James Stewart (Rear Window) 1954
The director of Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock, is considered by most to be the master of suspense, but this film is also very much about human nature. Rear Window addresses the idea that it is human to be voyeuristic, not necessarily in a perverse sense, but in a curious sense. We slow to look at accidents or sneak glances at lovers in the park. In media like cinema, television, and the internet we are able to be voyeuristic without guilt, this film takes that to the next level allowing us to watch a voyeur as he watched others.
Read Chapters One and Two in your text book on Moral Reasons and Good Reasoning. In Chapter One a selection from Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics begins on page 23." Aristotle argues that the highest human good is eudaimonia (total well-being, or happiness). It is, he says, our only self-sufficient goal and the ulitmate goal of all human action. He then argues that human happiness is determined by the proper function of humans, which he defines as "an activity of the soul or a course of action in accordance with reason." Thus, a happy individual should develop virtues (character traits or dispositions) that lead to this goal. Because human reason is both practical and intellectual, human virtues com in two kinds, moral and intellectual."
Can you think of any virtuous actions that took place in the film? Whether an action is virtuous, Aristotle says, depends on both the action and the doer's frame of mind. Three conditions are involved. (1) The agent must act in full conciousness of what she/he is doing. (2) He must "will" his action, and will it for its own sake. (3) The act must proceed from a fixed and unchangeable position. Based on this, describe a scene in the film and discuss why you think Aristotle might consider it a virtuous action. There is a relationship between the lead characters Jeff and Lisa played by James Stewart and Grace Kelly, and the other side of the apartment block, seeing it as a symbolic relationship between spectator and screen. Their relationship can be compared to the lives of the neighbors they are spying upon. Feel free to comment on this relationship and also to expand with examples of relationships between your own life and things you are watching in cinema, television, or on the internet.
19 comments:
my first reaction to aristotle, (not rear window,) is that he seems to depend an awful amount on how actions that could be seen as virtuous turn out after the fullness of time. he begins with intent. a man must intend to do good for no other reason than that it be good. he argues the rationale for virtue is that one beings happiness is dependant on another's. he further argues that rational thinking will lead a man into the service of providing happiness to his fellow man. difficult to argue against, just as hard to prove. citizen kane and other heartwarming anecdotes are not proof. let us look at a fairly famous modern moral quandary; if you could kill hitler as a child would it be virtuous? by aristotle's method of discernment, yes it would. so the ends, in the end, justify the means. so i will from the start have no more discussion as to whether one can do good entirely for good's sake. only if you know the eventual effect of every action can a person truly be virtuous.
so by virtue of the fact that thurwald actually did turn out to be a murderer, our hero had all the right moves. if thurwald had been an innocent victim of misunderstanding, then our lovable jimmy stewart would be an evil fascist overlord, peering faithlessly into our souls. it might be a few weeks early to consider civil liberties, but what of the idea that our heros are the kinds of cops that will say "screw the miranda rights, search and seizure, and all that other getting a warrant b.s.! lets go get us some probable cause!"
perhaps its 9-11, but americans have been awfully pliant on the whole right to privacy thing lately. we impeached nixon over taping the conversations of rival democrats. bush managed to tape everybody in americas phone and got nothing. but it might very well right now be protecting us from terrorists. and who would be worried about such laws except criminals? i guess criminals would be worried. but anyone else who might be profiled as a criminal would also be worried. anyone who sounded to be in disagreement with the powers that be might very well be the godless commie that gets your family. sorry, did i say commie? i meant terrorist.
In the movie Rear Window, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly, examples of virtuous behaviors can be found left and right. In fact the movie as a whole is about a virtuous act. For example the fact that James Stewart's character Jeff is trying to unravel the mysterious disappearance of his neighbors wife is a virtuous act in itself. Jeff tries against all odds to see justice served by exposing his neighbor's "dastardly deed".
As previously stated i believe that the movie as a whole is one big drawn out virtuous act. A specific scene that solidifies my notion is hard to pin point, i believe that to fit Aristotle's definition the movie itself need to be taken as a virtuous act. 1) Jeff is seeking evidence to put his neighbor who has apparently and obviously later on, killed his wife, behind bars. 2) Jeff wants very badly to see this wrong-doing paid for by it perpetrator, as evidenced by Jeff's unrelenting pursuit of evidence to serve this purpose, of having his neighbor, who's name by now you have surely noticed i have forgotten, arrested and convicted.
