Film Journal #7: Rear Window (1954) - "Best" Films

In my film journal topic of the three "Best" films I've ever seen, I had to have a Hitchcock movie and while I love Hitchcock films in general, it was not a difficult decision to pick Rear Window.

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Rear Window is distinguished by it's rich cast of characters. From the sophisticated and cool (but not cold) Lisa Fremont, the cynical and down to earth LB Jeffries, the even more down to earth and wise Stella; and the cast of neighbors who they spy on, each with their own distinct story.

Jimmy Stewart as L.B. Jeffries
            The film's main character, Jeffries is a photographer who, due to a broken leg he received in the course of an assignment , is confined to his apartment and has nothing better to do than spy on his neighbors across the courtyard. Luckily for Jeffries they're in the middle of a heat wave and everyone keeps their widows open and shades up. Jeff's girlfriend, Lisa Fremont, very much wants them to marry, although Jeff has a very cynical and frightened view of marriage and fears being tied down and sees examples of these fears in his neighbors. Brushing Lisa's ideas of marriage off most of the time, he at times seems more interested in the lives of his neighbors than in his own. Jeffries' spying turns into something more though when he believes his neighbor Mr. Thorwald, has murdered his wife. Jeff becomes obsessed with trying to get Thorwald arrested and proven guilty.

Grace Kelly as Lisa Carol Fremont

            Jeff's girlfriend, Lisa is, as Jeff describes, "too perfect", "too talented" and "too beautiful". Indeed, she seems to approach perfection, dressing and acting wonderfully throughout the picture and obviously very in love with Jeff, even when she could easily have her pick of many other men if she so desired. For those who wonder why Grace Kelly has the legendary reputation she does as an actress despite only having worked in Films for 3 years ( 3 years in Television before that), they need only watch this film to see why. Kelly is cool but not cold, and looks beautiful at every moment. She's very hurt that Jeff is afraid of being tied down by her, for she feels up to accompanying him wherever he may go, knowing full well it will not be easy or comfortable. She tries to prove that she can handle this by doing things for Jeff such as climbing and sneaking into Thorwald's apartment, even getting arrested, to help Jeff catch Thorwald. She also cleverly responds to a comment by Jeff about needing to live out of one suitcase by bringing a small purse that contains all of her overnight clothes and supplies. She is extremely devoted and gorgeous, a marvelous character to behold.

Thelma Ritter as Stella

"Kidney ailment, they said. Nerves, I said. And I asked 
myself, 'What's General Motors got to be nervous about?' 
Overproduction, I says; collapse.When General Motors
has to go to the bathroom ten times a day, the whole 
country's ready to let go."

            An insurance company nurse hired to take care of Jeff, Stella is even more down-to-earth than Jeff however she possesses insight, knowledge, and a natural, almost gut feeling like perceptiveness, supposedly having predicted the stock market crash of 1929 while nursing a director of general motors.

            Stella's perceptiveness is almost impossible to explain, she simply seems to "get" life. She understands it and makes out like she has all the answers which, it seems, she does.
            One other interesting aspect about Stella is her willingness to comment on the sickening qualities of the murder. When she retorts that Mrs. Thorwald "Must've splattered a lot", Jeff and Lisa look at her almost disgustedly and she replies, "Come on, that's what we're all thinkin'". This frankness is exactly what we expect from Stella and it helps us remember that this is not just some game of cat and mouse and that it *is* dangerous and disgusting and that a woman *was* killed.

Raymond Burr as Lars Thorwald

            The film's villain, Thorwald lives almost directly across the courtyard from Jeff, who throughout the picture, is trying to prove that Thorwald killed his wife. Being one of the neighbors, he doesn't get very many distinguishable lines however he is more menacing than most movie villains. Where Darth Vader or Blofeld, at least for me, fail to be scary, the somewhat overweight, grey haired ordinary Thorwald is really terrifying. No matter how many times I see this picture, I get up on the edge of my seat when I see Thorwald looking as he does in the above photo. While he is undoubtedly the villain in this picture, we can't help feel a little sorry for him as Jeff almost cruelly toys with him, especially in the film's climax where Thorwald asks Jeff what he wants from him to which Jeff simply sits silent. As a side note, Burr was supposedly hired, in part because he could be easily made up to look like David O. Selznick who, Hitch felt, interfered too much.

The Neighbors

Miss Lonelyhearts
            A tragic character, Miss Lonelyhearts, as her name suggests, is unmarried. She is middle aged and only wishes she could have someone to share her life with.

