I've watched this movie many times but really just noticed recently how rude Jeff is to Lisa. Especially on the night she arranged for the lobster dinner. He countered her every comment with rudeness and sarcasm. If he truly thought they weren't right for each other, he should have been man enough to break it off. When he complained about how perfect the dinner was, Lisa should have left. But not before dumping the lobster on his lap.
Watching the movie on BBC America right now, and just saw that scene. Stewart is downright abusive, but not as bad as he is to Kim Novak in 'Vertigo', or Cary Grant to Ingrid Bergman in 'Notorious'. Still, an unattractive character, but an interesting insight into Hitchcock's dark side.
shareScotty's neurotic obsession in Vertigo seems to me an isolated case, and probably beyond his control. But your comparison of Rear Window's Jeff and Dev of Notorious appears an apt one.
Both resist commitment to the woman they love for fear it will compromise and weaken them, and each does so for ostensibly professional reasons. But where Jeff's resistance is likely down to an ultimately selfish reluctance to sacrifice personal freedom (he even asks Lisa if she's willing to "keep things status quo"), Dev's comes from a sense of duty to the mission, and so could be considered the more noble motive.
And as Dev eventually comes to the point where he can be honest with himself about his feelings for Alicia on their own terms, Jeff won't accept his for Lisa until she's "proven" herself worthy of him by putting herself in jeopardy. Ironically, this is exactly the course Alicia chooses to follow, but it's the last thing Dev wants.
But in both cases, the conflicted feelings of the men involved manifest themselves in verbal abuse. Still, there's again a difference between them: Jeff does so to keep Lisa at a distance; Dev does it as a form of lashing out at Alicia from a sense of disappointment: in her for confirming his worst thoughts about her; in himself for falling for her in spite of them.
Poe! You are...avenged!
You just pinpointed why neither movie is a personal favorite of mine! In both cases, I want the heroine to dump the hero.
shareI always think that Jeff is frustrated by his leg in the caster disability. It must have been too much for him that a marriage-hungry woman moves in for the kill while he is in that condition. No matter how beautiful she was. I can understand his peevishness.
shareBasically because hes a selfish P***k - he reminds me of my ex.
I felt sorry for Lisa - she runs around all day for him, ordering dinner - making sure she looks nice etc and his response is 'Lisa, its perfect, as always' looking seriously P****d off! - if i were her I would have said 'well up yours then Jeff and taken the lobster with me & went home!'
Basically he didn't want to commit to her at all, he just wanted his cake & eat it.
Have her there so he can fool about but make sure she leaves so hes not attached hence the 'So thats it, i cant come with you and you wont stay here?' from Lisa
I hate the conversation they have when hes saying 'Your dress will look great in the jungle,and those heels etc' then he rambles on about how she wouldnt like where he goes etc, cos shes not made for that type of world. I understand if he doesnt want a normal job & enjoys his current job - thats fine but at least have the decency to break it off with her & let her find somebody that would treasure her & love her like she deserves to be loved, not go on and on & be ridiculous with some of his comments - raw fish etc - hes a photographer thats all!!
When he said 'Cant we keep things as they are' i would have said 'what you think i am? Im not your fancy bit at your beck n call'
When she says 'Goodbye Geoff' and he says 'Can I see you tomorrow?' i was praying she would say 'whats the point, your not interested in me so Im going to find somebody that is' and i hoped she would have left just like that instead of saying 'not until tomorrow night'
My ex was like Geoff & i wasted 8 years of my life on him. He never allowed me to stay the night except weekends & said we were engaged and would get married etc & after 8 years he cheated with a girl who was 20 years younger than him who knew about me & didnt care, she bragged to me all the time ''Haha ive got your man'' etc, then another girl (he cheated on the bragger with somebody else) so she got betrayed too which she deserved, then the girl he cheated with, he got her pregnant & they were going to marry, then he cheated on her too & they split & now hes married to somebody else!! So poor little boy of his having an ass for a dad like that.
My advice on this film ''Get out Lisa while you can now!!!!!'
Hmm, sounds like a lot of women got cheated on with this guy. Sounds like he has poor character and the women were extremely poor judges of character.
shareAPPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!!! I had one of those as well; wasted ten years on the SOB.
shareGood god, don't exaggerate. That was not abuse. The guy was jerky, but he was feeling insecure about their relationship and depressed because of his broken leg.
shareNot gonna argue with you, Jeff is a total *beep*
shareNot only is he a jerk to a girlfriend, he's a jerk to a girlfriend who is so far out of his league that she's in another freakin' galaxy!
Their relationship keeps me from loving this movie. Not only does the massive disparity in their attractiveness level make things a bit unrealistic, but he never realizes what a jerk he is. He just admits that maybe she's good enough for him after all, never having a clue that he's not good enough for her.
