"Rear Window" is More Relevant Almost 70 Years Later

     Alfred Hitchcock's film, "Rear Window," was released in 1954 and with the development of technology and social media, even more meaning can be found in it. Jeff is the protagonist and many shots are from his point of view, putting the audience in his shoes. He is very self-deprecating, feeling like he doesn't deserve happiness or making excuses to avoid his true feelings from being shown. For example, when he sees Ms. Lonelyhearts drinking wine alone, he raises his glass and drinks too as if he was down there with her. Doing this while Lisa is not looking shows his true desire for intimacy but he is afraid of commitment and being part of something larger than himself. Furthermore, Jeff is stuck in a wheelchair throughout, which can represent how when we are at a low point personally, we seek how other people are doing and compare each other, trying to feel better about ourselves by creating narratives that fuel self-pity.

    I also thought that the narrative of Mr. Thorwald being a killer would ultimately be a misunderstanding. The initial signs seemed too obvious that he would be a murderer, although Jeff had logical explanations for what he saw. Hitchcock never had me completely sold of either side though, and I believed that he would tell a story that showed how we observed others could be flawed, demonstrating that we should not jump to conclusions without hearing another perspective. Instead, Mr. Thorwald turned out to be a murderer and the story's message was more about close observation of others and how we could take action. It supports women and collaboration through a feminist lens too, since the most progress happened when Lisa and Stella go outside and take the risk that ultimately gets Mr. Thorwald caught while Jeff is left in his apartment.

    In the video above, Jeff says that he started watching his neighbors "just to kill time, but then I couldn't take my off off them," which mirrors how people can now view other through social media. Most people start using social media to interact with others and don't see the harm in it until they cannot stop watching. Social media lures us in and makes us constantly compare each other, which can have negative effects if not monitored. One way this is mirrored in "Rear Window" is in the mornings, since you see all the neighbors showing the best versions of themselves, but at night, their true feelings are shown, like with the songwriter going from playing his piano to sobbing at it. It is similar to how people will show their best version of themselves on social media. With ideas such as these being shown nearly 70 years ago, Hitchcock was ahead of his time in terms of looking at the lives of others.