ONE SET
The films most known for this technique are
Rope and Rear Window. This is probably because both of those films
were unique in other ways. Rope was shot in one continuous filming
with only five cuts in 8o minutes. Rear Window was unique because
the main character was not only confined to one set, but he was
confined to wheelchair as well. This emphasized the feeling of
entrapment Hitchcock set up by using one set. On a personal note,
Rear Window is by far my favorite of these films.
Film: Lifeboat
Year: 1944
Color: Black and White
Writers: John Steinbeck (story), Jo Swerling (screenplay)
Length: 96 min
Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars.
Technique: One set
Note: Lifeboat was Hitchcock's only film for 20th Century Fox.
Lifeboat is a World War II war film set entirely on a lifeboat. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Story. The film holds the world record for smallest set ever used on a film. It has never been beaten.
Film: Rope
Year: 1948
Color: Technicolor (his first film in color)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:Patrick Hamilton (play), Hume Cronyn (adaptation)
Length: 80 minutes
Technique: Continuous shot, one set
This film is probably most well-known for the filming technique. In the whole 80 minute movies, there are only five edits. It depends on who you believe about why this was done. The truth is the long take really makes you feel like you are in the room observing everything like a fly on the wall. It effectively builds suspense by trapping the viewer in a confined environment and allows the viewer to see everything first hand taking out the need for side and back stories.
Film: Rear Window
Year: 1954
Length: 112 min
Color:Color
Writers: Cornell Woolrich (short story "It Had to be Murder"), John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Awards: Nominated for 4 Oscars.
Starring: James 'Jimmy' Stewart as L. B. Jefferies and Grace Kelly as Lisa Carol Fremontt
Stewart plays a wheelchair bound photographer spying on his neighbours from his apartment window. When he becomes convinced a murder has been committed, his guest goes over to investigate. Everything is shot from the photographer's apartment. His confinement to the wheelchair only escalates the suspense when he is helpless to assist his guest in her investigation and helpless to escape from his apartment. Most of the movie is shot from his point of view, but it does show him on occasion.
Film: Dial M for Murder
Year: 1954
Color:Color (Warnercolor)
Writers: Frederick Knott (play), Frederick Knott (screenplay)
Awards: Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.
Length: 105 min
While the play was written for a single set, the living-room of the Wendices' flat in London, Hitchcock decided to include a second setting in a restaurant, some views of the street outside, and a stylized courtroom montage.
Film: Lifeboat
Year: 1944
Color: Black and White
Writers: John Steinbeck (story), Jo Swerling (screenplay)
Length: 96 min
Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars.
Technique: One set
Note: Lifeboat was Hitchcock's only film for 20th Century Fox.
Lifeboat is a World War II war film set entirely on a lifeboat. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Story. The film holds the world record for smallest set ever used on a film. It has never been beaten.
Film: Rope
Year: 1948
Color: Technicolor (his first film in color)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:Patrick Hamilton (play), Hume Cronyn (adaptation)
Length: 80 minutes
Technique: Continuous shot, one set
This film is probably most well-known for the filming technique. In the whole 80 minute movies, there are only five edits. It depends on who you believe about why this was done. The truth is the long take really makes you feel like you are in the room observing everything like a fly on the wall. It effectively builds suspense by trapping the viewer in a confined environment and allows the viewer to see everything first hand taking out the need for side and back stories.
Film: Rear Window
Year: 1954
Length: 112 min
Color:Color
Writers: Cornell Woolrich (short story "It Had to be Murder"), John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Awards: Nominated for 4 Oscars.
Starring: James 'Jimmy' Stewart as L. B. Jefferies and Grace Kelly as Lisa Carol Fremontt
Stewart plays a wheelchair bound photographer spying on his neighbours from his apartment window. When he becomes convinced a murder has been committed, his guest goes over to investigate. Everything is shot from the photographer's apartment. His confinement to the wheelchair only escalates the suspense when he is helpless to assist his guest in her investigation and helpless to escape from his apartment. Most of the movie is shot from his point of view, but it does show him on occasion.
Film: Dial M for Murder
Year: 1954
Color:Color (Warnercolor)
Writers: Frederick Knott (play), Frederick Knott (screenplay)
Awards: Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.
Length: 105 min
While the play was written for a single set, the living-room of the Wendices' flat in London, Hitchcock decided to include a second setting in a restaurant, some views of the street outside, and a stylized courtroom montage.
Post Comments
RLLillis said – Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:20:41 -0000 ( Flag Edit Link )
Hi, Dr. Srinivasan, Thanks for your note. This lesson was actually created before the links were working properly and way before embedded video was enabled. I do intent to redo this lesson and many of my others with embedded video in mid-May. Thanks again for your feedback. I totally agree with you. Video and color would make this much more interesting. As for a curriculum, I agree I need to have it more intertwined and less disjointed. I’ll need to do several more lessons for that. I have a full-time job and it’s my busy season so I won’t have a lot of time to devote it until mid-May.
Rear Window is also my favorite, because the feeling of entrapment and helplessness is so great with him confined to the wheel chair. Also, I’m just a big Jimmy Stewart/Grace Kelly fan.
Why is Rear Window your favorite?