A movie traditionally contains a main conflict, which defines its genre. Hitchcock provides multiple conflicts. Identify any conflict(s) you perceive complicate the lives of the following characters:

• L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries
• Lisa Fremont
• “Miss Torso” the dancer
• “Miss Lonelyhearts”
• Thorwald and his invalid wife
• The Newlyweds
• Detective Doyle

The set – an apartment complex in New York’s Greenwich Village – is representative of the trapped lives of its residents. How are any characters trapped? Consider the same list as above.

Why won’t Jeff marry Lisa?

A voyeur is a person who “peeps” into the private matters of other people. Hitchcock invites you to become a voyeur alongside the protagonist Jeff using various techniques.

• How does the editing at night help increase your curiosity?
• How does Hitchock use various shots to increase your curiosity?
• What does Jeff want to know about his neighbors?

Jeff invites Lisa to be a voyeur alongside him. At first she scolds him for being a peeping Tom, then she becomes fully involved. When does Lisa cross over from viewer to participant in Jeff’s world of intrigue? How could Lisa possibly benefit from this decision? How does Jeff’s view of her change based on her involvement?

Ultimately, what genre of film is “Rear Window”? If you believe it crosses multiple genres, then explain how the film fits each genre type.

The lives of the different characters represent possible futures for Jeff and Lisa. What connections can you make between the others and what may happen to Jeff and Lisa?