Miss Torso

            Miss Torso, on the other hand, for much of the picture seems to be "doing a woman's hardest job: juggling wolves". She is a young dancer who Jeff takes particular please in watching, for she is very pretty and has a habit of not wearing much.

The Composer                                                                                    
  A frustrated artist, the composer lives in the studio apartment to the right of Jeff and is the source of the hauntingly beautiful melody, "Lisa", that drifts throughout the courtyard.

The Newlyweds

            The Newlyweds are, at first and for a while, in the "honeymoon stage" although they soon, and as we might be led to believe, inevitably, become unhappy and feud. They, perhaps more specifically than anyone else, for we see them transition from love to contempt, show exactly what Jeff is afraid of: going into marriage and being happy for a bit, only to wind up miserable in the end.   

The "Dog" Couple

            An old married couple, they seem to be content with their uneventful lives and have a dog which they lower into the courtyard with a basket on a pulley. The wife is extremely upset when she finds out their dog has been strangled and starts yelling out so all of the neighbors can hear, that this isn't really a neighborhood, that these people aren't neighbors.  They don't care about or even talk to one another. Indeed, the only things that being them out of their isolation are this speech, and Jeff's fall from the window. By the end of the story, though, they seem to have gotten over the loss of their dog and have a new one who uses the basket, just like the last one as they, just like everyone else, have essentially forgotten about what's happened and moved on with their lives as if nothing had happened.

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 designed by Edith Head

Thanks for showing off, Edith Head

The Costume design in this film is just spectacular. The characters are always in relatively simple clothes, not to say that there isn't style in the costumes, but it is the simplistic, uncluttered, modern style that Edith Head is famous for. While all of the costumes in Rear Window are good, where Head's talents shine is on Lisa Fremont. Appearing in a total of 6 costumes throughout the picture, the character of Lisa, as played by Grace Kelly, is a wealthy socialite who, if there's one thing she knows, "it's how to wear the proper clothes". She appears impeccably dressed and if any one of these costumes were used in a lesser film, they would be the best costume in it and serve as an icon for that film, but this isn't any lesser film, it's Rear Window with Costumes by Edith Head.

    1.  Black & White Dress                                 The first time we see Lisa Fremont, she introduces herself to the audience after Jeff playfully asks after having just kissed her, "Who are you?". Lisa makes her way around the room, turning on three lamps, each time giving us a part of her name: Lisa, Carol, Fremont; afterwards, showing off her new dress to Jeff and every penny (or in this case, grand) is up on the screen. While the  Lisa is dressed exquisitely throughout the film, none of them approach the impact of the black and white dress. It is very extroverted and very quickly tells us that Lisa is a woman who likes to dress well and that she is very refined, very upper class, and clever at that. It is an extremely memorable and effective character introduction that has very few, if any equals. It, like the whole film, is extremely stylish and enjoyable, but with a purpose. I remember, when I first saw this film at the age of 11 or 12 or so, being completely spellbound not only by the film, but by Grace Kelly. I had never seen a woman in real life, or in film, looks so good or act so nicely as Lisa and I still haven't.

    2.  Black Dress                                             The second costume Lisa wears in the film is even lighter and airier than her first dress, although is darker and not quite as extroverted. Her shoulders are covered although thinly, and the V at the front of the dress is much higher angled. The skirt of this dress is more subdued and while it flows, it does not extend outwards like the first dress. Her shoes also, are close toed instead of the more open sandals she wears earlier (although sketches for both dresses show close toed shows). This change reflects her change in mood after their fight the previous night in which Jeff tells her she's not cut out to travel with him and he's not cut out to stay in New York all the time. Jeff still desires to keep things "status quo" and Lisa, almost on the verge of tears, it seems, questions what value their relationship can have with no real hope of a future, with an, as they've put it now, impossible dream, for hoping for something impossible is only going to lead you to pain. Lisa's change of attire also reflects the darkening mood of the whole film, for the first discussion of Mrs. Thorwald's murder between Lisa and Jeff takes place now and the film is becoming more focused on the murder.

