Moral Infringement?

After spending the past several weeks exploring insight and morality, I found two shots- one from Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, another from Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors- that represent just those issues. They are similar, yet extremely different.

This shot from Rear Window is a close-up of Mr. Jeffries face. The extremely large camera he is holding acts as an extension of his vision, which is portrayed in the top half where only his eyes are visible. The background of the frame is pretty much empty, with Jeffries and his camera being the bold detail that stands out to the viewer. He is looking at something in the distance, which I can tell because of the way his camera and eyes are placed off-center. This creates the illusion of spatial relationships for the audience. To me, the camera adds a great deal to this shot because if all we saw was Jeffries looking at something intensely, we would not be as likely to have a reaction to what he is looking at. Because of the fact that he has such a bulky piece of equipment in his hand, his topic of curiosity must be important.

I picked this still in particular because I love the way it draws attention to his eyes: the first thing we notice when seeing this shot is how intently he is gazing at whatever it is he sees, which in this case is a potential murderer. Although Mr. Jeffries is technically the subject of the shot, it is what he sees at that really grabs our attention!

I say potential because the term “murderer” was coined by Jeffries in regards to the man across the way. For a long time, he is the only one who suspects a crime of any sort. But why shouldn’t he? For the past seven weeks he has discreetly gotten to know his neighbors better than they know themselves. And lately, he’s seen this man get involved with some pretty suspicious activities (sneaking out at night, shipping a huge box, stealing from his missing wife’s purse). This shot poses a good question: if someone suspects that a violent crime has been committed, is it morally wrong for them to investigate? To take the law into their own hands, and get to the bottom of the situation? Does Mr. Jeffries have the right to “spy” on his neighbors? It presents this issue of moral uncertainty in a way that is left up for interpretation by the audience.

This shot from Crimes and Misdemeanors is a medium long-shot of Judah Rosenberg on the phone. There are two lamps in the background, which create the only light in the dim frame. Judah is placed near the center of the frame, where he and the lamp steal most of the focus in the scene. Just as the camera that Jeffries is holding represents him interfering with someone else’s life (his “sight”), so does the telephone in Judah’s hand. It is the link between him and the murder that has just taken place upon his request.

In this moment, Judah is receiving the call that his mistress, Delores, has been “taken care of”- assassinated. After struggling for a long time with what to do about her threats to inform his wife of their affair, Judah decides to let his brother put an end to her. But, he is clearly distressed and uncomfortable with what he is hearing. Notice the way he holds his hand on his stomach, as if he can’t breathe. This raises the clear feeling of immorality on Judah’s part. He knows, right then and there, that what he did was wrong, and that triggers his realization of other immoralities he has committed. He had an affair. He lied to his wife.  He was involved with a major money scandal through his ophthalmology profession. And now, he had a woman killed because these crimes were about to be revealed.

So, this image explores the idea of moral clarity (or, in this case, immoral clarity). There is no doubt in Judah’s mind, and in our minds, that his entire situation is sinful and dishonest. In the shot of Mr. Jeffries, it is questionable and uncertain whether or not his situation is moral, and that is the difference between these two images. It’s amazing how these wildly similar circumstances can create in us such conflicting reactions.