Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 15 (2), 2008. Surveillance and Ethics in Film: Rear Window and The Conversation By

Although popular culture is an important metaphorical framework for the discussion of surveillance, it has rarely been the subject of study among surveillance scholars. Especially ethical concerns and dilemmas have been neglected. The purpose of this article is to shred light on how the practice of surveillance can be justified and what kind of responsibility that follows it. By studying two classic films about murders, Rear Window and The Conversation, different perspectives on ethics and power relations are revealed. However, rather than giving us answers, the protagonists of both films embody the persistent ethical dilemma of surveillance