Rear Window
The movie begins with opening shot through a window, zooming in quickly. This is instantly an ominous set-up as it reflects the movie title. A fast upbeat music begins and everything seems normal. The setting seen is a row of apartment buildings, run down against a murky grey sky backdrop. Then we cut to the scene of a man head, sweating before another cut to a man shaving in his apartment with a piano behind him, again through the view of a window.
We begin to track round to the left, seeing a 180’ view of a man sleeping on his balcony and waking up to the sharp ring of am alarm clock. Somewhat humorously, a women sleeping the opposite direction sits up moments after him. Then a women getting dressed. This implies an invasion of privacy which is backed by upbeat dramatic music which then turns sinister at times very quickly.
The camera then swings back to the man from the beginning, this time with a low tilt shot of him in a chair with a cast on his leg. The camera then pans left and we zoom in on a smashed old fashioned camera and various pictures of war and destruction. This could be foreshadowing for upcoming events in the film.
He then gets a phone call from his boss, talking about the day his cast comes off. Their tones are seemingly casual but as the boss begins talking about how sad it was when he had a good assignment for him. The tones change, intriguing the watcher. What is the job and how does it relate to the invasive previews of his neighbours lives?
Rear Window’s opening is full of suspense and a very good example of a thriller opening.
No comments:
Post a Comment