It's not about her being "good enough" for him, he actually says she's too perfect for him. He initially believes that their personalities don't match enough for a succesful marriage. And he turns out to be all wrong about that.
shareHe says "... too perfect..." to mean "You aren't what I want", and she's slightly crushed when she hears it. It's not kind, or polite, and it happens just as she's gone out of her way to brighten his boring day.
There are kind ways and unkind ways to discuss compatibility issues in relationships, and Jeff's way is on the wrong side of the spectrum. Okay, it's not on the far end of the unkindness gauge, he didn't insult her, smack her, or try to change her into what he wants, he just returns kindness with unkindness. Which is enough to interfere with my enjoyment of the movie, we're supposed to root for those two to work things out, while I sit there thinking "Honey, you can do better. Someone within 20 years of your own age, maybe.".
"to mean "You aren't what I want."
No, he means that in the end it might not work out. A main theme of this movie is marriage and compatibility. Jeff feels very insecure in that regard.
He's jerky, but he clearly hopes that being blunt will help end things easily. And he was also rather grumpy because of the broken leg. He had too much time to think about things he normally didn't think about. But you know, Lisa was also rather selfish, initially wanting him to give up his life as a globetrotting photographer. And then insisting to be a part of that life.
I have no problem enjoying this movie. It's not like he's supposed to be a real nice guy.
Jeff's in a bad mood because of his broken leg, but you also have to remember that at the beginning of the movie he's about to break up with Lisa because he's convinced that she would never be happy in his world. So most of what he says to her is just him trying to convince himself to break it off, even though he loves her.
shareYes but if he were serious about not hurting her & really wanted to break it off as its best for her, when she said Good bye - he shouldnt have said 'Cant we keep things as status quo'
That to me means hes not interested in a relationship hence the constant insults 'The guys having trouble with his song about Geoff and Lisa' Him also saying 'He never marries the girl' etc Lisa should have realised & just called it a day.
Insults are annoying.
No geoff just wanted Lisa near so he could have his fun with her but keep her at arms length so he didnt have to marry her or get serious etc.
In other words hes using her.
He loves her, but he doesn't think she'll ultimately ever be happy with him - he thinks she's perfect, but also kind of prissy. That's why he gets so excited when she does stuff like break into Thorwald's apartment and bluff her way out - he sees another side of her, one that might have a future with him.
shareThis is one of my favourite films, I get what your saying but I think the reason he treats her so bad at the start is because he loves her so much he knows if he marries her he'll never want to leave her side again putting an end to the lifestyle he likes so much.
His scared of the change she will bring to his life. At least that's what I get from the movie I'm sure someone else has a completely different take but that's mine.
Jeff's character is flawed in the beginning, he indeed doesn't appreciate Lisa's love for him (typical male). But he falls in love with her sincerely as he sees who she really is from afar. He needed perspective, and both of them needed threat in order for them to appreciate their relationship. In the beginning, neither could compromise. In the end they'd worked it out and were still together (though Lisa had to hide that she'd kept back some precious; typical female).
sharechance this demeanour devalues film but maybe only little bit.
share~ First off I luv this movie. It one of my favorites of Hitchcock's films. As for Jeff's demeanor towards Lisa in the beginning was obvious of his self-insecurities. As he would see Lisa rich, beautiful & super classy, while Jeff was an adventurous, care free photographer. He possibly felt that they didn't have the same qualities. But i loved how Jeff fell in love with Lisa after she proved her daring side, while the stocked the guy across the street.
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"Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again"
by: The Cure
Not aimed at anyone in particular, but callousness seems to be a recurring trait in a lot of Hitchcock protagonists. Where Jeff falls on the scale of one to ten is a matter of personal opinion.
shareNot aimed at anyone in particular, but callousness seems to be a recurring trait in a lot of Hitchcock protagonists.
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Its been noted that Hitchcock gave us "likeable villains and unlikeable heroes," as if it were a private joke for him. He toyed with audience identifications.
Likeable villains: Anthony Perkins in Psycho, Claude Rains in Notorious, Robert Walker(for his funny flamboyance) in Strangers on a Train, James Mason(for his erudition) in NXNW, Raymond Burr(for his pathos) in Rear Window; Barry Foster(for his good cheer when not killing women) in Frenzy.
Unlikeable heroes: Grant and Stewart in everything(and Grant MIGHT be a villain in Suspicion); John Forsythe in The Trouble With Harry; John Gavin in Psycho, Rod Taylor in The Birds, Sean Connery in Marnie, Paul Newman in Torn Curtain; Jon Finch in Frenzy.