Warning: Spoilers
There are many different outfits worn throughout this movie, and they are very indicative of each person’s character. For starters, Lisa is always wearing pearls. In general, pearls are considered to be one of the oldest and finest gems. They symbolize innocence and purity and because they are expensive they represent social status. A woman wearing pearls is a woman of good social standing. We understand that Lisa is a rich woman of class. She works in the upscale fashion industry and is always dressed with style.
Grace Kelly who played Lisa is considered to be one of the most beautiful women of film, and her outfits emphasize her beauty and elegance. Her fashion sense and luxurious lifestyle is important because Jeff is adamant that she could not travel the world with him. However, Lisa proves to be more than just her style and bravely faces Mr. Thorwald. She ultimately solved the mystery when she discovered Mrs. Thorwald’s wedding ring.
We also found that the lighting helped to show mood and emotion of each moment. For example, when Jeff upsets Lisa the first night and she says “Goodbye” and he questions her meaning, Jeff is very clearly lit, whereas Lisa has a shadow cast across her face as she stands by the door. This helps to show Jeff as a more dominant presence. Lisa is leaving because she’s hurt and feels belittled, and by casting her in a darker light this helps to visually represent her sentiments to the viewers.
Rear Window passes the Bechdel Test. There are actually quite a few female characters in the movie. Aside from Lisa and Stella, we also see Miss Lonelyheart, Miss Torso, and the woman with the dog. Lisa and Stella are the only one’s who we see talk to one another though. When they talk, they are discussing the murder they think Mr. Thorwald has committed. They don’t speak about romantic entanglements. They are more concerned with what really happened to Mrs. Thorwald. In fact, the only times relationships are discussed is in conversation with Jeff.
The role of women in this film is very complicated. We were torn between Lisa being a stereotypical figure who throws herself at Jeff and being brave and daring. The numerous other female figures that we see out the window represent women in different stages of relationships. In the end, the film shows many stereotypes about what it means to be a women but also breaks it in other ways.
Lisa is a complicated figure, fulfilling stereotypes in one way and breaking them in another. When she first enters into the apartment she is the epitome of beauty and style. However, Jeff ignores her and is not interested in hearing about her day. She tries very hard to get him to pay attention to her and brings in a dinner. Instead he watches Miss Torso and makes a toast to Miss Lonelyheart. Jeff describes her as being too perfect, and tells her that she would not be cut out to travel the world with him as a photographer. We were upset that she was trying so hard to be with him when he ignored her. At one point she says to him “pay attention to me.” It didn’t seem right that women would or should try so hard to be with someone. However, Hitchcock does want us to sympathize with Lisa as we see her express sadness at him ignoring her. It is clear that him ignoring her and treating her poorly is not proper behavior.
The main theme of Rear Window is voyeurism. We see everything as Jeff and are pulled into his fascination with his neighbors. Most of his neighbors are women, including Miss Lonelyhearts, Miss Torso, the newly married woman, the woman who owns the dog, and the deceased Mrs. Thorwald. They all show different parts of relationships and types of women. There is Miss Lonelyhearts, who is so depressed about not having a relationship that she acts out a dinner date by herself and nearly commits suicide. We feel sad for her that there is such an emphasis on her love life rather than career, friends, or interests. Then there is Miss Torso, a dancer who stretches and dances all over her apartment in nearly nothing. She is ogled often by Jeff, Tom Doyle, and the many men that come into her apartment. The name Miss Torso itself sexually objectifies her. We believe Lisa did put it best, “she’s doing a woman’s hardest job; juggling wolves.” We join in watching these two very different characters, obsessing over their love lives and personal struggles.
The final female figure through the window is Mrs. Thorwald. Sick in bed and constantly nagging her husband she is a central character. Later killed by her husband, she represents a huge problem in the world. It was estimated that nearly half the women killed in 2012 were killed by a partner or family member. The movie does not condone the murder, but we join the characters in wondering where the body is and how she was killed. We join in the sick fascination of the crime and forget about the real person.
We disliked in many ways the way that women are seen and described generally throughout the movie. Lisa describes being able to understand a woman’s habits, as if all women are the same. She says that women always carry their favorite handbag with them, that a woman would never leave her jewelry and wedding ring behind, and that women carry makeup and clothes with them. Wives are often described as being nagging. We are supposed to be shocked that Lisa would ever stay the night at Jeff’s house. Stella wonders when Lisa and Jeff are going to be married. There seems to be a lot of rules about what a woman is and what a woman shouldn’t be, and that is part of the 1950’s culture.
In terms of looking at Rear Window from a 1950s perspective, at least as much as possible, we believe that Lisa and Stella fit into the 1950s modern woman roles. During World War II, many women went to work while the men were off fighting. As the men came back from war and the times transitioned into the 50s, many women didn’t want to lose their new purpose. There was still the idea of the “ideal woman” or the “perfect housewife”, as demonstrated by Mrs. Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver, but this was a view largely held by “society.” Society was trying to impose a view on women, that now after having done so much in a time of war, they felt was dated. Many women enjoyed being in the workforce. Two of the most common trades were women were Nurse and Teacher. This is the mold Stella fits. Lisa is also works in the fashion industry. Although this wasn’t necessarily a traditional trade for a woman, this was still not an unusual job for a beautiful young lady.
We did a little research, and we found a New York Times review of Rear Window from 1954. The review isn’t very long, and largely complements the playwrights and the plot of the story. It also spends a couple paragraphs discussing James Stewart’s performance as Jeff. Given that the story is largely focused around Jeff as the main character this is not surprising to us. All that was said about the women in the film was, “Grace Kelly as the beautiful model who loves him and joins in the game of spying upon a likely killer is fascinating, too. Thelma Ritter as a nurse who drops in daily.” What we interpreted this brief description to mean is that neither of their roles were particularly groundbreaking for the time. Their characters seemed normal to the reviewer, so we assume that they do not break any major stereotypes from the era. We believe that if their roles had been more groundbreaking or even controversial, there would have been more said about Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter. In a 1954 Variety review, all that’s said of Thelma Ritter is that she is “very good.” As for Grace Kelly and her character, the reviewer thought she did a “fine job” of meeting “the picture’s acting demands,” just as much so as James Stewart. His analysis of her character was that she was “not above using her physical charms to convince Stewart they should get married.” Although this is true, we notice how this is the only explanation given. There is no mention of this being her last result as she is now desperate to rekindle their connection. We interpret this to mean that things were looked at slightly more black and white in the 50s. We also appreciate how this review compliments all the actors in the film, not just the male actors.
Overall we highly recommend watching Rear Window. The slow build and suspense in the final minutes are unbeatable. The performances of James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr and Thelma Ritter and incredible. The storyline is intense and it’s mind blowing that the whole movie takes place within one apartment. However, women were not portrayed in the best light in this movie. Women in this film are often stereotypes, but the character of Lisa is shown to have depth. They all fit in a small box of proper behavior for a woman, and although Lisa is brave and adventurous and Stella is witty, we wish they broke some more stereotypes about what it means to be a woman.
Crowther, Bosley. "A 'Rear Window' View Seen at the Rivoli." Rev. of Rear Window. The New York Times 5 Aug. 1954: n. pag. The New York Times. Web.
"Facts and Figures: Ending Violence against Women." UN Women. The United Nations, Oct. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
Brogdon, William. “Rear Window.” Variety. N.p., 14 July 1954. Web. 01 May 2015.