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Rear Window [1954]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Like the Greenwich Village courtyard view from its titular portal, Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window is both confined and multileveled: both its story and visual perspective are dictated by its protagonist's imprisonment in his apartment, convalescing in a wheelchair, from which both he and the audience observe the lives of his neighbors. Cheerful voyeurism, as well as the behavior glimpsed among the various tenants, affords a droll comic atmosphere that gradually darkens when he sees clues to what may be a murder. Photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is, in fact, a voyeur by trade, a professional photographer sidelined by an accident while on assignment. His immersion in the human drama (and comedy) visible from his window is a by-product of boredom, underlined by the disapproval of his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), and a wisecracking visiting nurse (Thelma Ritter). Yet when the invalid wife of Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) disappears, Jeff enlists the two women to help him to determine whether she's really left town, as Thorwald insists, or been murdered.

Hitchcock scholar Donald Spoto convincingly argues that the crime at the center of this mystery is the MacGuffin--a mere pretext--in a film that's more interested in the implications of Jeff's sentinel perspective. We actually learn more about the lives of the other neighbors (given generic names by Jeff, even as he's drawn into their lives) he, and we, watch undetected than we do the putative murderer and his victim. Jeff's evident fear of intimacy and commitment with the elegant, adoring Lisa provides the other vital thread to the script, one woven not only into the couple's own relationship, but reflected and even commented upon through the various neighbours' lives. At minimum, Hitchcock's skill at making us accomplices to Jeff's spying, coupled with an ingenious escalation of suspense as the teasingly vague evidence coalesces into ominous proof, deliver a superb thriller spiked with droll humour, right up to its nail-biting, nightmarish climax. At deeper levels, however, Rear Window plumbs issues of moral responsibility and emotional honesty, while offering further proof (were any needed) of the director's brilliance as a visual storyteller. --Sam Sutherland


unflawed masterpiece
Review date: 2008-11-29 Rating: 10 out of 10

such a powerful film. And so terrifying yet you never see blood or gore. That is what a thriller is all about. Also so briliant because the whole story is filmed in only one room with James Stewart barely moving from his wheelchair! The excitement revolves around him and in the appartments opposite and we are taken on an agonising journey with him as he tries to convince police and girlfriend that he there has been a murder in one of the appartments, the trouble is, he didn't actually see it happen...A perfect Hitchcock classic, he can do no wrong in my eyes!

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Reviews


Peeping James
Review date: 2008-07-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

You wouldn't think that a movie that takes place in one room, with a main cast of two people, couldn't be that exciting.

In fact, Alfred Hitchcock was in near-perfect form when he made "Rear Window," a stylish, minimalistic blend of mystery and dark comedy. This thriller explores "what you shouldn't see" in a slow-burning blaze of skillful suspense, with a few funny bits thrown in. And having a cast that includes Grace Kelly and James Stewart doesn't hurt either.

Photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (Stewart) got run over during a shoot, and is crankily waiting for his cast to come off. While he does so, he spies on his neighbors -- some sleep on balconies, some argue, some weep alone, and some ("Miss Torso") dance in spandex. To make things worse, Jeff is having intimacy problems with his wealthy girlfriend Lisa (Kelly), because he fears settling down.

But then Jeff's window-watching clues him in to something -- sickly Mrs. Thorwald vanishes, and her husband Lars (Raymond Burr) is seen acting suspiciously with a saw, rope and metal case. Jeff becomes convinced that Thorwald has murdered his wife. He manages to convince Lisa and his down-to-earth nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter), but detectives won't believe him. So without moving from the room, Jeff uses the rear window to watch Thorwald -- and find out what really happened.

Okay, reality check: peeping on your neighbors is not just creepy, it's also completely illegal.

But in the case of "Rear Window," that fact doesn't really matter. Watching the fellow tenants is as much fun as the mystery itself, whether it's the newlyweds, the pair that sleep on the balcony, the weepy Ms. Lonelyheart, or the buxom dancer Miss Torso and her guys. It makes the story even more chilling when you realize that one -- or maybe more than one -- of these seemingly harmless people is a murderer.

Hitchcock -- who appears as a musician -- kept his deft touch in a movie that could have sunk like a stone. All the action takes place in one room, but he keeps it from feeling confining. Instead, the minimalist set takes away all distractions, and makes the interplay between the characters even brighter. And much of the humor is provided by Ritter -- she's not a comic character, but her homespun wisdom is delivered with tart humor.

Jeff is likable as only James Stewart could make him -- this guy is bored, crabby and in denial about his feelings for Lisa, but he's an endearing despite his flaws. Kelly does an equally solid job as the "girl who is too good for him," who also proves that in a pinch she can rise beyond her uptown-girl roots. Back when many women were relegated to side roles, Lisa gets to be an equal detective to Stewart, as well as his legwoman.

The previous edition of this movie was rather bare-bones in its presentation -- so much so that I never got around to seeing the extra stuff, because it just didn't seem worth it. This time, they tossed in the same material, but beefed up the extras with another disc. That disc has more documentaries on Hitchcock, interviews with Hitchcock and a special one with the screenwriter, and an audio commentary. There's even going to be a rerelease trailer narrated by the late Stewart.

"Rear Window" gives a view into one of Hitchcock's best films, a taut thriller about how, if you watch other people, you might see something dangerous. A well-deserved classic, and a primo example of no-frills suspense.

A must-have classic!
Review date: 2008-05-22 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is Alfred Hitchcock's best picture, it's one of the best films ever made altogether. Any film buff will want to own this precious title, and any Hitchcock fan should be shot if he/she doesn't own it on dvd.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Grace Kelly
Thelma Ritter
Georgine Darcy
Frank Cady
Wendell Corey

Creators:
Grace Kelly (Primary Contributor)
Frank Cady (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582490565
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-06-04
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 112 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1954
Language: English (Original Language)

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