3) At that chance i may have misunderstood the third criterion of a virtuous act, I'll break in down into the two most obvious and plausible. Jeff is without mistake in a fixed position which is unchangeable as he is wheelchair ridden with a broken leg, trapped within the confines of his apartment left with nothing to do but observe his unknowing neighbors. Jeff's state of mind could also be considered unchangeable and fix upon his obsessive search for clues as to what has happened to his neighbors wife. Even in the presence of a beautiful woman [Grace Kelly] he cannot be distracted. Jeff becomes an unrelenting and immovable force in the pursuit of justice. A fact which is further cemented by the fact that Grace Kelly's character Lisa, is consumed into and begins to share Jeff's obsession.
The Jeff and Lisa situation to me serves as a subtle reminder of human nature. It provides a sort of social commentary that is not only, both literally and figuratively, reflected in the movie but also in day to day life. Jeff sees through the window of his newlywed neighbor's the clichéd perception of what marriage does to a couples psyche, misery. Lisa sees through Ms. Lonelyhearts window a depiction of what she wants desperately not to become. Jeff watching his ballet dancing neighbor prance about her apartment in my opinion serves to enforce the fact that men often want what they cannot have. When Lisa looks through the same window I think she sees that she can have whatever she wants, but what she needs and desires most is right in front of her.
In the beginning of the film Jeff's (James Stewart) curiosity with the neighbors came soley from boredom, but once he started to believe that the neighbor killed his wife it became his personal mission to catch Thorwald. Much of the film, Jeff's acts could be considered virtuous. One scene for example would be when Jeff called Lars and asked him what he did with the body. This was very risky on Jeff's part and could be considered virtuous. The fact that Jeff kept insisting that something wasn't the way it should be, even after his detective friend said Lars was innocent, could be considered virtuous. I believe though, stating "for sure," whether or not Jeff's actions were virtuous is purely a matter of opinion. I think when Jeff first starts watching Thorwald, he was merely bored and seeking some form of entertainment. Jeff could have possibly wanted Lars to be guilty because he needed some form of excitement after being in his apartment for six weeks. Once he realized that Thorwald could have really killed his wife, i think Jeff probably felt he needed to bring him to justice. All of these seemingly virtuous acts would have been shunned as nosey and rude if Thorwald was innocent.
The film Rear Window was I think in a whole a virtuous act. However, in the eyes of Aristotle, the character of James Stuart and Grace Kelly are the ones who have some virtuous acts in the film.
One example with James Stuart is the fact that with his leg broken he still wanted to find out the mystery of the sudden dissapereance of the neighbor's wife. He became so sure that his neighbor killed the woman. He acted on his own will to follow the mystery around until the end where he fights for his life.
One example with Grace Stuart was the fact that she believed in James and in her own will she decided to help in the best way that she could knowing the consequences that it could bring. She climbed the stairs up to the killer's apartment and tried to find the evidence she needed to finally let the police handle it. She was being fearful and she was sure of everything that she was doing. Even when she got caught.
The other neighbors around James's apartment, I believe, symbolized the life that he had. He would see the new married couple who was always with the curtains down. The lady downstairs symbolizes the character played by Grace and the Pianist symbolized James. Until the end they didn't admitted their true love and knowing that both of them could change to be part of the other's life.
Luis Joel Lopez
In the 'Rear Window" directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly, it appears the relation between the characters and us is that we all seem to place each others happiness in other peoples hands. The film as a whole is a virtuous act. For example, although Jeff with his broken leg, he still became so interested in his neighbors lives. He was convinced that a murder took place between a husband and wife and would not stop until he became so sure.
Lisa argues the fact that people must not be so different, yet
refers to Jeff as "you people" signifying her realizations of
differences amongst people.
While serving as an active duty Marine, my eyes began to widen to what life is all about, and what our world has to offer. Stationed in North Carolina, I was a Marine yet still in the reach of civilization. As time passed, I learned to appreciate more, yet from time to time still took things for granted. It was only when I stepped onto Iraqi soil, that I acknowledged the true meaning of appreciation. Various things in life...whether how small or how big…from water to weather to love, friendship and family. When I would have the "privilege" of calling home the person on the other end whoever it may be would say something to the effect of "it is so hot out" as I am in one hundred thirty degree weather, with forty pounds of gear on. This was not a turn off but an open door to help someone see the world as I see it. Some concurred and some disagreed arguing the fact that this was my choice...
