The darkness of the cinema against the brightness of the movie screen provides isolation, similar to that of voyeuristic separation (Mulvey 312). Hence, the relationship between the spectator and the viewing of a film can be understood to have an extremely similar nature. .
In "Rear Window", Hitchcock highlights the pleasures which are derived from the position of privilege maintained by the spectator. Utilizing Laura Mulvey's essay, "Visual Pleasures of Cinema", film's scopophilic allure is outlined. Mulvey draws upon psychoanalytic theory and posits that voyeurism and narcissistic identification are the two main sources of viewer gratification (Mulvey 311). Voyeuristic pleasure connotes sexual attraction and objectification. Hitchcock references this through Jeff's delight in watching the appropriately named Miss Torso, dance in her apartment half-naked, oblivious to his gaze. .
The pleasure of narcissistic identification, on the other hand, refers to the spectator's projection of their ideal ego unto the screen. Lars Thorwald's window, which provides the frame for his wife's murder, is a conflation of the two pleasures. Jeff projects his desire to be rid of his socialite girlfriend, Lisa Fremont, through the suspected murderer, Lars Thorwald. Similarly, Jeff relates to Thorwald's invalid wife, whose mental illness and repugnance towards her husband's gesture of breakfast in bed, mirrors his own wheelchair confinement and rejection of Lisa's affection. This early scene, involving the scantily clad Mrs Thorwald, implies sexual frustration on behalf of Lars and strikes Jeff, being an impotent voyeur. Mrs Thorwald's murder, as the focal point of Jeff's voyeurism, not only conflates the two pleasures but themes of violence and sex. His fascination with such content is, according to psychoanalytic theory, due to pre-existing fascinations inherent in every individual. Complicit with Jeff's gaze, the spectator's propensity for themes surrounded with taboo as a source of pleasure is thus stressed by Hitchcock.
