Dial M for Murder

In the introduction of "Using the Camera for Interpretation," Douglass and Harden mention Alfred Hitchcock's film Rear Window. I absolutely agree with their use of Rear Window as an example of when the camera does not visually reveal everything to the audience. But based on the content of the article, the Hitchcock film that immediately came to my mind in terms of camera movement was Dial M for Murder.

Dial M for Murder is truly an amazing example of innovative camera movement and the camera's ability to tell a story. In the film, Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) composes a plan to murder his wife (Grace Kelly); the premise is quite simple. The film even takes place in the parameters of a single apartment. But such a simple setting is what makes the film amazing. Majority of the screen time is spent in the main living area of the Wendice's apartment. The static setting then forces the camera movement to be extremely dynamic so the audience does not become bored with the small setting. Hitchcock brilliantly handles the camera with variations in framing, focal length, angles, POVs, etc. As a result, the audience still experiences Hitchcockian suspense despite the limited space and limited camera movements (e.g. crane shots, ELS). Thus, Dial M for Murder is a great example of how a director can manipulate the audience's emotions through his camerawork.

Film critic Leonard Maltin, in this clip, discusses how Hitchcock "opens up" the small space of the Wendice's apartment for the viewers. Despite the fact that the film was shot for 3D purposes but is shown mostly as a 2D picture, the ingenuity of the camera movement is still great.

I highly recommend watching Dial M for Murder if you have not seen it. It has an amazing cast and is a great example of Hitchcock's brilliance as a director. Here is the murder scene, which is a great example of Hitchcock's camerawork.