    3.  Green Suit                                            Nowhere near as somber as her black dress, Lisa dons a green suit for this part of the picture. Green is prominently seen in the paint on the walls of the Thorwalds' bedroom, and even more prominently in Miss Lonely Hearts' apartment and wardrobe. Green has many associations, but in this film it evokes envy the most.                                                                          Miss Lonelyhearts is a middle aged, unmarried woman who seems to want nothing more out of life than someone to share it with and she can't get it. We are shown several heartbreaking displays, first her setting the table for and even welcoming in an imaginary date, ironically to the tune of "To See You Is To Love You". She is a kind woman as evidenced by her appearing to be the only neighbor that really cares at all after the dog is strangled, she even makes sure he is gently put in the basket and seems to wish there was more she could do to ease the grief of the dog lady, for she too knows pain and doesn't want her to suffer through it alone as she does. While she has no idea Lisa even exists, her green clothing and apartment suggest envy although this envy is not spiteful, but longing. It seems almost cruel that Jeff has a perfectly perfect woman such as Lisa and yet he resist her. Meanwhile, while Miss Lonelyhearts is left alone in her apartment with no one to go see, and no one to come see her.

        4. Nightgown                                                             As stated earlier, Jeff is terribly afraid of being tied down. He fears becoming the unhappily married Mr. Thorwald , even more so fearful perhaps that under those circumstances, he might do just what Thorwald has done. He also fears being happily, but sleepily married like the couple with the dog who, despite being content, seem to have little excitement in their lives, something Jeff also fears. He fears that Lisa will not be capable of handling all of the rough trips and adventures that he has in his job as a photographer and will therefore tie him down. All to conscious of this fear, Lisa, in one of her attempts to prove herself, shows how easily she can pack an overnight bag that is little more than a small purse yet contains slippers and her flowing nightgown. Keen members of the audience will notice a similarity between Mrs. Thorwald's nightgown and Lisa's that connects the two women.

    5.  Flower Dress                                 
            Lisa's last dress in the film, is is more down to earth and practical than her earlier costumes while still retaining the style she is known for. This transition in costume reflects Lisa's desire to show Jeff that she is willing to give up some of her comfort and style to live and travel, and most importantly, be married to him.
            Hitchcock disliked using cliche' motifs of horror and instead favored ironic beauty or peacefulness that enhanced these terrifying situations and this dress seems to echo that. Despite being worn at the most serious point in the film, it is "happier" than anything else worn in the film. The light coloring of the dress also makes Lisa easier to see when climbing around outside and , characteristic of Lisa C.Fremont, her skirt still flows and sways, more so than anytime before, for she's actually climbing around and moving. This dress is also, like the white blouse she wears with the green suit; sleeveless. This is yet another example of Lisa dressing more for the rough world of international Photo-Journalism.


    6.  Casual Clothes                                 
            Seen only briefly in the epilogue, Lisa is shown lounging around in these extremely simple and casual clothes and this seems to reflect her increasing devotion to following Jeff wherever he goes. As the film closes, we see that Lisa is reading "Beyond The Himalayas", presumably in preparation for her adventures with Jeff although, after Jeff is asleep, she puts the book down and picks up the "beauty edition" of Harper's Bazaar, assuring us that the glamorous Lisa Fremont is not gone for good but has merely expanded and adapted herself.

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One of the things about Rear Window that is very unique and special is it's soundtrack. Almost every note of music, save for the opening instrumental, is digestic, also known as source music, meaning it comes from somewhere in the film and the characters can hear it: a record player, radio, someone playing instruments live, etc. This is used extremely effectively as, at different times in the film, the music compliments, or contrasts with the action on the screen.

          There are many notable pieces of music heard in the film, "To See You Is To Love You", ironically accompanies Miss Lonelyhearts' imaginary date and at the exact moment the lyrics mention "in a doorway", Miss Lonelyhearts welcomes her imaginary date into her apartment. The song continues and she goes as far as taking his imaginary hat, getting an imaginary kiss on the cheek from him, and pouring two glasses of wine, but as the song ends, so does her fantasy and she lays her head in her arms and cries.

            Another noteworthy use of music is the song "Mona Lisa" which is sung by the guests at the composer's party, with the composer accompanying them on the piano. This song accompanies yet another tragic episode with Miss Lonelyhearts after she's found a man and brought him inside her apartment. Miss Lonelyhearts pulls the blinds, although due to the angle, we are still able to see most of what is happening, and the man starts passionately kissing her. She begins to resist after a few seconds as she is interested in love, not just a sexual relationship and knows the man is not. She slaps him and sends him out the door, crying as she slams it in his face. The lyrics to the song also tie into the film, 

          "Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?

            Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art?"

They seem to comment on Jeff's feelings for Lisa, for she's "too perfect" for him however she shows him that she's warm and real and really loves him.