...With all this in mind, I am able to say I relate to James Stewart’s character; a struggling photographer who thrives on the stint of variation. Some people just as Lisa are so blinded from the events in the real world. Jeff sees Lisa as just another woman to take away from his wasted time. As time goes on, Lisa starts to learn from Jeff and becomes more acquainted with real life instances.
One of the scenes that portrayed a virtuous action was the scene in which Thorwald goes up to Jeff’s apartment. After Lisa is arrested and Stella leaves, Jeff is completely conscious of his surroundings and in what is about to take place. So much in fact that he gathers flashbulbs in order to give himself equal power since he is without the use of his leg. They deter Thorwald enough for the police and everyone to hear the commotion. Jeff literally hasn’t moved from his wheelchair the entire movie but I also think that his view of the situation had been unchanged since the beginning. In that scene it felt like Jeff’s pain went away and he was finally thinking clearly and rationally.
In my opinion, I can’t think of another scene that could be classified as virtuous because there were factors, such as heat, sleep, and pain, which contributed to his growing paranoia.
The relationship Lisa and Jeff share is a main theme throughout the film. Two examples that come to mind are the dancer and the lonely woman. In a specific scene from the film, Lisa and Jeff are referencing the dancer as she entertains a few gentlemen. Jeff says that she has to choose between the “drones” and that she seems to have chosen the pick of the litter. Lisa then replies to him that the Dancer doesn’t love any of them. This is a direct reflection of Lisa and Jeff’s relationship; Jeff views Lisa as the dancer. Lisa on the other hand views herself as the lonely woman; she doesn’t seem to be getting what she wants out of Jeff but she still doesn’t want anyone else. I think that the relationship between Lisa and Jeff is one that many people can relate to. They both have reservations initially but their ‘virtuous’ actions drew them together.
I believe the truly virtuous action was when Lisa sneaked in to the other apartment to grab a hold of evidence. She was fully aware of her actions and what the consequences might have been. While it is easy enough to watch and be concerned from a window, but it is another thing to be mixed up in the action. But as a side note her actions may not have been entirely selfless either, as Jefferies had expressed to her earlier that she wasn't the type of girl who was very adventurous outside of fashion. But in order for an action to be virtuous it did not have to be entirely selfless.
I belive today our society is too easily kept inside their own worlds, and a sense of community can be rarely seen, at least in a very urban area like an apartment complex. So I do think it is rare when someone actually spies constantly on their neighbors because of the fact that no one wants to see something that would disrupt their own scedule. By this time I've lived in three apartment complexes, and my second one was not in a very safe part of town at all. I and most of my neighbors would keep my head buried in the ground just to avoid any sort of confrontation. I knew unsavory things were going on about me, but I wouldn't give it any time of day except complain about it. I didn't try to watch out for my community, only myself. While there was plenty of chances where I could have stopped something, but I only sat back and went to my own problems. And I think in general that is how most people in an area react. We do not give a basket of cookies to our neighbors anymore, we stake our territories and hope for little confrontation. So I think that the fact that Jefferies wanted to know everything about the people around him and was willing to do something about it was something to be admired. And Lisa was even more admirable for the fact that she was willing to get right into the area of someone else to get what she needed. Far too often we all think "that is someone else's problem."
Shane Bresnahan
In the film Rear Window, I found that most of the time Jimmy Stewart's actions, involving others were pretty virtuous. He genuinely seemed to want to help others and showed a real concern for his fellow human being. However it really seems as if his actions were dictated by his situation and boredom. If he was not trapped in his apartment, shackled to a wheelchair he would have never been concerned with his neighbors. Also his selfish actions toward his girlfriend don’t seem virtuous at all. He really should look at the definition of compromise.
My personal opinion is that the majority of the actions in the movie could not entirely fulfill the definition of virtue. The main character’s interest in Thorwald’s wife seems to me to be the best example (though not the only one) of a virtuous act in the film. Why? Because at the end of the day, her fate doesn’t influence him. Sure, he had great peace of mind at the end of the film, but most individual’s psyches are malleable enough that a person can convince themselves they’re having a great time when they’re not, and all sorts of other tripe. So I don’t consider that to be a disqualifying factor to this virtuous act. Whether Mrs. Thorwald lived or died, it made no difference to Jeff personally. She wasn’t his friend, she didn’t owe him money, she hadn’t borrowed his lawnmower. Even having the dangerous element of her husband continuing to live in their community didn’t affect him all that much, despite that mid-century mentality that they actually were a community, because the man had not yet proved dangerous to his surroundings. If we were to dig down deeper into Stewart’s character, perhaps he had his own selfish motivations for being concerned about her safety or wanting to be the hero, but if we continue to accept it at face value, it did him more harm to be concerned than it did him good, thus becoming more or less “selfless.”
