Review of Rear Window (1954) by Steff A — 16 May 2013

Ah the classics movies! The good ol' ones! The ones that serve as memorial pieces for their directors and actors long after they 're gone. "Rear Window" is surely one of them and one of the best at that. It's a film that stays in one filming location, a guy's apartment to be exact, and still it keeps us interested and intrigued all the way through. The movie is of course a supsense thriller, this is Hitchcock, in contrast to a chamber drama which could have easily been considering that it is just someone's apartment and the view of the backyards of his neighbours.

The story is simple but solid. A photographer is stuck in home because of a broken leg and is working up a vouyer's appetite by watching outside the window and into the nearby houses. But then someone starts acting suspiciously... The plot is moving along nicely with tension running high and low throughout it. There is great material here and the dialogues are also clever and very well thought with humouristic brushes found scattered around them.

Still all that text on a paper would be nothing but a good story without a master's direction and the Hitch is at the top of his game here. He plays and handles the restrains of the screenplay in a great way and the final product speaks for itself. A little out of frame sound here, a little POV there, close ups when their needed and soon you don't even care that this is a one room film. The vouyeristic nature of the film really comes out and finally is a pleasure to watch.

Another important weapon that Hitchcock has in his arsenal is his cast. James Stewart is all too convincing as the witty photographer whose stay at home has made him all too curious and also snappy on his comments. Thelma Ritter and Grace Kelly support him in a fine way. The first one provides the comic relief and everyday wisdom of the movie, while the second one serves as his love interest with charm and elegance being her first and foremost tools.

To sum up this is a classic movie which you should not miss. It's a high point for Hitchcock and a high point for all suspense movies. It offers all the elements of a good supsense movie and it keeps you right on the edge of your seat for it's whole duration and also offers quite a few laughs.