The three films in this article explore the evolution of voyeurism from a voyeuristic perspective and the social issues reflected, such as the control of power, privacy, gender inequality, and life alienation.
First of all, the article tries to explain the difference between Flaneur, an ordinary observer, and Voyeur, who generally refers to those who derive pleasure from observing in the dark. In Real Window, Jeff peeps through a telescope, while in the latter two films, the protagonist peeps from the lens perspective of video surveillance. It’s not just about technology, it’s more about the architectural change for the modern residences: In Real Window, a courtyard community was formed, while in Sliver and The End of Violence, people moved into high-end apartments and luxurious modern houses. Private space increases as the awareness of privacy increases. Social interaction, however, decreases during this process, from “courtyard” to “elevator”, from two-way interaction to one-way interaction, resulting in feeling of exclusion and alienation among people, this is also manifested through some abnormal couples and parent-child relationship in the films.
What interests me most, however, is the controversy over the surveillance systems. On the one hand, monitors can help to find criminals and record dangerous situations at any time so as to facilitate immediate treatment, thus reducing the crime rate. In Sliver, for example, Zeke successfully helped a girl by monitoring the maltreat of her stepfather. On the other hand, people who live under surveillance are always terrified, not just because of the invasion of privacy, but because of the invisible control. In the third film, it is a good irony that the government monitored crimes through video surveillance. Behind this oppresive monitoring behavior was the breeding of powerful control, even if the original intention was to establish a utopia. Art comes from life, the issue of surveillance is also a controversy in the current society that worths discussing.
Yulan Shen 3035603942
Good summary of the concepts behind voyeurism. What are other sorts of surveillance than CCTV in contemporary life? How do voyeurs peep into our lives in different ways?