OVERLAY REPORT

In Alfred Hitchcock’s *Rear Window* (1954), the primary conflict operates on two distinct levels: an **external thriller conflict** between L.B. "Jeff" Jefferies and Lars Thorwald, and an **internal interpersonal conflict** between Jeff and his girlfriend, Lisa Fremont. ### 1. The External Conflict: Jeff vs. Lars Thorwald This is the central plot of the film—a "cat and mouse" game between a man who sees too much and a man who has too much to hide. * **How it Started:** The conflict is born out of Jeff’s physical confinement. A professional photojournalist, Jeff is restricted to a wheelchair in his Greenwich Village apartment after breaking his leg. To stave off boredom during a sweltering heatwave, he begins watching his neighbors through his rear window. * **The Catalyst:** The suspicion starts on a rainy night when Jeff hears a woman scream "Don't!" followed by the sound of breaking glass. He then observes Thorwald, a traveling jewelry salesman, making three mysterious trips out of the apartment between 2:00 AM and morning, carrying his sample case each time. * **Specific Details of Escalation:** * **The Disappearance:** Jeff notices Thorwald’s bedridden, "invalid" wife is suddenly gone. * **The Tools:** Jeff watches Thorwald wrap a saw and a butcher knife in newspaper. * **The Investigation:** The conflict intensifies as Jeff uses his long-lens camera (a "portable keyhole") to spy on Thorwald, eventually involving Lisa and his nurse, Stella. This culminates in Lisa breaking into Thorwald's apartment to find evidence (Mrs. Thorwald's wedding ring), which alerts Thorwald that he is being watched and leads to a direct physical confrontation in Jeff’s darkened apartment. ### 2. The Interpersonal Conflict: Jeff vs. Lisa Fremont While the murder mystery provides the action, many film scholars argue the primary *thematic* conflict is Jeff’s struggle with commitment and marriage. * **How it Started:** The conflict began long before the film's start but is brought to a head by Jeff’s injury. Lisa, a high-society fashion model, wants to marry Jeff and settle down. Jeff, however, is a "committed bachelor" who values his rugged, dangerous lifestyle. * **The Nature of the Conflict:** Jeff believes they are incompatible. He views Lisa as a "hothouse flower"—too delicate and sophisticated for the "swamps" and war zones he frequents for work. He fears that marriage will "trap" him and turn him into one of the miserable, bickering husbands he sees across the courtyard. * **Specific Details of Resolution:** Ironically, it is the *external* conflict that resolves the *internal* one. Lisa proves her "worth" and adventurous spirit to Jeff by physically engaging in the investigation—climbing a fire escape and breaking into Thorwald's apartment. By the end of the film, Jeff’s view of her shifts as she demonstrates she can handle the "dangerous" world he inhabits. ### The Intersection: Voyeurism as a Bridge The two conflicts are linked by the theme of **voyeurism**. Jeff uses the "drama" of Thorwald’s life to avoid facing the reality of his own relationship problems. However, by drawing Lisa into his voyeuristic obsession, he inadvertently creates the shared adventure that saves their relationship.