Basis of a Thriller: Rear Window

What are we afraid of?

Aristotle

• Believed in Catharsis - we watch violent/negative images to purge suppressed emotions

Zolf Zillman

• Excitation Theory - by experiencing negative and scary imagery we intensify the positive. We enjoy seeing the negative images being vanquished

Glen D Walters

• What makes a film scary?

1. Tension and Suspense - created using narrative and filming techniques
2.  Relevance - the fears explored are relevant to the audience. They 'believe'
3.  Unrealism - we know we are safe. We can experiment and explore

Creating Tension

• Subjective camera - Jeff's POV

• When the killer is returning, Jeff knows and we know but Lisa doesn't know
• We are helpless, we feel guilt
• We know the police are coming - do they get there on time?
• We do not know what they are saying
• They are slightly concealed in the killer's flat - we don't know how Lisa is handling it (how far is the killer going to go?)
• The killer realises he is being watched - what is he going to do?

Opening Scene

• Long shot - rather than tell, show

Pan and Tilt

• Residence
• Neighbourhood
• Apartments
• City/urban
• Average district
• Compact

Jeff

• Grey hair
• 40s/50s (radio talks about him indirectly)
• Mature man
• Perspiring
• Broken his leg (camera also smashed - HOW?)
• Death - RIP
• Helpless
• Photographer - sports, explosions, female fashion (negative print is shown first)

Temperature

• Thermometer
• Hot
• Summer
• Windows are open
• People moving outside
• Heat creates tension and angst

Scenario

• Morning
• Man shaving 
• Radio
• Grand piano (class/status)

Dancer

• White pigeons above
• Male gaze (camera focuses on her long enough until the audience's view is forced into masculine lens)

Dead Dog Scene

• The woman is very cynical and judgemental of the neighbourhood
• Loyalty is lost, non-judgemental relationship destroyed - this creates further unease in the audience
• The only person who has the lights out is the killer
• The people are indifferent towards this scenario and it goes to demonstrate the isolation and barrier between the different lives presented
• This is the only death we actually witness in the film and it is of an animal - highlights Hitchcock's minimalistic technique of relying on audience presumption for the plot to unfold