Rear Window
4/4
Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Wendell Carey, Raymond Burr
Rated PG (probably for Violent Content)
Anyone wanting to understand the sheer brilliance of Alfred Hitchcock need look no further than "Rear Window." Of course, there are other examples of his filmmaking prowess, such as "Psycho" and "North by Northwest" (among many, many others). But "Rear Window" is so complicated, so diabolical and so perfectly constructed that it's a wonder that even Hitch pulled it off. But pull it off he did.
Famed photojournalist L.B. Jeffries (Stewart) is miserable. A recent on-the-job escapade has left him with a broken leg for the past seven weeks (with one more to go). His girlfriend Lisa (Kelly) is eager to marry him, but she is "too perfect" for him. And the weather is scorching hot. With little else to do, Jeff has taken up spying on the neighbors personal lives as a hobby. They're a lot that might have been out of a Tennessee Williams play: Miss Lonelyhearts (Judith Evelyn) is desperately looking for Mr. Right, a songwriter (Ross Bagdasarian) is trying to make waves in the music scene, Miss Torso (Georgine Darcy) practices her routines in full view of the neighbors, two neighbors (Sara Berner and Frank Cady) try to beat the heat by sleeping on the fire escape and letting their dog out to pee via a lowering basket, a elderly woman (Jessalyn Fax) concentrates on her art and being a busybody, and two newlyweds (Rand Harper and Havis Davenport) spend their time with the windows down. There's also Lars Thorvald (Burr), who is having arguments with his ill wife. One night, while bored as usual, is spying on his neighbors, and sees Lars act suspiciously. He's carrying out suitcases at three in the morning, one at a time. But is it an odd coincidence, or is it something more unsavory?
What's worth noting about "Rear Window" is that it isn't a murder mystery at all. At least not one in the conventional sense. It's just another cog in the ensemble. It's one of many melodramas that occur in this apartment complex. Of course, since it's Alfred Hitchcock behind the camera (and in front for a brief moment), the suspense is what everyone associates with this film. Far be it for me to criticize that. This film has some top flight thrills, including a climax where the level of tension is almost unbearable.
The true genius of "Rear Window" is Hitchcock's approach. For the majority of the running time, it's gossip for Jeff, Lisa and Jeff's nurse, Stella (Ritter). It's a way to pass the time, something secret they share and can speculate about over drinks or whenever they're together. Then Hitch does something strange: he backs away. Jeff's attention moves towards something else, such as Mrs. Lonelyhearts making a "date" for herself or Miss Torso dancing. Then Lars does something else that's strange. Jeff raises the alarm. Then Hitch backs away again. Only in the final act does Hitch zero in on the mystery, but by that time we are hooked. The tension has been wound so tightly that we don't realize that this is, in fact, a very thin murder mystery based on speculation and very flimsy circumstantial evidence. Doesn't matter. The suspense is real enough.
Although the screenplay's construction is masterful, Hitchcock made the brilliant decision to shoot almost the entire film from Jeff's apartment. Jeff is trapped in his apartment, and this binds us to him in a way that a more conventional approach could not. It also highlights the film's voyeuristic qualities that are the film's focus. We see what he sees, and are forced to intuit their meaning. Naturally, Hitch exploits this for suspense and terror when Lisa and Stella take a journey outside that goes wrong and Jeff is powerless to help them. There's also one shocking twist that would not have been possible without this approach. Rarely has an eyeline match been so scary.
The acting is uniformly excellent. Everyone from the big stars to the bit players is at the top of their game, fashioning memorable characters with little (if any) dialogue. L.B. Jeffries is arguably Jimmy Stewart's most famous role after George Bailey (it's certainly on the list), and while it has his trademark drawl, there's none of the "aw shucks" persona. Jeffries is bitter and sardonic, and certainly more of a sexual being than his character in the Frank Capra classic could ever hope to have been. Stewart is very good here, doing a lot of acting with his eyes, and spitting out acid one-liners with relish. Grace Kelly is his equal, although her character is a bit more shallow and self-absorbed than Kelly suggests. Lisa is the most interesting when she's intelligent and strong rather than superficial. Thelma Ritter is a scene-stealer as the quick-witted Stella. She's tough and salty and has many of the film's best lines. Raymond Burr has no problem playing the heavy, bringing his large frame and considerable screen presence to a role that is, for the most part, not vocal. Hitch and Burr are exceedingly careful in how he is shot. Much of what we know about Lars is speculative, and with such flimsy evidence, the character's minds (and ours) go to some very dark places. It makes him more monstrous than dialogue and "acting" could ever make him.
Simply put, "Rear Window" is a brilliant piece of maverick filmmaking. This is a story that should have been impossible to film and yet was almost perfectly made. It contains intriguing ideas, a handful of great stories, some wicked humor and some truly heart-stopping suspense. It's the complete package, and no one who loves movies would dare miss it.
Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Wendell Carey, Raymond Burr
Rated PG (probably for Violent Content)
Anyone wanting to understand the sheer brilliance of Alfred Hitchcock need look no further than "Rear Window." Of course, there are other examples of his filmmaking prowess, such as "Psycho" and "North by Northwest" (among many, many others). But "Rear Window" is so complicated, so diabolical and so perfectly constructed that it's a wonder that even Hitch pulled it off. But pull it off he did.
Famed photojournalist L.B. Jeffries (Stewart) is miserable. A recent on-the-job escapade has left him with a broken leg for the past seven weeks (with one more to go). His girlfriend Lisa (Kelly) is eager to marry him, but she is "too perfect" for him. And the weather is scorching hot. With little else to do, Jeff has taken up spying on the neighbors personal lives as a hobby. They're a lot that might have been out of a Tennessee Williams play: Miss Lonelyhearts (Judith Evelyn) is desperately looking for Mr. Right, a songwriter (Ross Bagdasarian) is trying to make waves in the music scene, Miss Torso (Georgine Darcy) practices her routines in full view of the neighbors, two neighbors (Sara Berner and Frank Cady) try to beat the heat by sleeping on the fire escape and letting their dog out to pee via a lowering basket, a elderly woman (Jessalyn Fax) concentrates on her art and being a busybody, and two newlyweds (Rand Harper and Havis Davenport) spend their time with the windows down. There's also Lars Thorvald (Burr), who is having arguments with his ill wife. One night, while bored as usual, is spying on his neighbors, and sees Lars act suspiciously. He's carrying out suitcases at three in the morning, one at a time. But is it an odd coincidence, or is it something more unsavory?
What's worth noting about "Rear Window" is that it isn't a murder mystery at all. At least not one in the conventional sense. It's just another cog in the ensemble. It's one of many melodramas that occur in this apartment complex. Of course, since it's Alfred Hitchcock behind the camera (and in front for a brief moment), the suspense is what everyone associates with this film. Far be it for me to criticize that. This film has some top flight thrills, including a climax where the level of tension is almost unbearable.
The true genius of "Rear Window" is Hitchcock's approach. For the majority of the running time, it's gossip for Jeff, Lisa and Jeff's nurse, Stella (Ritter). It's a way to pass the time, something secret they share and can speculate about over drinks or whenever they're together. Then Hitch does something strange: he backs away. Jeff's attention moves towards something else, such as Mrs. Lonelyhearts making a "date" for herself or Miss Torso dancing. Then Lars does something else that's strange. Jeff raises the alarm. Then Hitch backs away again. Only in the final act does Hitch zero in on the mystery, but by that time we are hooked. The tension has been wound so tightly that we don't realize that this is, in fact, a very thin murder mystery based on speculation and very flimsy circumstantial evidence. Doesn't matter. The suspense is real enough.
Although the screenplay's construction is masterful, Hitchcock made the brilliant decision to shoot almost the entire film from Jeff's apartment. Jeff is trapped in his apartment, and this binds us to him in a way that a more conventional approach could not. It also highlights the film's voyeuristic qualities that are the film's focus. We see what he sees, and are forced to intuit their meaning. Naturally, Hitch exploits this for suspense and terror when Lisa and Stella take a journey outside that goes wrong and Jeff is powerless to help them. There's also one shocking twist that would not have been possible without this approach. Rarely has an eyeline match been so scary.
The acting is uniformly excellent. Everyone from the big stars to the bit players is at the top of their game, fashioning memorable characters with little (if any) dialogue. L.B. Jeffries is arguably Jimmy Stewart's most famous role after George Bailey (it's certainly on the list), and while it has his trademark drawl, there's none of the "aw shucks" persona. Jeffries is bitter and sardonic, and certainly more of a sexual being than his character in the Frank Capra classic could ever hope to have been. Stewart is very good here, doing a lot of acting with his eyes, and spitting out acid one-liners with relish. Grace Kelly is his equal, although her character is a bit more shallow and self-absorbed than Kelly suggests. Lisa is the most interesting when she's intelligent and strong rather than superficial. Thelma Ritter is a scene-stealer as the quick-witted Stella. She's tough and salty and has many of the film's best lines. Raymond Burr has no problem playing the heavy, bringing his large frame and considerable screen presence to a role that is, for the most part, not vocal. Hitch and Burr are exceedingly careful in how he is shot. Much of what we know about Lars is speculative, and with such flimsy evidence, the character's minds (and ours) go to some very dark places. It makes him more monstrous than dialogue and "acting" could ever make him.
Simply put, "Rear Window" is a brilliant piece of maverick filmmaking. This is a story that should have been impossible to film and yet was almost perfectly made. It contains intriguing ideas, a handful of great stories, some wicked humor and some truly heart-stopping suspense. It's the complete package, and no one who loves movies would dare miss it.
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