Why don’t most actions in the film become truly virtuous actions? Because there is a personal motivation behind almost everything that a person does. Grace Kelly’s character could be cited, as her involvement in the whole situation arises from her desire to have James Stewart’s character as a partner. Her character seems to be unconscious of the danger she’s involved in for the most part, (which makes her more desirable as a potential partner for Jeff), and so one can see elements of good in her when she goes beyond her personal relationship dilemma. For example, caring whether Ms. Lonelyheart was taking the pills or not was another example of a selfless, or virtuous, action, although little direct action was taken to prevent that situation, there was still the “will” for the situation to run an alternate course. And neither outcome would have personally affected Kelly’s character or her cohorts, and so can also be considered a “virtuous” mentality. The problem is that we don’t always get to see our own motivations as clearly as we can sometimes see the motivations of the person through the other window.
I do think that he performed a virtuous action because his frame of mind changed from being bored and spying on someone to being concerned with her well being. Aristotle described a virtous action as doing something with out reward or knowing the outcome. He wasn’t just thing of himself he was wondering what happened to his neighbor and worried that her husband killed her. He was using his coherent thinking to figure out if he was really making this up in his mid but everything didn’t seem right when the ring was still there and all here jewelry was in a bag that she clearly didn’t put it in. he was doing a good deed by calling the cops and getting himself involved even though his 1st state of mind was spying for enjoyment. James and Grace had a weird relationship that can relate to on many levels. I can tell that he loved he but he doesn’t want to commit. The neighbors across the street from them had similar relationships but I can tell that she had unconditional love for him even though he was in a wheel chair spying on their nieghbors.
I believe that in the film Rear Window, James Stewart's character Jeff is a virtueous person. Jeff was only a meer photographer but still had a concern for people being safe. Having a broken leg in the movie, Jeff has to sit in a wheelchair in his apartment. The only thing he has to do to keep him from boredom is to spy on people. Seeminlgy in the beginning, it seemed like Jeff was spying in a perverse way. This in fact wouldn't be virtueous but very quickly does the spying become a task to find out if his neighbor is a murderer.
During the film, Jeff has a relationship with a young beautiful lady named Lisa. She likes very much too a point where it seems obvious that Jeff doesn't like her as much. Jeff feels that he is an adventurer and that Lisa was basically a pretty girl and couldn't be adventureous like him. The fact that they converse about this in the movie is ironic though, as later on in the movie Lisa sneaks into the neighbor's apartment. When Lisa does this, Jeff gets very concerned and when she is sneaking up there he tells her not to go in. This shows in the movie that Jeff's feelings are stronger for Lisa and makes you think if Jeff would really want Lisa to adventure with her.
At the end of the film when they find out that the neighbor was really the murderer, Jeff breaks his other leg as the murderer is caught. The last scene in the movie is Lisa wearing blue jeans instead of an expensive dress symbolizing that she had made change. Jeff is sleeping next to her and she is reading an adventure magazine but then switches to a fashion magazine. This symbolizes that she had become more adventureous for Jeff but still had her pride of being a "pretty girl"
-Nick Kennahan
The entire movie is focused around a so called virtuous act. The entire time he's trying to hold back from taking any action with the attractive balley dancer to some of the actions of the couple which have sex 24/7 in their apartment. Once he gets suspicious of the man with the knives though he feels he needs to make the right choice by reporting it immediately and wants to prove he is the murderer.
He seemed to feel that if he took care of the problem a soon as possible he would prevent anyone else being affected by this man. This coincides with alot of things that Aristotle used for moral reasoning in the chapter of our book. So what really happened here is a man ( James Stewart) out of boredom has come across something which he considers to be rather peculiar and unusual in circumstances. He doesn't seem sure right away that it was a murder but he starts to piece together all of his observations and questions the reasons and things the man has done recently and compares them to the actions that a guilty man might do.
His own virtues in the film are directly related to his own values in his life which includes protecting people around him. His past according to the pictures from world war 2 on the walls shows that he is a man who really will do anything for the better good of the people and world around him. He's very strong willed and stubborn to let others persuade him easily. Even though he is strapped into a chair all day he seems very content on a day to day basis. It's because he gains happiness with looking out the window and anaylizing the neighbors in the area and making sure nothing outside of his own virtues occurs.
