Hitchcock's Constraining Perfection

In Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, the very essence of the film does not come from James Stewart’s portrayal of L.B. Jefferies or from Grace Kelly’s take on Lisa Freemont but from the mise-en-scene established so well through the elaborate set design. The apartment complex, in which Jeff and Lisa uncover the murder of one of their neighbors, is a breathing, living organism with many functioning parts. It holds numerous occupants all suffering from a heat wave hitting the local New York neighborhood. The viewer and Mr. Jefferies, are only akin to what is taking place in the complex’s backyard, chained to his room via a broken leg. We are shown through the setting the lives of the unique Ms. Torso, a dancer, the lonely and desperate Ms. Lonelyhearts as well as a newlywed couple, a composer and the ominous Mr. Thorwald, the man Lisa and Jeff know to have killed his spouse. The small windows and fire escapes frame our point of view and limit our viewing experience. Our characters are able to vanish behind brick walls, sink into shadowy corners and burst into clarity, seemingly giving all the character’s free will and the film stark realism. It is a wonder the film wasn't captured on location.

Additionally, the realism and lack of control the movie seems to have over our characters provides the audience with the feeling that they are simply watching, we have no control over the happenings taking place on screen. Of course, when we watch movies, we know this to be the case however, seeing as our main character is bound to a wheelchair by a broken leg we are stripped of all of our control, making the suspense and stakes of the movie even higher. If Jeff was able to move, the set design, the lives of the characters and the suspense would not be nearly as gripping or allow the audience the time to appreciate its depth. The mise-en-scene of Rear Window compliments the plot and in itself is the shining point of this movie. Without the brick walls, the flowery courtyard or the limitations established by the windows in this movie, we would not have been able to fully appreciate the suspense our main characters experience. By the setting allowing us to become a Peeping Tom along with Jeff, Lisa and Stella the audience is caught up in Hitchcock’s imagination, one that always proves suspenseful and delighting.