How Hitchcock’s films attempt to control and develop the spectator’s point of view

on the characters and the action.

Hitchcock has been given the title of the greatest film director of all time by
many. He has achieved this recognition with his vast understanding of cinema and the
conventions used. Point of view is a convention widely seen across all forms of film.
Hitchcock uses it to great effect in all of his films but for the purpose of this discussion I
will be focusing on Rear Window and Marnie. Both these films contain effective use of
point of view, especially with Rear Window which is one man’s view point out of a
window.
In Douglas Pye’s article Movies and Point of View he states that ‘Movies not only
present a dramatic world but equally create and interpret it.’1 Unlike in literature, where
we have to interpret the written text creating its world and the characters that inhabit it in
our own minds, film gives us this information through the image on screen. In his films
Hitchcock attempts to control and develop the spectator’s point of view on the characters
and the action by using various camera techniques. These techniques are seen both in
Rear Window and Marnie. In his article Pye also talks about the different dimensions of
point of view he gives five examples these are: ‘the spatial axis’ is the spatial position of
the spectator in relation to the film’s world; ‘the temporal axis’ is concerned with time
and the temporal relationship between the spectator and the film; ‘the cognitive axis’ is
concerned with the control of information flow and how much information is given to the
spectator; the ‘evaluative axis’ is concerned with a spectator’s judgements of the
characters and the action and what prior knowledge and experiences we have before
viewing the film and how this effects our reading of the film and finally ‘the axis of
ideology’ is concerned with the ideological viewpoint of a film and the spectator’s
relationship to this, whether they agree or disagree with the ideologies presented.2
In Rear Window the spectator’s point of view is the same as the central character
in the movie L.B Jefferies (Jimmy Stuart). This is done with frequent point of view shots
from Jefferies perspective. The point of view shots help engage the audience into the film
and it helps them identify with the characters especially the main character Jefferies.
1
Pye, D ‘Movies and Point of View’ in Movie 36, Moffat: Movie, 2000, page 3
2
ibid, pages 8-12
During the film nearly all the point of view shots can be said to be from Jefferies point of
view. For the point of view sequences Hitchcock uses the same system each time. He
begins with an objective shot of Jefferies as he looks out the window at one of his
neighbours. It will then switch to a subjective point of view shot; this shows us the
character’s perception of what he sees as he looks out the window. Then it will switch
back to an objective view on Jefferies allowing the spectator to see the various reactions
to what he has just seen. To reinforce the idea that it is from Jefferies point of view
Hitchcock uses masks over the lens to further reiterate Jefferies subjective perception as
he looks through the window. Examples of this are when he looks through his binoculars
and his telephoto lens in his camera.
In this film we have no higher knowledge than Jefferies and the point of view
shots reinforce this idea as we are seeing what happens through Jefferies eyes. The film
starts rather slowly with the first half an hour consisting mainly of trivial things Jefferies
sees out the window. Hitchcock has done this so the spectator identifies with Jefferies. He
also wants to reinforce the fact that as an audience we are learning things about the
neighbours as Jefferies does. Hitchcock does not give us any information that Jefferies
does not already know. By forcing the audience to identify with Jefferies makes the
audience share his feelings in the film as the film progresses and we are shown more
suspicious events that are happening we share the anxiety that Jefferies feels. This
cumulates in the scene where he is watching Lisa, his girlfriend, being confronted by the
murder suspect Lars Thorwald. Here we cannot help but feel afraid for her as we still do not
know, just as Jefferies does not, that Thorwald did in fact murder his wife.
Watching this film as a spectator we cannot get carried away we seeing all the shots of
the neighbours as point of view shots. Although Hitchcock uses the same sequence of shots as he
would for an optical point of view shot these shots are not actually that. For example when
Jefferies is watching Thorwald telling his neighbour to shut up the sequence of shots are the same
as if Hitchcock was setting up for an optical point of view shot however we know that it is not in
fact a point of view shot as the camera is clearly closer to the subject than Jefferies is. Rather than
these shots just presenting new information that Jefferies is gaining they show his increased
attention. The more attention Jefferies pays to what he is looking at the more detail in the image
the spectator sees. It is often seen in the reaction shots that Jefferies is leaning forward in his
wheelchair and we can visibly see the increased attention in his expressions. These increased
attention shots help control the audience as it one it reinforces the idea that we are learning as
Jefferies does and secondly it shows that Jefferies is paying closer attention to what is happening
so as an audience member we are aware that what is happening on screen is a matter of
importance. There is no way to present Jefferies increase attention using the standard point of
view shot that has been used throughout the film as the camera is a non thinking inanimate object.
However by staying true to point of view conventions used already in the film and by maintaining
the same angle so by using the zoom on the camera Hitchcock demonstrates Jefferies increased
attention to what is happening whilst still maintaining the conventions already set up for the point
of view shots.
As the main purpose of the point of view shots in this film is to allow the audience to
learn as the characters on screen do the same. There are a few examples where it is ambiguous to
whose point of view we are seeing from. These shots can either be from Jeffries perspective or
the view point of either Stella or Lisa. In these scenes it is usually Jefferies with one of the two
female characters looking out the window then a point of view shot the an objective shot but this
time showing both their reactions. The point of view of these shots is ambiguous as both the
characters on screen are leaning something new at the same time. However the audience can
assume that the point of view shot is from Jefferies point of view as that is the convention
presented in the film. These shared shots bring up a feminist argument whether the women in the
film ever have their point of view shown and they are just serving as objects of the male gaze.
The feminist film theorist Tania Modleski claims that Rear Window is an example of the power
of the male gazer and the position of the woman as a prisoner of the ‘Master’s Dollhouse’3. This
control of point of view is an indicator of power in cinema, as it determines whop the audience
should identify with. Therefore if the viewpoint is from the male point of view then, according to
feminist theory, the male audience is being invited to identify with it and the female spectators
are left out. A supporting scene in Rear Window of this view is where Jefferies and Lisa are
watching Miss Lonelyheart’s abusive date. Here we have the classic set up that Hitchcock
employs throughout the film of an objective shot of the pair then a point of view shot and then a
reaction shot showing both their reactions. In this particular moment we are shown Jefferies look
away after the point of view shot whereas Lisa looks on. From this we can deduce that it is in fact
Jefferies point of view that we see as the point of view shot does not continue after Jefferies looks
away. Saying this however there are a few shots that the point of view has to come from the
female characters. An example of this is where Jefferies is showing the slides of the back garden
to both Lisa and Stella. Jefferies has seen that the height of the flowers in Thorwald’s garden

