Rear Window
Ariza | 3 July 2006, 10:29pmIn Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window a wheelchair bound James stewart has an uninhibited view of an apartment block of people living in front of his apartments. He uses a binoculars and moves from one life to another with little effort. Most of these lives are mundane but, luckily for our wheel chair bound policeman, not every one is. He suspects a murder and over a period of watching slowly gets convinced that it is so. What happens next is obvious.
I dont know if the theme was older than the movie or if it began after the movie but I have noticed that people who end up spying on their neighbours are almost always convinced that something is afoot. I have seen some friends who begin to tell me in hushed voices about the affair the married woman next door seems to be having or the cigarette smoking teenager on the roof. I have always thought of this to be a sad existence, something that reflects on the watcher's loneliness. And I have known from personal experience that it cannot be helped.
Georges Perecs Life: a users manual also touches on the same theme. In this, I am told, we also have the access to peoples memories and other details. It is a novel and in it I suppose the author has much more creative license and time to explore the theme. He probably makes the experience more poignant by giving us the access to peoples most intimate details. It is, I am told, a great book.
That aside, I have often wondered walking on the road how most people led their lives. Most of these lie close to cliches that I cannot rid myself of: drunkards, wife beaters, teenagers, children (read cute) etc etc. Completely my problem. But how different is blogging from all that? Granted most people never post the truth (and that includes me) it is interesting to watch their digital identities. Here the judgement is on the basis of their lies.
Anyway, I wonder what would happen if someone pulled the roof out of my apartment block and peeped inside? Rear window style not Life: a users manual. That is a topic for another post. And a different story to tell.
Current Mood: Thoughtful
Current Music: Police
Posted in Philosophy | Next | Previous | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)
1. By Johnny | 4 Jul 2006, 1:38pm
Most people don't actually lie in their blogs. According to me, they just tend to exaggerate things to make it a good read. If you can get the essence of the post, it is pretty much true. :) But then that is how I blog. Not sure abt rest.
2. By melancholic larkspur | 14 Jul 2006, 7:22am
should have
peek through pink roses ---
blacktop roofs---invain