Voyeurism towards Women in Film: Rear Window
In the contemporary society cinema offer images that are geared towards male viewing pleasure, this is within set psychoanalytic paradigm like the voyeurism and scopophilia. Arguably, the concept of gaze is basically about the relationship of images and pleasure. In psychoanalysis, scopophilia is defined as pleasure derived in looking while exhibitionism is the pleasure of being evaluated. Manlove (88) notes that these two terms acknowledges the manner in which reciprocal relationships of viewing can derive pleasure. As such, Voyeurism can be referred to as looking while one is not being seen; it carries an exceptionally negative undertone of a powerful and/or sadistic position. In this paper Voyeurism towards Women in Film: Rear Window has been extensively analyzed to provide a deep understanding of Mulvey's understanding of conventional Hollywood narrative film
In references to Manlove (87) the insight of the camera as an apparatus of voyeurism has been discussed often, since, the position of the viewers of the cinema can be viewed as Voyeuristic as they set themselves in a murky room where there are not observable in order to watch the film. According to the theory by Mulvey, a camera is used as a tool of sadism and voyeurism, disempowering the characters before its gaze. Mulvey and other theorists pursuing similar line of thinking have examined precise films of classic Hollywood cinema when they express the influence of the male gaze. This analysis of the Rear Window can be complemented by Mulvey's construal of conventional Hollywood narrative film.
In an article published in 1973 by Mulvey – Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema – she adopts a radical critique on the modern cinematic discourse through feminist and psychoanalytic approach in analyzing her article. She reveals classic Hollywood film as an expression of patriarchal ideology that ascertains women as inferior subject to the male gaze. This focus in ideal in the film Rear Window since it deploys investigative narrative structure that presupposes male dominance. Correspondingly, Grace Kelly can be defined as one of the most beguiling women in film and a reason why Rear Window has been among the top movies (Manlove 87). Women have been portrayed in a way that accentuates their status as maternal figures or sexual beings. The film Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock is an example of films that are unequivocal about gendered looking, and the major protagonist in this film is Jeffries. Jeffries is restricted to a wheelchair due to his broken leg. He spends most of his time looking out from a window and this affords him a perfect view on people living in a building across where he believes he has witnessed the murder.
This film has been described by various film theorists as a metaphor of an act of film viewing itself where Jeffries is noted to be standing for cinematic audience. He is confined in a single position like a film viewer and gazes voyeuristically in that he freely views but he is not being viewed by those he is viewing. Similar to characters in movies, Jeffries neighbors are not aware that he exists or even that he has been viewing them in the close scenery from their homes. Window frames in this case acts as camera frames since it restricts what he can view about his neighbors' lives. This spawns in him a desire to know much more about the neighbor. In the film, Jeffries tracks the movements of his girlfriend Lisa as she turns to be his mobile surrogate. Lisa is shown to be searching for murder clues in the off screen space beyond the window frame neither Jeffries nor the viewer can views since it is off limits.
Arguably, Rear Window can be defined as a quintessential model of the male gaze in regard to female subjects of visual pleasure (Deutelbaum & Leland 53). Nonetheless, as Lisa investigation suggests in regard to voyeurism, the male gaze is not as powerful and controlling as suggested by some theorists. From Rear Window dimension, Jeffries gains power by watching, even so, he is weakened by his confined state. This makes him depend on his eyes and availability of Lisa to have access to knowledge. In keeping with Deutelbaum and Leland (53), gendered associations of power in regard to cinematic gaze is definitely complex. In Jeffries position, he is depicted to be frustrated in his attempt to gain more view and knowledge, and he is also punished for viewing when he is caught. Jeffries becomes suspected and trapped, and the murderer comes searching for him. In this regard, male looking has limitations and consequences.
The analyses of gaze considered the context of that audience who are seated in a dark theatre, the motion of the viewer and the role of narrative in viewer recognition with cinematic devices, the concept of gaze in still images are entirely concentrated on different kinds of looks implied in an image. Deutelbaum and Leland (53) state that in the history of arts, the notion that paintings leaned towards male viewers this had a lot to do with trade of art just as it was with sexual stereotypes of both genders, social roles. In reference to Wojcik (76), there has been a long tradition in the art that defines female nude as project and possession of male artist. In this work, male gaze look upon female figure as possessions and women become objects of the male gaze. These looks are accorded not accorded any power in the image.