3
Braudy, L & Cohen, M, Film Theory and Criticism, Sixth Edition, Oxford University Press, 2004, page 861.
have lowered to some extent, and he thinks that this is proof of Thorwald has buried some
information there. This shot is not from Jefferies point of view as he has prior knowledge to what
is presented on screen we do however see it from the point of view of both Stella and Lisa as they
compare what is on the slide to what they are seeing outside as the information is new to them.
Rear Window brings up the idea of voyeurism as it is a film that has its central character
constantly watching his neighbours through his window. All film possesses voyeuristic qualities.
When we watch films we are watching people’s lives undetected by them. We can see in Rear
Window this is exactly what Jefferies is doing and more so he is enjoying what he is doing and he
cannot be away from the window for too long. Hitchcock wants invoke the same enjoyment in his
audience. We share the same enjoyment as Jefferies does as cinema is primarily watch for
enjoyment. Douglas Pye talks about the ‘axis of ideology’4 stating that when we go and watch a
film we go with our own ideologies. This affects each spectator’s experience whilst they are
watching the film. This brings up the different ideologies of voyeurism and an audiences’
relationship with Jefferies is greatly influenced on their own ideologies surrounding voyeurism.
The problem with Rear Window is that although he is spying on people who would be deemed by
most as a breach of privacy and wrong. What he does do however is by spying on his neighbours
he does help them. This brings about a battle of emotions in the audience as they want to look
down on him for doing what he is but without that Thorwald would have gotten away with the
murder. Here Hitchcock is forcing his audience to support someone that takes part in a taboo
activity.
Hitchcock also seeks to control and develop his spectator’s point of view of the
characters and the action in his film Marnie. One of the techniques used to do this, like in Rear
Window, is through the use of point of view shots that strengthen our relationship with the main
protagonist thus allowing us to share their feelings and experiences. We know that the character
of Marnie has the most point of view shots in the film and a lot more than any other character. By
having a high number of point of view shots for one character Hitchcock is clearly controlling the
spectator’s point of view of this particular character and forcing them to empathise and relate to
the character. When thinking about a director’s control of their audience’s point of view you have
to remember that a director has complete control over what information is given to the spectator
and what is kept from them. This information is not just delivered in the conventional way: where
the information is presented literally on screen, but it can be done through more subtle techniques
for example in Marnie Hitchcock makes use of colour motifs where each colour has an associated
meaning.

