Review of Rear Window (1954) by Stefan N — 02 Aug 2013

I have never seen a film use suspense better than "Rear Window." By the last five minutes, I was rocking back and forth on my chair, and leaning toward the television. I will keep the plot a secret since any indication what its about will spoil the film, but I will say that it revolves around the morals of voyeurism.

The acting is icing on the top, but James Stewart draws us in and is perfectly used as a puppet by Hitchcock to create suspense. This film is largely a showcase for Hitchcock's talented directorial skills.

He manipulates the audience whichever way he likes and there is nothing we can do about it. The script has solid dialogue, but the characters and the plot are its highlight. "Rear Window" is probably the greatest film in history that relies so heavily on its direction.