從殘缺到殘廢的男性符號

************這篇影評可能有雷************

引述影評正文：
Hitchcock’s Gender Roles: Rear Window by Ben Elliott
Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) builds a distinct view of the world and how, in the director’s opinion, men and women fit in it. In his suspense masterpiece, Hitchcock utilizes all of his favorite gender roles for his male and female characters. This movie helped pinpoint some recurring elements about men and women present in all three films that we concentrated on for this exhibit. In all three films, Men are shown as damaged and needing help, while women are shown as care-givers. Men think women are interested in money or status or success, while women are only interested in love. And men are always reluctant to take action, until the desire of the women to solve the mystery presses them into confrontation.
In Rear Window (1954), all of Hitchcock’s basic roles for men and women are present. From the very beginning, we are shown women as a sexually appealing object with 「Miss Torso」 across the courtyard, scantily clad and stretching for the audience to see. Throughout the film, men and women reinforce the idea of the superficial beauty that is to be desired in a woman through the characters』 dialogue. But Hitchcock doesn』t stop there. He has a natural desire to torment women who dress up, perhaps sending the opposite message, that women should wear less. As Allen, Richard, and Ishii-Gonzalès put it in their book, 「「His favored male alter egos – Farley Granger, 詹姆士 Stewart, or Cary Grant – always appeared as sophisticates, whatever their real origins may have been, whereas when the women were dressed up as ladies they were then tormented for it, just as Madeleine Carrol was in 「The Thirty-Nine Steps.」 (Allen, Richard, and S. Ishii-Gonzalès 19).
The very idea is used to catch the killer in the film. For example, 麗莎 Fremont says at one point, 「A woman going anywhere but to the hospital would never leave home without her makeup.」 Women’s obsession with beauty and possessions is pivotal to figuring out that Mr. Thorwald killed his wife. The 「favorite handbag,」 the jewelry, and make-up all lead the characters to believe that his wife never really left the house alive.
The aspect of the 「damaged」 man needing help from 「care-giving」 women is perhaps no more prevalent than in Rear Window (1954). Jeff is stuck in a wheelchair because of a broken leg, and has to be helped to do anything. His housekeeper Stella and his girlfriend 麗莎 become an extension of himself that not only help him around the apartment, but also help him to do anything outside of the apartment. Eventually 麗莎 even sneaks into Mr. Thorwald’s apartment to help solve the mystery for Jeff.
The man as the over-analyzer role is played admirably by Jeff in the film. He attempts to apply logic to his relationship with 麗莎. Him being a photographer that travels the world and 麗莎 being an upper-class rich girl dress designer; he thinks the smart thing to do would be to break it off. Stella, the woman as the care-giver once again, has to advise him to 「leave intellect out of it,」 and to 「use common sense.」 She even goes so far as to say 「You』ve got a woman deficiency.」 Hitchcock wants to send the message men over-analyzing and applying logic to relationships doesn』t work.
Men are also reluctant to be married in Hitchcock’s films. In Spellbound (1945), John thinks he’s not worth loving. In Psycho (1960), Sam thinks his debt is too much to overcome, and therefore thinks a marriage wouldn』t work. But in Rear Window (1954), marriage itself is given a negative connotation. Women are nagging husbands throughout the movie. There is a feeling, on the man’s part, of marriage being the end of life. Compounding this feeling is that men in Hitchcock’s films think money, status, and success are what women want, when in reality all the women want is love. While Jeff doesn』t think he is ready for marriage, or as he views it 「the end」, Stella attempts to talk him into marrying 麗莎 anyway. She tells him 「Every man’s ready when the right girl comes along.」 But Jeff doesn』t agree.
Hitchcock’s main message about men and women in the film seems to be that men are content to watch other people’s happiness rather than concentrate on their own lives, while women are the opposite. Jeff sits and watches everyone out his window while 麗莎 comes by and chides him for spying on people and always wants to close the blinds so that he will focus on her instead. In Hitchcock: Past and Future the authors comment that「…The bodies of women, matter, or sign, and heterosexuality has been up to now just an alibi for the smooth workings of man’s relations with himself.」 (Allen, Richard, and S. Ishii-Gonzalès 212). The men of his films are unwilling to change, and while in Rear Window (1954) 麗莎 wants to think about the future, Jeff is content with the 「status quo」 and more concerned with what’s going on around them right now.
