Thematic Elements

Rating: Null/10 (22 April 2003)

Directly quoting from Webster's Dictionary, a theme is `the subject of a work of art.' If this is true, which it undoubtedly is, then perhaps the main theme in Hitchcock's masterpiece Rear Window is the notion of appearance versus reality. Accordingly, the underlying message of such a theme is that what one sees in everyday life could in fact be nothing more than a facade, or simply put, a mere deception of one's genuine character.
How Hitchcock portrays this particular theme is quite subtle. But through the eyes of L.B. Jeffries, the audience is revealed to the extremely personal side of life by spying on several local neighbors whom both Jeffries and the audience can view from a rear window. Of course, the personal side of life in this film encompasses the actions and secrets that are occur in the home and hence this is what really constitutes the reality of individuals. Therefore, what is done in society and in public by people can be interpreted as being solely superficial. Thus, as Jeffries continues his acts of voyeurism, he discovers several truths that contrast the perceptions of these people held by the rest of society.
Oddly enough, this is a very common theme among many Hitchcock films. For example, the character of Charles Oakley in Shadow of a Doubt gives the appearance of the very intelligent and likeable guy to many of the local dwellers in Santa Rosa, California. However, once his niece Charlotte becomes aware of his personal secrets, her appearance of him forever changed into the image of a ruthless killer, which in reality Uncle Charlie was all along.
One scene that demonstrates this theme is when the husband of the newly wed couple is resting on his elbows and leaning outside the window. To the local neighbors and society in general, this newly wed couple would more than likely portray the appearance of happiness out in public due to the fact that they are a recently married couple. However, what the audience sees through Jeffries point of view is that in reality the husband is obviously displeased and bored with his current situation, which is distinctly represented by a look of misery.
Another scene that contains the concept of appearance versus reality is when the boyfriend of the ballet dancer finally returns home from some kind of military service or war. For a majority of the film, this dancer is given constant attention by several men. Though, this occurs in her bedroom, the appearance this gives to others who know her either in town or in the same building is that she is very promiscuous. In truth, this idea of her being very sexually active is far from reality. Regardless if many men are pursuing her, this character never makes advances towards them sexually, but she also never denies them the luxury of her company. And when her boyfriend finally comes home, the audience is well aware that this is the only man that she has been waiting for and loves because of the ecstatic reaction she displays towards his homecoming.
There are several film techniques that Hitchcock utilized to highlight this main theme. One area that added to this thematic atmosphere was the lighting in Rear Window. True to his reputation of being a cinematic genius, Hitchcock used the lack of light and unique shadows to characterize times when people did not want their personal lives or reality to be discovered and known by others. In some sense, by hiding in these shadows, the characters felt comfort in the dark blanket that served as a barrier for them against individuals in the outside world who were trying to uncover their secrets.
Perhaps the scene that best demonstrates this technical characteristic is when a local dog in the film is found dead. The female owner of the dog upon discovering this tragedy is clearly outraged and horrified. She in response creates a vocal ruckus so loud that everyone in the neighborhood looks out their window or walks onto their deck to see what all the commotion is about. One neighborhood by the name of Lars Thorwald however does not get up to see what is happening. Jeffries attempts to see what Thorwald is doing, but his efforts are soon thwarted when he realizes that Thorwald has turned off all of the lights and can no longer be seen through Jeffries' telephoto camera lens. Thus, in order to escape the reality that Jeffries suspects of him, Thorwald hides in the darkness while smoking a cigarette of his apartment.
The camera angles used by Hitchcock also articulate this theory of appearance versus reality. Many of the shots that comprise the neighbors within this film are that of close-ups. In particular, these close-ups serve as representations of the point of view of Jeffries when he is spying on his neighbors through his camera lens. But another way to define these close-ups is that they also represent the truth of these individuals that are being spied on because they are so up close and personal. Wide-angle shots are not very personal and give the outer appearance and surface of a given subject only. While a close-up on the other hand gets past the surface of something and really gets down in depth about one specific image. Symbolically then, the close-ups of characters within this film could serve as a method to get passed the superficial images portrayed by these people in society. And thus, they serve as the ultimate means of seeing the truth and reality of these characters.
An example of a scene that depicts this use of close-ups is when Jeffries is watching a character that is dubbed the title Miss Lonelyhearts. At first Jeffries only sees the surface of this character from afar as she happily prepares a fancy dinner for two in her apartment. However, it is only after Jeffries watches her closely that a close-up reveals the truth regarding the situation, which is that there is no one there at all but herself. It is then found out that Miss Lonelyhearts is indeed a very melancholy woman who is looking for love, but unable to find it roles-plays scenarios of romantic evenings in her spare time.
In the end, Hitchcock with the use of technical brilliance accomplishes the perfect mood and theme for this movie. For that reason alone, Rear Window stands as one of the greatest films within the Hitchcock collection. A film that at first appears to be nothing more than the voyeuristic journey of a photographer quickly adapts to offer an insight look into the notion of appearance and reality that dominates peoples' lives.