Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Story: John Michael Hayes (based on the book by Cornell Woolrich)
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr, Thelma Ritter
Music: Franz Waxman
Time: 112 minutes
Bottom-line: Another Hitchcock classic, Rear Window may have a slow start, but is funny, suspenseful and entertaining till the end.
Hitchcock tells another great tale in Rear Window. Starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter in the main roles, the whole story takes place within an apartment complex. Using simple, ordinary characters, in ordinary surroundings, Hitchcock still manages to make this into one of the most impressive psychological suspense thrillers.
Photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (Stewart), after a racetrack accident, is now at home on a wheelchair, with his leg in a cast. Not being able to move, all he can do to pass his time is sit by his rear window in his apartment, and look at other people’s houses. As it is summer, people keep their windows open. Jeff’s neighbors include a dancer, a lonely woman, a newly-married couple and other couples, a pianist, a sculptor and Lars Thorwald (Burr), who is a jewelry salesman with a bedridden wife. Jeff’s caretaker Stella (Ritter) warns him not to peep into other people’s lives.
As the story progresses, Jeff sees Thorwald make many late-night trips carrying a briefcase. Over the next few days, Jeff notices that Mrs. Thorwald is missing. They say that with an idle body, comes a hyperactive mind. He becomes suspicious, saying that Thorwald may have murdered his wife, but neither Stella nor his girlfriend Lisa (Kelly) bothers about Thorwald. He also calls his friend, detective Doyle (Wendell Corey), who also casually ignores his theory. With Thorwald’s movements getting weirder, Jeff is determined to prove Thorwald’s guilt. Is Thorwald really guilty, or is Jeff’s mind playing tricks on him? Watch the film to find out.
With no action, the main strengths of Rear Window are the acting, dialogues and direction. Hitchcock manages to build the thrill using various camera angles, close-ups and through the dialogues. Several shots of Thorwald’s house are seen through Jeff’s camera and binoculars. This gives an effect of the audience themselves spying on Thorwald. This is where Hitchcock also plays with the viewers’ minds. All of us are knowingly or unknowingly voyeurs. But we do not spy on others’ privacy in public because we have some decency, but in the film, we don’t mind spying into Thorwald’s house.
One drawback in the story is the relationship between Jeff and Lisa. Hitchcock gives more importance to this relationship than what is needed in my opinion. He manages to tell the stories of other neighbors so quickly, but he somewhat extends the dialogues and romance between Lisa and Jeff. Some of these could have been cut, as it also slackens the pace. The film also proceeds very slowly till Thorwald starts making his night trips.
The dialogues are mainly about Jeff’s theory of murder, and how he manages to convince Lisa and Stella about his theory. Thorwald has no dialogue till the last five minutes of the film. Along the main story, some dialogues and camera shots show how the lives of other neighbors also. These do not deter the main plot.
Other critics and analysts say that Jeff spying on Thorwald can be compared to the audience watching the film. Just as Jeff can’t take his eyes off the opposite window, we cannot take our eyes off the screen.
However, Rear Window will still be a masterpiece for all its other positive aspects. Great direction, good acting and a very good story make it a classic. Unlike North by Northwest and Psycho, Rear Window is mainly a dialogue-driven thriller, accompanied by the way it has been shot. It is a must watch for all Hitchcock fans, as well as any fan of a good, ‘different’ type of thriller.
My Rating: 4.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100%
Story: John Michael Hayes (based on the book by Cornell Woolrich)Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr, Thelma Ritter
Music: Franz Waxman
Time: 112 minutes
Bottom-line: Another Hitchcock classic, Rear Window may have a slow start, but is funny, suspenseful and entertaining till the end.
Hitchcock tells another great tale in Rear Window. Starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter in the main roles, the whole story takes place within an apartment complex. Using simple, ordinary characters, in ordinary surroundings, Hitchcock still manages to make this into one of the most impressive psychological suspense thrillers.
 |
| James Stewart as Jeff |
Photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies (Stewart), after a racetrack accident, is now at home on a wheelchair, with his leg in a cast. Not being able to move, all he can do to pass his time is sit by his rear window in his apartment, and look at other people’s houses. As it is summer, people keep their windows open. Jeff’s neighbors include a dancer, a lonely woman, a newly-married couple and other couples, a pianist, a sculptor and Lars Thorwald (Burr), who is a jewelry salesman with a bedridden wife. Jeff’s caretaker Stella (Ritter) warns him not to peep into other people’s lives.
As the story progresses, Jeff sees Thorwald make many late-night trips carrying a briefcase. Over the next few days, Jeff notices that Mrs. Thorwald is missing. They say that with an idle body, comes a hyperactive mind. He becomes suspicious, saying that Thorwald may have murdered his wife, but neither Stella nor his girlfriend Lisa (Kelly) bothers about Thorwald. He also calls his friend, detective Doyle (Wendell Corey), who also casually ignores his theory. With Thorwald’s movements getting weirder, Jeff is determined to prove Thorwald’s guilt. Is Thorwald really guilty, or is Jeff’s mind playing tricks on him? Watch the film to find out.
 |
| Grace Kelly as Lisa |
With no action, the main strengths of Rear Window are the acting, dialogues and direction. Hitchcock manages to build the thrill using various camera angles, close-ups and through the dialogues. Several shots of Thorwald’s house are seen through Jeff’s camera and binoculars. This gives an effect of the audience themselves spying on Thorwald. This is where Hitchcock also plays with the viewers’ minds. All of us are knowingly or unknowingly voyeurs. But we do not spy on others’ privacy in public because we have some decency, but in the film, we don’t mind spying into Thorwald’s house.
One drawback in the story is the relationship between Jeff and Lisa. Hitchcock gives more importance to this relationship than what is needed in my opinion. He manages to tell the stories of other neighbors so quickly, but he somewhat extends the dialogues and romance between Lisa and Jeff. Some of these could have been cut, as it also slackens the pace. The film also proceeds very slowly till Thorwald starts making his night trips.
The dialogues are mainly about Jeff’s theory of murder, and how he manages to convince Lisa and Stella about his theory. Thorwald has no dialogue till the last five minutes of the film. Along the main story, some dialogues and camera shots show how the lives of other neighbors also. These do not deter the main plot.
 |
| Raymond Burr as Thorwald |
Other critics and analysts say that Jeff spying on Thorwald can be compared to the audience watching the film. Just as Jeff can’t take his eyes off the opposite window, we cannot take our eyes off the screen.
However, Rear Window will still be a masterpiece for all its other positive aspects. Great direction, good acting and a very good story make it a classic. Unlike North by Northwest and Psycho, Rear Window is mainly a dialogue-driven thriller, accompanied by the way it has been shot. It is a must watch for all Hitchcock fans, as well as any fan of a good, ‘different’ type of thriller.
My Rating: 4.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 100%
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