Rear Window is a 1954 mystery thriller directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock and is considered to be one of Hitchcock's best films. Throughout the semester we have learned and discussed about various types of shots and film formats used in film production. I'm choosing to analyze the opening scene of this film to highlight some main-points learned from lecture and lab.
Rear Window was filmed in Technicolor which we learned in class is a color motion picture process known for its costly, yet rich in color results that is created with what is essentially black and white film stock by combining two or three separate strips of exposed film tinted with special dyes. The film was shot entirely at a studio, including an enormous set on one of the soundstages. In the opening scene there is careful use of external diegetic sound, including natural sounds of the city and music drifting across the apartment building courtyard to James Stewart's apartment.
The Golden Ratio-the rule of thirds, is established immediately in the opening scene when the audience is introduced to the courtyard of the apartment complex through the three window panes of the Stewart's apartment window. The three window panes break up each of the three views of the courtyard for the viewer, allowing for the large and complex set to be easily understood and dissected. Also, narrativization is used effectively within this opening scene where the use of space is making space tell a story by showing the public and personal lives of the tenants within the apartments.
The smooth moving long shot is used initially once the camera starts to introduce the people and their lives in other apartments. This technique is used to define people and their space while introducing us to the potential characters of the movie. The camera uses a close up shot of James Stewart's head to detail the perspiration and then pans to a close up of the thermostat to explain his perspiration. From here the camera switches to a medium long shot to show a closer look at each character’s life within their apartment. This produces a more intimate relationship with the viewer and the audience.
From this point the camera utilizes the medium close shot technique to offer a more detailed and intimate showing of the main character of Stewart. The camera moves smoothly and quickly to each article of importance to illustrate Stewart's life and personality. The scene ends with a medium close shot introducing Stewart's initial dialogue.
The film shot techniques discussed in lecture and lab have made me now aware of the shots in the countless films that I have seen in my lifetime. I now continue to view and analyze film with my new found techniques and appreciate learning the simple foundations to film production.