Once again in Hitchcock’s films the role of the suspicious investigator is filled by a male character, this time by Det. 湯瑪士 Doyle. He questions guilt and innocence and motives of each character with his dialogue. While a big fuss has been made of 「women’s intuition」 to this point in the film, Det. 湯瑪士 Doyle completely degrades the theory that women know anything with, 「I』ve wasted enough time following leads based on female intuition.」 But it is not the Detective who ends up getting to the bottom of the mystery. Just as in the other films we focused on, it is the women who want to actually go as far as needed to discover the truth. Their desire to solve the mystery leads to the eventual confrontation of the male characters in the film, culminating with Thorwald throwing Jeff out the window and being arrested.
引述影評出處：
http://eng3122.wordpress.com/group-3-main/gender-roles/hitchcocks-gender-roles-rear-window/

個人與評論見解之異同：
簡而言之，評論認為這是一部希區柯克安排了自己最愛的性別地位設置的影片。男性形像是殘缺的、誤解女性的、怯於行動的，而女性形象則是關懷的、忠於愛情的、行動果敢的。
首先，評論認為本片通過角色形象的塑造展現出性別形象的第一印象的差異。如片中Miss Torso的身體裸露及伸展，還有男性選角上成熟世故的外形偏向。
其次，評論認為本片通過情節安排（角色對情節推動的貢獻）凸顯性別思維能力的差異。如讓麗莎通過女性直覺思維（女性對於妝扮的重視）得到破案的關鍵線索（推斷Mrs. Thorwald未曾活著離開公寓）；而Detective Doyle則無視此線索，間接導致危機的發生。
再次，評論認為本片通過角色本色設置表現性別行動能力的差異。如片中Jeff斷腿臥椅，寸步難行，而Stella和麗莎則行動自如，作為Jeff肢體的延伸達成破案的目的。
接著，評論認為本片通過設置男女主角對雙方關係的判斷表達對女性思維的認同。如Jeff喜用邏輯分析，引致誤解，而麗莎通過行動將對愛情的忠實外露無遺，二人終相認同。
然後，評論認為本片通過安排人物的行為呈現男性對婚姻的牴觸。如片中伴侶之間的互動常常由女性扮演煩擾的一方，Jeff聲明白己對婚姻未有準備並否認Stella對他與麗莎關係的認同。
最後，評論認為本片最主要傳達的資訊，是描述通過角色關注他人（這種行為本身）的差異性，體現兩性的差異。如Jeff樂於從窺視中取樂，而麗莎更關心他人的性命安全；Jeff傾向於著眼當下發生的事情，而麗莎更多地放眼未來。
以上皆為評論之觀點，本人總體是贊同的，但認為本片對於男性的批判遠比評論所描述的程度要高得多。
1、 服裝。本片中麗莎穿著共計6套典雅大方的服裝，顏色一件比一件鮮艷；Jeff全片只穿著隨意的睡衣。
2、 主動性。本片開始麗莎由Jeff領導破案的思路，之後推斷出破案的關鍵性線索；開始由Jeff指派前往查探Mr. Thorwald並遞送紙條，之後在挖掘花園泥地時麗莎與Stella主動提出前往，再後麗莎更突破Jeff對她們的指揮自行登上公寓，深入危險之地；開始麗莎努力博取Jeff的認同，結尾麗莎放下Jeff的男性雜誌，拿起了自己的女性時尚雜誌；本片最後一個鏡頭先對準Jeff的臉，移動到他打滿石膏的雙腿，說明其進一步喪失行動能力，緊接著移動到麗莎健康優美的雙腿，然後是她明艷照人的形象。
