Rear Window: Blog Post 1

Rear Window is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, originally based off of Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder."

Instead of an establishing shot, jump cuts to long shots are used in the start of the film to give the audience the sense that this little neighbourhood area is small and compact - therefore allowing the main character, L.B. Jefferies, to look out of his window into his neighbours'. A panning shot combined with a tilt shift moves around the set to allow viewers to take in the setting. Reaction shots are also used - through eyeline matching - to show dialogue, conflict, and reactions of the characters.