Casual Essay Disturbia

Cultural Changes: Rear Window v. Disturbia

When looking at any movie that has ever been produced, one can typically get a feel for how it was to live in the time period that the movie was made. This is because most producers typically have their movies mimic the traits of the current time, whether by choice or by rules/regulations. Due to this we can typically take a look at movies and see a distinct difference in several aspects of films, even if the movie is a remake of the movie it is being compared to. By reviewing the films of Rear Window, which was directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1954, and Disturbia, which was directed by D. J. Caruso in 2007, we can see that the U.S. underwent a number of changes due to a change in the acceptance of violence, also many technological advances/changes have changed the way we go about our days. Before we take a look at how cultural changes made the movies different, let’s first take a look at the movies themselves to see what they are about.

We’ll start by looking at the movie Rear Window. The film is about a photographer by the name of Jeff Jefferies (James Stewart) who, after breaking his leg while photographing a racetrack accident, is confined to a wheelchair and must stay in his apartment. To pass time he constantly watches his neighbors through his rear window, where he can see a number of apartments across the courtyard. One night Jefferies hears the wife of Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) scream “Don’t!” and after that never sees Mrs. Thorwald again. Shortly after Jeffries also sees Mr. Thorwald cleaning a knife and handsaw. Jeffries is convinced that Thorwald has killed his wife and discusses this theory with his girlfriend Lisa Freemont (Grace Kelly), and his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter). Jeffries then gets his detective friend Tom Doyle (Wendell Corey) to check out the apartment, but he can find nothing to support Jeffries points. A few days later a neighbor’s dog is found dead with a broken neck which leads to the...