Rear Window

Alfred Hitchcock.  The images, memories, and references this name brings to mind are almost unmatched.  Even now he is still a household name.  However, while his name may be known, are his movies?  I had grown up hearing of Hitchcock, though my parents quoting him and his movies to my grandparents talking of their experiences while watching his films.  I however had never seen one.  Until now.  I decided to take a look at Mr. Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” and see for myself if he truly is the master of suspense.

The movie begins by the opening of the blinds of three windows from right to left.  We are then shown around five or six different people/couples, never staying on one for to long as to suggest that they are the main character.  We are then shown L. B. "Jeff" Jeffries (played by James Stewart) in a wheel chair.  It is later explain that he was injured by taking a dangerous photograph.  We learn that while he has been cooped up in is apartment he has taken to watching his neighbors, almost to the point of being obsessed with what ever they do.  The movie continues to introduce the other character in the story like his girlfriend Lisa Fremont (played by Grace Kelly), his insurance company home-care nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter), and the other people living beyond his rear window; Miss Lonelyheart, Miss Torso, the songwriter, several married couples, and most importantly Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), a jewelry salesman with a bedridden wife. 

By now the stage has been set, the characters introduced, small conflicts established, and the audience is ready and waiting for things to begin.  And that they do.  In the night we see Jeff witness a possible murder.  I say possible because the blinds have been pulled and all we have heard is a single scream.  We watch Mr. Thorwald leave his apartment three times in the course of the night.  At this point in the movie I do not feel the suspense that I would have thought when watching a Hitchcock film.  On the contrary I am eager and curious as to whether or not Mr. Thorwald killed his wife. 

As the movie continues We hear Jeff try to convince not only Lisa of the murder that he is sure has taken place, but his friend a detective Tom Doyle (Wendell Corey).  I believe that these two characters are more important than just their relationship with Jeff.  Lisa believes Jeff in that a murder took place.  Tom on the other hand does not.  These two characters are important, not only so that there is a conflict, but they represent the split audience.  Some viewers will believe Jeff in that Mr. Thorwald killed his wife (Lisa) but others will not (Tom).  The audience also is able to have a choice in what side they want by listening to the arguments of both of these characters.  This was a very smart move, it makes the audience feel like they are in the room with the character taking sides and arguing why it is or is not possible.  Better still as the movie progresses we see how certain blind spots, the wall between the windows, at first don’t mean much but latter this small blind spot can make the audience sit on the edge of their seat.

Better still even if you thought Mr. Thorwald was innocent the entire time, even after his fight with Lisa, you can not help but feel fearful for Jeff’s life at the climax scene.  Jeff’s apartment is completely black and he is alone.  Then when Mr. Thorwald comes though his door he is wrapped in darkness.  Completely covered save for his eyes.  Even I, who believed Mr. Thorwald was innocent though out the entire movie to this point had my heart pounding so hard for fear of Jeff’s life I would not have been surprised if it had burst out of my chest.

This movie is extraordinary.  From the sets, to the lighting, to near miss able details that make the audience feel included in this adventure, every detail comes together to make near impossible to breath near the end.  Hitchcock truly made a marvelous movie in “Rear Window” and it must be watched. 

Dwelling

“Dwelling” is the exhibition being held at the C33 Gallery (33 East Congress on the first floor).  The show features thirteen artists and their work.  Now if one considers art to be only paintings on a wall or sculptures of marble in a hall this may not be the show for you.  However, if you have a broader concept of art then this could be a show worth dropping in on.  

The gallery room itself is small enough that it won’t take you half a day to go through but big enough that you can be their with a small group of people without bumping into each other.  The art is set up in a U so that you can go around and look at all the pieces with ease.  So it makes for a pleasant hour of being around some new pieces. 

Now onto the pieces.  The art focuses on simplicity, they try to say a lot with very little.  Also the title of the show “Dwelling” has an importance as well.  All of the pieces are connected to a kind of residence, yet the residence in question does not have to be tangible. 

An example of this is Carrie Schneider’s Family Videos.  One video was of her father washing her hair and the other of her trying to have her mother hold her.  Neither has a tangible dwelling.  Nevertheless, you can feel a kind of belonging in the videos.  In “Dad washing my hair” you can see a kind of calmness in the females face.  The subject has no problem with the fathers hands washing her hair.  Now when one is showering they are completely exposed and not just in a physical way.  There is nothing to hide behind so in this state of complete exposer the last thing most people want is another person there.  However the fact that the girl is completely calm and lets the fathers hands wash her hair shows that she can be “naked” as it where and her father will care for her.  In this fashion you can see the non-tangible home that the father has created for his daughter. 

A tangible example of dwelling can be found with Heather Boaz’s Escape.  The piece is a window hanging from the ceiling and sheets tied together to form a rope that hangs down.  This piece is interesting in that the window is a darker color then the sheets.  The window is a dark green and is made of wood, thus is has cracks and creases in it.  The dark colors and the choice in material for the window suggests that the person is escaping from a cruel dwelling.  If so then that would explain the decision in using white sheets.  The white would symbolize the escaping to a brighter place.  However the sheets do seem to grow a kind of yellow tint near the bottom, suggesting that the location the person escaped to is not all they hope for but still better then the previous dwelling.

These two pieces are just a taste of what you will see in the new gallery “Dwelling”.  So if you are looking for different artistic takes on the concept of dwelling or just have some time, be sure to check out “Dwelling” at C33 open until September 10^th.

Thumbs up/down

Thumbs up: Animation

I believe animation does not get as much credit as it should.  Part of this is because it does not have the right reputation.  Animation is over shadowed by live action movies and television shows because it is viewed as “childish” and just for kids.  I fail to see how such a medium can be considered only for children.  This is a genre of entertainment that can make you laugh, cry, and feel fear for the characters on the screen.  What was the last live action movie that you saw that moved you as much as UP did within four minutes?  And what many people seem to forget is that these characters that are on screen, that we can watch for a full two hours are only drawings on paper.  Or shapes put together on the computer.  They do not have real people like other movies, they need to work that much harder in order for you to care about this character that doesn’t exist.  That is one of the main reasons why I think animation deserves a big thumbs up.

Thumbs down: New information that causes you to label someone

I have seen this happen on many occasions.  I believe it to be wrong and it needs awareness.  The subject that I’m talking about is when you learn one piece of information about someone and then that is all that you see.  This could mean that the person has a learning disability or perhaps they recently lost their spouse.  The person then, no matter how well you knew them before, are now the widow and the retard.  I have seen this happen, recently with the death of a loved one.  The woman is no longer the friend at work or mother.  She is the widow.  And people approach her differently and are very careful when they talk.  And while they may be trying to not hurt her in any way by bringing up the dead loved one, they are in reality hurting her more because of the different treatment.  So in short, just treat the person as you always have.  Try not to label.