Rear WindowReview
The film Rear Window follows the life of L.B. Jeffries, a famous photographer who is confined to his wheelchair in his apartment. The original review focusses on the life of Jeff, who observes people’s lives from the comfort of his apartment. The review paints Jeff as a stalker who cherishes observing other people’s lives as his life is stagnant with no notable occurrences. The reviewer paints a picture of how Jeff’s life is somewhat intertwined with our lives as we are deeply immersed in Jeff’s point of view. The reviewer paints Jeff’s actions as diabolical (does this mean the audience is diabolical, too?). The reviewer, however, rubbishes this thought using the movie as an analogy where the audience gets to experience different ideologies from the protagonists’ point of view.
The reviewer highlights two primary issues with the protagonist: (1) spying on others and (2) the inability to live in reality but rather living in a fantasy. The review point’s Jeff as a perverted mystery man who is obsessed with other people’s lives. However, in the review, Jeff becomes a hero who can solve a crime by piecing together information collected from observing his neighbors(Ebert Para 3). Jeff can notice every nuance of activities happening from within his neighborhood, which makes him somewhat a vigilante. From the review, Ebert agrees that the protagonist is a gateway to the decisions the audience makes. As noted, “What he sees, we see. What conclusions he draws, we draw–all without words, because the pictures add up to a montage of suspicion”(Ebert Para 4).
Ebert’s review explores the concept of voyeurism, which is employed by Hitchcock in the film to provide character to the film. The concept glorifies spying as art, while the original review paints spying as perverted.Ebert’s review focusses on how Jeff is in love with the concept of voyeurism through photography, where he gets to observe other people’s lives while neglecting his own due to his fears and insecurities(Ebert Para 6). Ebert adds that Jeff’s impotence may be one of the reasons why he is disinterested in living his life and having a healthy relationship with his fiancée, Lisa(Ebert Para 6). The leg cast may have taken his masculinity hence the insecurity of being intimate with his fiancée. However, he seeks love from an inanimate object, his camera, taking photographs of he can view at a distance but cannot feel. Ebert seems to agree with the original review that Jeff would “rather look at the lives of others than live inside his own skin”(Ebert Para 2).
Ebert also points out that Lisa is the anticlimax to the concept of voyeurism in the film. She is more concerned with winning her fiancé’s love back and tries to take his attention from his obsession. She spoils Jeff with champagne and catered dinners(Ebert Para 10). However, Jeff does not acknowledge Lisa’s efforts. Ebert acknowledges that Lisa’s beauty may be the anticlimax to Jeff’s voyeurism, which driven by the audience’s hunger to know what happens next. To Ebert, if Lisa is successful in wooing her fiancé, then it may be difficult to solve any case.
One of the details which could be added to the paper would be regret. Throughout the review, the writer paints Jeff as an individual immersed in his passion, observing others. The end shows Lisa going to the killer’s house. The suspense created, however, masks a lot of feelings from the protagonist. Does Jeff regret focussing on other people’s lives rather than his? Does Jeff regret not loving his fiancé? Does Jeff wish he could go back in time and save his fiancé? The review ends in suspense, and adding regret would serve as poetic justice to the audience.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. “Rear Window Movie Review & Film Summary (1954) | Roger Ebert”. Rogerebert.Com, 2000, https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-rear-window-1954.