Hitchcock's cameo as a man setting the clocks in the Composer's studio

'Lisa'

Rear Window uses irony very well, especially dramatic irony although in a

different way than most films, for in addition to us as the audience reacting to

the events unfolding onscreen, we see the characters react onscreen, for Jeff, 

aside from calling the police, can do nothing more than we can about what is

happening around him than we can. 

            Perhaps the most important source of music in the film is the composer's studio that is to the right of Jeff's apartment. Throughout the film, the composer works on the film's theme, Lisa and as a result, is plays a part in much of the film. Lisa calls it, "Enchanting... ", remarking that "It's almost as if it were being written especially for us.", to which Jeff replies, "No wonder he's having so much trouble with it". Lisa is noticeably disheartened by this remark and it is one of many cynical jabs that Jeff sprinkles all over. The theme grows, develops, and advances as the story does and, only at the climax and end of the film, do we hear it in its' entirety. The song is so moving that it's beauty saves Miss Lonelyhearts who, upon hearing it, halts her suicide attempt to listen to the song. At the same time, Lisa stops, one floor above, to listen as we see Thorwald returning to his apartment. This piece of music also closes the film and we hear the record of it, complete with vocals, accompanying the final pan across the courtyard, showing us what has become of all of the neighbors. Miss Lonelyhearts has began a relationship with the composer and tells him "I can't tell you what this music has meant to me", a dramatically ironic statement that the composer is not aware of the full implications of. Thorwald's apartment is being repainted and refurbished for a new occupant, the dog couple has a new dog, Miss Torso welcomes her short, squat army boyfriend home, and the newlywed wife nags her husband for having quit his job.

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 "We've become a race of Peeping Toms. What people ought to do is get outside their own house and look in for a change. Yes sir. How's that for a bit of homespun philosophy?"

The whole film centers around the idea of Voyeurism and seems to comment not only on our examinations of the lives of others, but on movie viewing as well, for we devote an enormous amount of energy to examining fictional characters and situations yet we spend a infinitesimal fraction of that time examining our own lives.


Cinematographic Vouyerism                                                                                                        

The massive single set for Rear Window was built entirely on a sound stage. The height of the set necessitated the tearing out of the basement and the lights got so hot at one point, that the fire sprinklers went off!

            As the plot is voyeuristic to begin with, voyeuristic shots are natural and every shot is either inside Jeff's apartment, or looking out from Jeff's apartment. We as the audience are spying on the neighbors just as Jeff has and we feel ourselves judging and watching these characters with him, we feel we know these people, the carefree and sexy Miss Torso, the too much in love Newlyweds who keep their shades drawn the entire day, the frustrated composer, Miss Lonelyhearts and the unhappily married Thorwalds. Many of these characters, in the end, turn out to be not quite who we initially believed, for Miss Torso is not dating around and we find at the tend of the film that she was, all along, waiting for her short, somewhat unattractive, bespectacled army boyfriend to come home. The supposedly happy newlyweds end up unhappy as they argue about money. Through the film, we believe we know and understand these people when we truly do not. We should not judge people quickly or even slowly but shallowly, but should try getting to know them. In this neighborhood, the neighbors never seem to really interact with each other and it takes a dog bring murdered or Jeff being thrown out of a window for them to make an attempt to come together at all. This serves as a commentary on our lives, we stay in our houses and apartments unless we are forced to look outside by misfortune or unfortunate circumstances and, even then, we may just go back inside when it's done.

Parallelism

One of the masterful ways in which the neighbors are used is parallelism. They represent and compliment his fears over all of the possible paths his life could take. Jeff is afraid of becoming stationary like the content, but unexciting dog couple. He is afraid of becoming unhappily married and tied down a wife like Thorwald is. As if this wasn't enough, Thorwald's murdering of his wife strikes more fear into Jeff as Thorwald's unhappiness in married life was so great, that he was driven to murder, something Jeff finds truly chilling. Even the newlywed end up unhappy as the wife nags her husband for having quit his job. Jeff's highly cynical attitude towards marriage is more understandable when we remember what sort of neighbors he has. The only one of his neighbors who he seems to envy in a way is Miss Torso however he learns that she too, is not what she seems and has a steady army boyfriend who she enthusiastically welcomes home.

Overall, Rear Window encourages us to look in and to realize that what we see of others, or even the world, may be lacking for, we may see what we think is someone and feel we know them, but we cannot really get to know someone without making an effort to connect with and talk to them, showing compassion and care, for if we don't make meaningful human connections than life can be pretty hollow.