Surveillance In Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

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A man sits in his chair, staring beyond his room; peering into the lives of others. He watches as a couple argue, a man plays on the piano, and a barely dressed woman unknowingly gives him a private show. He ends his phone call and blissfully relieves himself of his itch. What Jefferies might view as harmless entertainment demonstrates the insidious nature of government surveillance.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) highlights the unequal division of power between genders. This is shown by Jeff spying on others, his treatment of Lisa and Stella and their involvement in helping him. Hitchcock portrays these events with the goal of showing that the world of surveillance is a male dominated sphere that can be easily abused.

Jefferies shows how surveillance can be used as a form of escapism and …show more content…
In doing so it gives him a feeling of escape from his situation and power since he’s watching people perform for his entertainment. Telling Lisa to “Shut up” is similar to trying to switch channels or turn off a program which is why he tends to ignore her. Jeff’s form of escapism relates a lot with how people seek freedom from boredom. People are constantly following the lives of others for their own entertainment whether that be reading about someone else’s life or gossipping about their neighbors. Hitchcock hones in on the male perspective of entertainment by having the camera focus on what Jeff looks at therefore we tend see women sexualized, and the personal conflicts of others. It’s not just about boredom however. Jeff feels intimate and involved in the lives of others from far away which makes him feel powerful. This one sided intimacy is shown when Jeff raises his glass of wine to a lonely girl pretending to have a date. Within that moment Jefferies sees himself as part of their life which is why he never second-guesses his belief that Thorwald is a murderer. Compared to his relationship with
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