s apartment or a neighbor’s radio and is carefully changed to fit the situation of the scene. It helps create the mood and change the pace of the scene, which suggests emotion. Oddly in the scene where Lisa sneaks into Thorwald’s apartment she is dressed impeccably in a fine designer dress, high heels with a pearl necklace. She is a high fashion model who is illegally entering another person’s apartment. Yet the music is almost deliberate in its romantic sound quality and slower pace. It is a seductive sound as Jeff watches this atypical woman enter into a dangerous situation. Jeff is intrigued both with the mystery and danger in a way that makes Lisa more attractive to him. It is also interesting that as Jeff becomes more involved in watching Thorwald’s apartment, the