3、 角色形象。男性角色的形象均不無殘缺：Jeff殘病的肢體、對人處處刁難的性格與偷窺的癖好，Detective Doyle的傲慢與遲鈍，作曲家一直失意，新婚丈夫令妻子大失所望，Mr. Thorwald的兇殘狡詐，對面公寓的男客都只為色慾登門，Miss Torso的男友形象瘦弱矮小，等等。反觀女性角色的形象則包容、體貼、忠誠、得體、果敢，在Stella、麗莎、Miss Torso、Miss Lonelyhearts身上都可得見。
另外，本人在此提出一個魯莽的猜想，本片描述的其實是一個全方位將男性符號由殘缺徹底變成殘廢的過程。本次觀影為本人第二次觀看《後窗》一片，在陳述以下猜想前並未閱讀與本猜想相關的內容，疏漏之處還請指正。
先應提出，私以為有理由懷疑本片情節的真實性，即懷疑全片跌宕起伏的情節都是主人公Jeff的臆想。根據如下：
A. 片中一鏡完成對Jeff入睡的同時Thorwald夫妻雙雙出門的即時描述。
B. 片中只有Mr. Thorwald和Jeff見過Mrs. Thorwald出現。
C. Mr. Thorwald確實具有威脅性的言行只有Jeff一人見證。
D. 有理由推斷窗外各戶的景色均為虛幻，實為Jeff本人真實生活的心理投射。
私以為Miss Torso一戶為Jeff想像中麗莎的私人生活狀況，開始時猜測麗莎的上流生活則表現為Miss Torso一戶門庭若市，又與男客密會，後認同麗莎則表現為Miss Torso的軍人男友回歸（Jeff曾向麗莎提及到自己身著軍裝）。
作曲家一戶為Jeff家真實寫照，作曲家家中有人來訪，Jeff家必有人登門；作曲家失意，Jeff必失落；最後Jeff重歸安穩，作曲家也迎來伯樂。
Miss Lonelyhearts一戶為Jeff對伴侶關係的美好理想。一開始Ms. L對空獻慇勤，表現得體貼周到，Jeff更舉杯與她相應；後來Ms. L邀來男賓，男賓大膽與其親熱，她卻無端反常地強烈拒絕，估計是Jeff本人的想像，宣洩Detective Doyle對麗莎美色覬覦的憤怒；再後來Ms. L在本片緊要關頭竟然佔著相當長的篇幅，且處之泰然，不再患得患失，施施然落下百葉窗，是說明Jeff對麗莎產生認同，同時麗莎在Jeff的心目中具有了主動性，並暗示Jeff預估麗莎與他的關係（Jeff與Ms. L的關係是觀看與被觀看）將被阻隔，麗莎很有可能會遇上危險。
新婚夫婦一戶為Jeff與麗莎二人關係的真實寫照。一直伴隨著Jeff對麗莎的情緒出現起伏。
Thorwald一戶為Jeff對他與麗莎二人關係的衝突性的臆想。值得注意的是Mr. Thorwald與Jeff均為銀髮，在形象上具有同構性，暗指實為一人。Thorwald夫婦的不和諧初初表現在妻子不滿丈夫的服侍而喋喋不休，直指Jeff原來預想中Jeff與麗莎的關係，與Ms. L的體貼形成對比。
後來隨著麗莎的主動性逐步升級，Jeff便越發地想證明Mr. Thorwald手刃其妻，將Mr. Thorwald的兇殘面巨大化，在臆想中完成對女性的野蠻征服；與此同步的，是Jeff逐步引導麗莎步入Thorwald家的公寓，使其受到傷害（Mr. Thorwald對麗莎的粗暴行為可理解為對入戶竊賊的憤怒）。在麗莎初次涉險（送紙條）回來之後，Jeff甚至報以一個耐人尋味的微笑（老師曾專門指出此處設置，以上為本人個人理解）。
在本片高潮處，Mr. Thorwald來到Jeff家中，是Jeff的征服欲過份放肆至無法控制的地步，由虛幻（窗景）侵入真實（Jeff家）的體現。在Mr. Thorwald與Jeff的搏鬥中，他們沒有用武器傷害對方，尤其是Mr. Thorwald受到燈光一而再再而三的刺激後仍不改其應對策略，這一舉動值得留意。最後Mr. Thorwald用將Jeff推出窗外的方式意圖對Jeff造成傷害，其實是暗指Jeff的征服欲將Jeff從真實（Jeff家）引入虛幻（窗景）。
本片首先呈現一個肢體殘缺的男性形象，賦予苛刻、怯懦、道德感低下的人格，然後進一步將其對女性的色慾與征服欲以畸形的方式巨大化，最後失控，反致其肢體殘缺程度進一步加深（再斷一腿），對異性的態度也傾向於臣服（參照Miss Torso一戶的結局、雕塑者從裸露變為著裝整齊的結局形象與麗莎結局處的形象），行動力與精神力雙摺損。麗莎最終脫險，還拯救了Jeff的性命，實在是一處辛辣無比的諷刺。
本猜想在虛實相生的電影語言暗示當中斷不能完全成立，僅僅是一個大膽的猜想。