Rear Window is best understood for its aspect of spectatorship. This is a theme present in other Alfred Hitchcock films like the Vertigo and the psycho. As pointed out by several other film theorists, Rear Window viewers' are encouraged to partake in voyeuristic activities of Jefferies. Everything Jefferies views the viewers also views, and Jefferies binoculars turns to be a stand in for movie camera. In his film, Jefferies binoculars are cast around neighboring apartments and significantly all what Jefferies sees revolves around violence and sex. For instance, Judith Evelyn (Miss lonelyheart) spends much of the film despairing over how she can never get a date. She is also observed to be fighting off unwanted sexual advances from a man she takes home. On a different occasion is Miss Torso who appears to have a tranquil existence with her gorgeousness and multitude of male admirers. Nonetheless, Jefferies erstwhile partner Lisa suggest on the presence of darkness behind Lisa's' sunny facade and points out at Torso to be getting involved in women hardest activities- "juggling wolves".
The word Torso refers to a trunk, and it is portentous given that at the crime at the middle of the narration in about dismemberment. In the film conflation of violence and, sex is explicit in that it unfolds in Thorwald apartment in the beginning of the scene. At this time, Jeffries witnesses Thorwald and Anna quarrelling in their bedroom. A scantily dressed Anna laughs at the scolds of her husband plods around in obscured frustration. Eventually, sexual tension in their marriage is shown to have reached a crescendo with the murder of Anna. It is apparent that Jefferies has considerable pleasure on spying on his neighbors. His binoculars keep him awake until morning. From this point, his voyeurism is comprehensible. In the begging of the film, he prides himself of being a photographer who was accustomed to taking shots from exotic locations all over the globe. He states that he has been denied to partake on his usual activities by his broken leg he looks for danger and excitement through his apartment's window.Rear Window is filled with mystery and suspense; however, he also has his eyes set of details like costumes, lighting and varied locations. He also has differing story lines, costumes, camera angles and choice of actors more so his eye of women.
As depicted from the movie, Hitchcock gains much respect from his stylistic experiment this film gives an example of an approach that works brilliantly. Notably, with the exception of a few critical shots during the climax, all scenes in the film had been recorded from one point - Jefferies apartment. He continues making shots with the camera within the confinement of his room and not at one point does he venture outside the place even when his girlfriend goes for some facts finding mission. All the events that take place outside the view of the window are also outside the view of the screen, and the only time any character becomes real is when they are in the room with him,
Remarkably, acting is one of the greatest strengths in this film. It can be defined as one of the most impressive role played by Stewart, fundamentally because of the limitations he is subjected to. In the film, he must act with his facial expressions and his voice. Noteworthy, Jefferies is not among the mild mannered and morally upright protagonist that are identified with Stewart. As illustrated in the film, Jefferies is impatient, worldly, and bad-tempered and used to burst-up from anger. In keeping with the film, some of the brilliant dialogue in the script by John Michael is biting. It demonstrates his frustration for being cooped up from the initial frame when the cameras pans up at his apartment. This provides the audience with rich background information regarding Jefferies and his state of affairs. Arguably, the analysis of Jefferies fanatical gaze can be defined as immoral and inappropriate. His initial voyeurism depicts an insight in his choices concerning his relationship with Lisa. In the film, different windows represents the images of Jefferies or Lisa where the windows are held up as mirrors. The people inside are reflected by those outside for example; in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Thorwald Jefferies notices a man who is stuck with pesky wife. Correspondingly, Lisa wants Jefferies to marry him through marriage. On another phase, both Lisa and Jefferies are mirrored in Miss Lonelyheart. Miss Torso mirrors similar exhibitionism as Lisa.
