Analyse the opening sequence of “Read Window” referring to the technical elements of sound, camera work, Mise-En-scene and editing.

The opening scene of Rear Window (1954) sets the scene for the rest of the film. In the opening scene different signs and connotations can confuse the audience as to weather the environment the film is set in is safe. The first thing we see is an establishing shot looking out of a window. This shows old looking buildings and the window in front of the camera shows the audience that they are currently inside somewhere looking out making them

pose the question “Where are we?”. The happy and light hearted non diegetic soundtrack in the background gives the opening scene a relaxed atmosphere and potentially lulls the audience into a false sense of security before the events of the rest of the film to give it more twists and turns during the narrative.

This shot lasts 28 seconds before the camera zooms in past the window and focuses on the set created and this could be so the audience has time to look at the initial setting the credits are on the screen. The buildings do look slightly run down, plants look rather dead and not looked after for example weeds climbing up the walls. However it does also look very familiar and a typical housing complex to many audience members and in Alfred Hitchcock’s films, it seems that he frequently put dangerous situations in normal locations. He liked using locations and scenarios that the audience would be familiar with which adds tension to the scene. Another example of this is in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) shower scene where a woman is killed in a location an audience member would generally find safe (the shower). This location makes the audience wonder were they are and also could make them feel that maybe the location is not as safe as first perceived.

The audience’s suspicions are reinforced when the music changes to a more frantic and panicky tone and the camera panning across the house speeds up slightly.

As the camera reaches the building that the audience see in the first shot, the cameras panning slows down and the music reaches a lighter tone. This could suggest to the audience that the red-bricked buildings could be more dangerous than the smaller white/creamy building being a lot safer. It could also suggest to the audience that there isn’t a lot of safety in this

area as the lighter coloured house is smaller that the tall red-bricked buildings. This long shot lasts for roughly 40 seconds showing the audience that it’s a continued shot and therefore nothing is purposely being cut out of the shot to hide things from them making the setting then feel safer.

Keeping at the same pace the camera pans into an apartment showing a man sleeping with a bead of sweat rolling down his face. This close up and the close up of the thermometer showing the heat indicates the film is set in summer making the audience wonder if the setting is still safer or not as stereotypically summer has more connotations of happiness and light hearted-ness that winter.

The camera then pans from the thermometer to a different man in his apartment and shows how easy it is to see into other people’s apartment potentially creating suspicion with the audience who now see how easy it is to be spied on and also creating narrative enigmas among audience members about the significance of these characters been shown throughout the narrative. The diegetic sound of the radio begins as the camera stops panning and focuses on the man in a long shot so the audience are able to see his entire apartment and the volume of the radio can be heard from other apartments again hinting to the audience that there is not much privacy within the apartments.

The camera the repeats the same panning shot of the apartment buildings but this time focuses more on the characters living in the buildings. We learn that there is a young couple living in an apartment building and a young women living in the lighter house/apartment

potentially hinting to the audience that she is a victim or in a dangerous situation as she’s more vulnerable. Showing these characters allows the audience to start trying to decide who could be a potential villain/hero etc.

In the same continuing panning shot, the camera returns to the original room and focuses on a man who is asleep. The audience also finds our that he is immediately vulnerable to any danger as his leg is in a cast and this could spark some concern for audience members

as the location and setting can come across very suspiciously yet very safe and familiar at the same time. The man’s appearance would arise some narrative enigmas from the audience and keep them questioning what’s going on. How did he break his leg? How long is he in a wheelchair for?

The camera movement following this can spark a lot of suspicion and tension among audience members and the camera movements become more violent as

if the cameras point of view is actually someone’s point of view that is in his apartment. This would add tension to the scene as the audience immediately feel panic towards the man in the wheelchair sleeping as he could be in danger. After this, the camera or potential person looks around the room more smoothly and this can make the audience relax more again as the initial panic that someone is in the room goes away.