Rear Window vs. Disturbia

Disturbia is an modern remake of Alfred Hitchcocks famous thriller, Rear Window. Although the two films are similar, there are also a number of significant differences which are listed below...

Characters

Similarities:

• Same number of characters in each film.
• The caracters have the same roles e.g. Housebound man is the main character, sidekick
• In both Rear Window and Disturbia, the female is seen as a sex symbol.
• Sexual Attraction between the characters
• There is a sidekick in both films who is talkative, not particularly smart and provides comedy for the audience.
• The main characters all get really involved in both films.
• In both Rear Window and Disturbia, the villain is played by the same kind of character and is in the around the same age. Both villains are male.
• In both films, the main male character is scruffy and quite uncarign about his appearence (probably due to him being housebound). In contast the female is quite glamourous and brave opposed to being the typical damsel in distress.
• The victims in both films are female.

Differences:

• The films are set in different time periods. Rear window is set around the 1950s and Disturbia is set in 2007.
• In Rear Window the characters are in their late 20s early 30s whereas in Disturbia, the main characters are in their teens; around 16 or 17 years old.
• In Disturbia, it's the female who originally wants to start watching the man whereas in Rear Window the woman tries to distract the man from looking out the window all the time and only gets involved later on in the film.
• In Rear Window, the female goes to look in the villains flat of her own accord agaisnt the main characters wishes, while in Disturbia it's the sidekick who gets sent into the villains house on the orders of the main character.
• In Disturbia the sidekick is the main characters best friend and is male but in Rear Window the sidekick is the main characters nurse and is female.
• The Villain in Rear window is quite mysterious and the characters do not come into any physical contact with him until the end of the film. In distur bia, the villain is a lot more bold and upfront and you find out much more about him throughout the film.
• In Rear Window, there is only one victim( being the villians wife). howevr, in Disturbia there is high body count (multiple murders, all sexy women).
• In Disturbia, the villian is a serial killer who kills in bloody, disgusting ways whereas in Rear window, the villian is only disposing of his wife and the killing as far as we know isn't gruesome (he doesn't take pleasure in killing).

Themes

Similarities:

• Both plots revolve around the fact that the main character is trapped in their house.
• Due to this, the main characters see things they wouldn't otherwise see.
• Both Rear window and Disturbia share themes of Suspense, Fear, Murder, Suspiscion, Claustraphobia, Spying, Voyerism, Technology, Morales (right and wrong), Sexual Attraction, Justice and they both make you jump at times.
• There is police involvement in both films.

Differences:

• Although characters in both films are stuck in their house, they have different reasons for being there. In Rear Window, the main character is there due to personal injury and an accident. In Disturbia, the main character is under house arrest due to him hitting a teacher and getting involved with the law.
• In Disturbia, the death of the main characters father is the driving force behind the film.
• Disturbia shows paternal relationships (mother and son) but Rear Window has nothing to do with family.
• In Disturbia, the main characters trust him right from the start but in Rear Window, they humour him at the beginning and only start to really trust the main character towards the end.

Narratives

Similarities:

• Both films are character driven (although some events are crucial)
• They aren't particularly fast moving, therefore take time to let the plot unravel and build up tension.
• The point of view in the film is of the hero and his friends.
• Neither film is particularly enigmatic as we only know what the hero knows.
• However, in both films the audience are in the frame meaning not much is held back.
• In both films, there is a case of mistaken identity which the heroes see as proof.
• Dead animals are used in Rear Window and Disturbia.
  
• A main character breaks an entry in both films in order to confirm suspicions.
• There is a party in both films which distracts the protagonist and therefore distracts the audience.
• The main character is believed by his friends in both films but is not believed by the police.
• There is a use of technology current to the time the film was made in both Disturbia (e.g. computer) and Rear Window (e.g. camera).
  

Differences:

• Disturbia builds up it's plot a lot more than Rear Window.
  
• The murder count differs in both films; Disturbia features multiple murders and Rear Window only features one.
• The films are set in different places and therefore create different effects. Rear Window is set in an urban, inner city area meaning the sounds you hear are those of a city e.g. passing traffic, horns etc. Disturbia is set in surburbia which typically is seen as a family place and hence hear the sounds of family life.
• Different animals are killed by the villain in the films. In Disturbia a deer is killed and in Rear Window, a dog is killed .
  

Iconography

Similarities:

• In both Rear Window and Disturbia, artificial lighting is used e.g. street lamps, house lights.
• Frames within frames are used regularly throughout both films e.g. windows, computers, camera lenses, blinds ( all signifying entrapment)
• Knives are used in both films.
• There are ordinary settings used in both Rear Window and Disturbia which taps into the fears of the audience of what's going on behind closed doors

Differences:

• Rear Window is set in the inner city while Disturbia is set in suburbia.
• The size of the set varies in both films. Rear Window is all set from one room whereas Disturbia makes use of the whole house.
• There is different dress codes in Rear Window and Disturbia, due to the time difference.
• In Disturbia, the main character is a teenage slacker and it his own fault he has been put in the situation he is in. In Rear Window, the main character has a job and is quite a gentleman and it is accidental that he has been put in his situation.