The beginning sequence shows
us at an apartment building and it depicts many camera angles. It shows a lot
of details of the apartments, the clothes hanging from balconies, the
thermostat, the sweat on his face, the crowded rooms, and the radio playing,
the couple sleeping on the balcony because it’s cooler outside than inside, the
woman leaving her windows open while she got dressed, the screaming kids, and
the shaking of laundry out the window, and then the man’s cast and the sign on
it. The broken camera and the cameras on the wall can lead you to for shadow
that the equipment is for a reporter and he most likely got his leg broken for
butting into a situation for a story. Jefferies seems to be an investigative
journalist and he seems to take too many risks. However, it seems that the
early assumption of getting into trouble is wrong and turns out he just stepped
in front of a racetrack to try to get a good picture. The beginning scenes and
conversation tells you that he lives in a poor neighborhood.
A few dangers could exist for Jeff as he has the main
point of view. He creates a story about murder and could potentially be in
danger himself, he’s stuck in a wheelchair and trying to send other people to
investigate a murder. He endangers Lisa by letting her slip the note under the
door asking what they had done with the wife. Lisa puts herself in danger after
finding nothing and going inside the apartment and gets trapped, which is not
necessarily Jefferies fault since she chose to sneak into the apartment. The
sounds of birds and the music and nature around the area seem prominent to the
story to add effects. The fact that the windows are opened at all times says
something. That Thorwald leaves his window open while he cleans the silver case
seems weird even if it is too hot out and he can be seen restocking his case.
That doesn’t really make sense if he’s trying to hide what he did. The movie
ends with the irony of Jefferies ending up with two broken legs, it seems the
Jefferies can’t resist getting himself into some type of trouble.
I like that you point out how much context and back story is achieved in the first few moments of the film strictly by virtue of camera use. There is the pan across the courtyard into the the various lives of his neighbors like so many real life television channels. And, as you mention, the use of implicit close ups around the apartment profiling and starting an acquaintance of the viewer with the protagonist. The use of close ups to convey meaning is a technique used throughout the film, and, at times, is a little comical. I'm thinking of occasions when Hitchcock pulls right in to an actors face to express an emotion or attitude toward something that just happened. For instance, when Lisa expresses not only excitement but interest in Jeff's ideas and undertakings, the camera zooms in tightly on Jeff's face, where the viewer can see a look of satisfaction and perhaps new found interest in his girl. But it is the sort of awkward amount of time that the camera stays locked on that shot that I find kind of funny for some reason. I think maybe it is just due to it being an early period of figuring out techniques, and the use of the longer close ups, at least in certain instances,were eventually given up for shorter ones or other devices. It is something I have noticed in a lot of older movies, and it always makes me chuckle.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about the fact that he leaves the windows open while he is getting rid of evidence. It really doesn't make since. I'm glad you noticed that!
ReplyDeleteI can't seem to get away from this movie. The other day I was in the grocery story and I heard the song, "Mona Lisa", its the song playing at the end of the movie. Songs play a huge aspect of this movie. The beginning of the movie features a instrumental version of, "That's Amore". The song, "That's Amore" translated it means, that's love. "That's Amore is the theme song to the relationship between Jeff and Lisa. Lisa loves Jeff, but does Jeff really love Lisa. Lisa is blind to the fact that Jeff is kind of a freak. or maybe she likes pain, I have learned some women like that sort of thing, stupid 50 Shades book. I can see the relationship between Jeff and Lisa being very much like Carrie and Mr. Big from Sex and the City. Yes, I used to watch that show. I was told I am a combination between Miranda and Samantha, but enough of my tangent. I think Jeff liked to look out at his neighbors because he found his own life boring and wanted a little excitement, but what this did was cause a great danger to his "loved" ones.
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