Analysis of the opening of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film "Rear Window"

      The movie begins with a close up shot of a thermometer with the introduction of the credits appearing across the screen. The camera then pans across an animation of the location while the remainder of the credits follow. Within this animation the camera pans on to each window individually, giving short insights into the inhabitants of the flats through silhouettes through curtains. This introduces the audience to the mysterious plotline and voyeuristic style camerawork used by Hitchcock for the remainder of the film.

      The music throughout the opening credits is fairly upbeat and pleasant, contrasting with the more sinister music going with the mysterious plot in the remainder of the film; these credits are simply to establish basic characters within the plot, as well as the overall theme of voyeurism, through the shots looking to be as point of view shots of the protagonist (having not been established in the opening credits). These opening credits take place within one panning shot, where the camera moves to focus in on each window in turn. At the push in to the future murderer’s window the music becomes slightly more sinister, foreshadowing his later actions. This isn’t overemphasised however, as these being the opening credits his position as the antagonist hasn’t been established. The animated credits finish with a pull out shot to a long shot, showing the entire block of flats with every window previously focused on, while the music crescendos and Alfred Hitchcock’s name appears.

        It then cuts to a long shot of a man shaving in his room with a diegetic voiceover playing on his radio. The man then changes the radio station and carries on, demonstrating a sense of frustration within the character. It then cuts to another long shot at slightly high angle at a couple sleeping on a balcony, setting a fairly comedic tone – contrasting with the danger and peril later on in the film. The framing of the shot along with the slight high angle presents a voyeuristic image. The actions of the couple sleeping on the balcony also seem odd, reinforcing this idea of voyeurism; we are watching them whether they want us too or not. It then pans down to the topless lady’s room, where she is seen bending over and presenting herself to the open window, the long shot looking as if she is being watched from a distance. The music is fairly upbeat similar to the opening animation, the story hasn’t developed into the danger yet. It then pans away from her room to a narrow view of the street while the offscreen diegetic of children playing plays. This shot seems obscured and we are not shown much, reinforcing the sense of voyeurism that is central to the plot.

      The shot then slowly pans across the remainder of the area before entering the protagonist’s room. The whole area looks fairly suburban and typical of 1950s America.  We are introduced to the protagonist through a panning shot across his room. From the close up of his sleeping face the camera pans to a close up of his leg in a cast with the writing of “here lies the broken bones of L.B Jefferies”. We can immediately assume that he has been in an accident and that he has someone close to him looking after him due to the humorous writing on the cast. The camera then pulls out to a full shot of his whole body in a wheelchair, he is clearly immobilised. This fact will be important for the rest of the plot, as his immobility leads to him staring out of the window through sheer boredom, which develops into curiosity and eventual danger, by him noticing too much about his neighbours.  The camera then pans to a close up of a broken camera confirming that this man has been in an accident. This shot is followed by a pan to the wall of his room with photographs on it, establishing this character as a photographer of some sort. The protagonist’s profession as well as situation is established through the Mis en Scene of his room.

         The opening of “Rear Window” establishes the location of the whole plot, as well as some characteristics of the protagonist, all through a voyeuristic style which is continued throughout the entire film.