Personally, the movie is humorous and a form of entertainment, but, way to be a nosy neighbor! Whose business is it of Jeff to be watching and judging what actions occur in his neighbors homes. What he does is a violation of privacy. If it was me and I found out I was being watched I would feel completely violated and would put a restraining order on Jeff. I understand that he is caring for the well being of his neighbors, but in all reality he would have never cared if he wouldn’t have been laid up with a broken leg. He is just paying attention because he is bored. And, the boredom begins to consume him so much that he begins to use binoculars and his camera to zoom in closer, creepy. So, you ask me if I think he is being virtuous? Hell no, I think his boredom has possessed him therefore not acting consciously, nor is he acting from a fixed and unchangeable position, he is just bored and needed something to exercise his mind.
In Rear Window I do not think that the character Jeff was looking out his window at the people because hes a werido but because he was bored and people watching.
Luckily for him he found something exciting to do in the last week of having his cast on. Watching a man with whom he suspected as murdering his wife. He begin taking the law into his own hands because he tried getting his buddy to look into it, but his buddy thought that Jeff was making up things in his head to entertain himself.
I think that Jeff was virtuous, he never watched anyone in a vulgar way. He was just watching people with their blinds open until he found something to really focus on.
I am surprised he didn't see the dog get murdered since he was practically glued to the window.
Easily one could say that Jeff that had seen something he thought was a murder and sought to right the wrong that was committed. That in itself was a virtuous thing, though he saw many hints to
In the film ,the main character was bored out of his mind and was looking for something that was close to his job to. The man was in a cast from putting his life in danger. So when he does nothing but sit at the stare into a world he only sees out his window, he starts to believe that he has seen something that didn’t really happen to the extent he thought. However he did something happen, and though a human being wasn’t murder he did everything he could help the situation. In short, though nothing serious happened, it still proves that man willingness to help out his fellow man. His heart was in the right place, that in itself.
Lisa’s roll in this was quiet understanding. She was in love with Jeff, thus making an effort to prove to her love to him while risking everything she has physically and socially. Thus making in clear that Lisa is willing to sacrifice herself just to be with him.
One could say that together Jeff and Lisa cared about their fellow man, one also could say that Jeff is a nosey individual with nothing better to do than watch the his neighbors.
Brian Utaski
The film Rear Window is a challege to focus on good moral reasoning or even a peeping tom syndrome. At first Jeff is "people watching". He can't move around much and he is stationed in front of a window. Raise your had if you have ever sat in front of your local starbucks, or sat down in the mall to evade christmas shoppers and watched life take place for a little bit... Ok put your hand down (if it wasn't raised, your either a liar or a hobbit). What was Jeff's real job again? Oh yeah PHOTOGRAPHER! He watches life for a living. So all in all a mute point - Jeff was being human, sure he did take it to an uncomfortable level getting the detective, his nurse, and his lady invovled. His reasoning was good, but a bit impulsive (i'm sure they make a pill for that now a days).
Jeff, in Rear Window, he is just a person that was of being trapped in his wheelchair. It is a common thing in today’s society to be a people watcher. People are making millions off people watching. . The tabloids are not seen as a wrong. So why should what Jeff does in the comfort of the wheelchair any different than what is happening in the tabloids today. There is no difference of the morals of this peeping tom to the paparazzi stalking the celebrities for the tabloids.
The film rear window was a boring movie to me. I didn't like the ending as I was kind of hoping that it would turn out to just be paranoia. As for Aristotle see anything in this movie as a virtuous act, I don't think he would. Jeff wasn't doing anything virtuous. He was bored as anything spying on people from his window. I don't think what he was doing is right and I think he should have minded his own business. Watching people and making assumptions about what they do in their own home is wrong.
Kyla Harris
Rear Window
It doesn’t really matter to me what the circumstances were for the character saving the neighbor, what’s important is that he did. It’s probably true that if he wasn’t stuck in a wheelchair he probably wouldn’t think twice about being a nosy neighbor but he did and he saved a life. I think there is a path for everyone and that things happen for a reason to help keep balance in the world. We sometimes have forests fires that destroy all of the trees and animals but the end result is actually a good result than a bad one. The forest grows healthier and stronger than before. If tragedies didn’t happen to humans on a daily basis then people wouldn’t take the time to stop and think about what is going wrong with the way things are done. If tragic car accidents weren’t broadcast on the news everyday then people wouldn’t know or realize that speeding and drunk driving is bad and harmful
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