4
Pye, D ‘Movies and Point of View’ in Movie 36, Moffat: Movie, 2000, page 11
 The opening of Marnie goes against the typical presentation of information and the main
protagonist. Unlike typical narrative development which states that information about the
characters is given early in the story this information functions as the necessary base on which the
spectator builds his or her appropriate responses as the plot progresses. Marnie does follow this
rule however the presentation of the information is multi-layered and ambiguous. In the prologue
of the film the character of Marnie is shown but we are not shown her face until a little later in the
film. In the first shot of the film, after the credits, the first thing we see is an extreme close up of a
yellow handbag being carried by a woman wearing grey. We are given an idea of the location as
in this shot we can see a train and train tracks in the left on the shot. The shot begins with the
camera following closely behind with the bag in centre shot. The camera then stops and pans so
the woman is in centre shot as she walks forward. She walks forward until it is a medium shot of
her giving us more information about her. The camera the follows again briefly before stopping
again this time remaining static as the woman walks down the train station platform moving
further and further away from the camera until she finally stops and the last shot of her that we
see is an extreme long shot of her waiting on the platform. The first shot of a film is usually either
one setting the location or presenting the lead protagonist. Although this shot is presenting the
films protagonist it does not show the spectator her face. Keeping Marnie’s face hidden indicates
to the audience that her identity is suspicious. Not showing her face also serves to objectify her as
it depersonalises her. This point is strengthened later in the film where it is revealed that she takes
on many different personalities: she is just an object in which to present these different identities
on to. In this shot Marnie is both seen and not seen, she remains the object of the cameras gaze
yet able to hide from it. Here Hitchcock is trying to control his spectator’s point of view of this
character by only allowing the audience to know certain pieces of information about her
character. Although we are not presented with her face we can deduce certain things about her.
She is well dressed we can see from her grey suit that she works in business.
This first shot sets up the two colour motifs of the film: yellow and grey. She is on a grey
platform wearing grey holding a yellow handbag. Although this shot does not give the spectator
clue to the colours meanings it does however highlight the importance of these colours obviously
as they are the only two colours seen in the opening shot. Later in the film it is possible to deduce
that grey cues the concept of psychological imprisonment and yellow cues the concept of
freedom whether that is the true freedom Mark brings or the outlets that Marnie falsely perceives
as freedom. An example of Marnie’s falsely perceived freedom is the yellow handbag as we later
find out it contained the money she stole we find out that money does not give Marnie the true
freedom that she is looking for but the only way to true freedom is through Mark. The colour is
intertwined with the concept of light, as well. Throughout the film the colour yellow is used in
juxtaposition with different grey imagery. It is however found alone in one critical scene. This is
the last shot of the film and is a shot of the Baltimore landscape. Here we have (yellow) sunshine
penetrating the landscape pushing the (grey) clouds away which have been present in the
apartment’s earlier appearances in the film. This last shows us that Marnie is finally free of her
demons and is free to live her life.
In his films Hitchcock attempts to control and develop his spectator’s point of view of the
characters and the action. In order to achieve this he employs various techniques in each of his
films. In both Rear Window and Marnie Hitchcock uses point of view shots of his characters to
control the spectator’s own point of view. By seeing through a character’s eyes the spectator not
only gains knowledge as they do but using point of view shots also creates a bond between the
character and the spectator as they are sharing the same point of view. Hitchcock also has
complete control of the information his audience receives. He uses different methods to present
this information to the audience. In Marnie he uses colour motifs to distinguish Marnie’s mental
prison from freedom. When thinking about a spectator’s point of view it is important to consider
Douglas Pye’s different dimensions of point of view that are found in his article: Movies and
Point of View as it gives you a set of rules on point of view.

Bibliography
• Belton, J, (ed) Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2000.
• Braudy, L & Cohen, M, Film Theory and Criticism, Sixth Edition, Oxford University
Press, 2004.
• Modleski, T. The Women Who Knew Too Much New York: Methuen, 1988.

• Pye, D ‘Movies and Point of View’ in Movie 36, Moffat: Movie, 2000.

• Truffaut, F. Hitchcock by Truffaut New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984.

• Walker, M. Hitchcock’s Motifs. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2005.

• Wood, R, Hitchcock's Films Revisited, New York, Oxford : Columbia University Press,
1989.