According to Allen (86) there are different ways of reading a gaze that are related to current theories of subjectivity and identity. Twohig (276) also notes that the feminist theories about female spectatorship open a way for consideration of identity categories that describe the interaction to the image. Notably, late 1980s and 90s has witnessed the development of a broad literature regarding lesbian spectatorship and black spectatorship. In keeping with Allen (89) this work has contributed to a fundamental challenge to the earlier film theory since it questions the usefulness of psychoanalytical theory. Arguably, Freud and Lacan's Psychoanalytical theory has binary categories that consist of male and female. These two are core elements of the theories on how subjects are arrived at. The critics of black spectatorship notes that this model does not account for specificity of racial identity formation while those writing on spectatorship of gay and lesbians emphasize that Lacan and Freud's theories of issue formation does not sufficiently account for specificity of lesbian and transgendered identities.
Rear Window is considered as a classic, and a robust cadre of scholars, critics, and fans has considered the film to be the director's best feature. This movie does not only generate a powerfully fascinating and suspenseful situation. However, it develops a gripping and memorable protagonist. Rear Window is one of the best films committed to celluloid. All or most of its elements are perfect i.e. script, music, acting, camerawork as well as direction. Notably, the brilliance of this movie is that it keeps the viewer keen and involves the audience in the lives of all its characters. From the theories of female spectatorship forward, Larry et al. (585) notes that the idea of the subject as ideal and not socially and historically specific is under serious scrutiny. Williams (45) further states that one of the essential tensions between these theories and film and media spectatorship is that on making of an ideal spectator and recognition of various subject position and social contexts from which films are viewed. Williams (47) indicates that the model of regressive cinematic observers that are encouraged to contain their identities and to recognize and identify with screen has been reinstated by the wider set of models that looks at the diversity of gazes that mediate the power between the objects of the gaze and the gaze.
Voyeurism as an act of observing the lives of other characters and it is not always aligned to sexual gratification. As elaborated in this essay, it is a process through which the viewers obtain maximum satisfaction from watching that living. Notably, there is a little aspect of voyeur in every person i.e. going to a movie theatre in no less than opening a window into other people's lives – fictional or real. Arguably, it is a non-participatory experience that brings satisfaction through very simple actions of watching. As such, there is no revelation that the industry of the motion picture has often examined the aspect of human experience. More so, films about voyeurism are presented in diverse varieties.
In conclusion, the main beguiling and groundbreaking, studies of voyeurism in the history of the film is Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock. In the Rear Window, the apartments have been placed like stages that are stacked one to the other like urn indentations in a columbarium. Conspicuously, as Jefferies days of confinement continues, in gets exceedingly fascinated with his neighbors' affairs and turns their lives to be more essential than his; since they he is trapped in a wheelchair. The notion of a casual voyeur witnessing the murder is neither new nor unique in the film; however the manner in which the writer portrays it is singular. And the setup of the film is masterful since we are provided with peeks into the master rooms of several Jefferies neighbors for instance; Miss Torso, Thorwald, Lonelyheart and Anna. All the neighbors are viewed in several mundane activities like exercising, gardening, quarrelling crying, laughing and talking. The play depicts minor threads in a widely seen tapestry.
Work cited
Allen, Richard. Hitchcock's romantic irony. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007. Print.
Deutelbaum, Marshall, and Leland A. Poague. A Hitchcock reader. Chichester, U.K. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print.
Larry A. Gaupp, Robert M. Stern, & Richard G. Ratliff. The use of aversion-relief procedures in the treatment of a case of voyeurism Original Research Article. Behavior Therapy, Volume 2, Issue 4, October 2001, Pages 585-588
Manlove Clifford. Visual "Drive" and Cinematic Narrative: Reading Gaze Theory in Lacan, Hitchcock, and Mulvey. Cinema Journal, Vol. 46, No. 3. 2007, pp. 83-108
Twohig F, & Furnham A. Lay beliefs about overcoming four sexual paraphilias: Fetishism, paedophilia, sexual sadism and voyeurism Original Research Article. Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 24, Issue 2, February 2008, Pages 267-278
Williams, Linda R. The erotic thriller in contemporary cinema. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005. Print.
Wojcik, Pamela R. The apartment plot: urban living in American film and popular culture, 1945 to 1975. Durham: Duke University Press, 2010. Print.
