Film: Rear Window
Release: 1954, Theatrical
Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
IMDB page: Link opens in a new window
Description: An adventurous photographer is put out of commission by a broken leg and kills time by looking at his neighbours through his rear window.
Hans' thoughts:
Like with other Hitchcock movies, the first thing that occurs to you is just how well-shot the movie is. Once again, Hitchcock uses extraordinary imagery and we as the audience dance from his strings like marionettes. The entire movie takes place - Like Rope - In a single apartment. But while Rope was only shot in the apartment and worked like a stage play, this one instead shows us one of the most elaborate sets in film. A fully recreated back alley of a normal group of apartment in Greenwich, New York. Every single apartment is fully created, and has people inside. Most of whom we learn a lot about, through almost no dialogue. Hitchcock turns his audience into peeping toms as we learn everything we need to know through the window of a one-bedroom apartment. While this certainly is a suspense piece like most of Hitchcocks movies, this one gives the audience breathing space by adding comedy through another Hitchcock staple: Well-written dialogue. Once again the dialogue really makes most of the movie, and the characters all seem well-thought out. While you get the main mystery plot, this movie also manages through it's imagery to put in 4 or 5 sub-plots and somehow they are easy to keep track of, and all well-written as well. This one was based on a short-story "It Had to Be Murder" by Cornell Woolrich. I haven't read the story, but I imagine any deviances doesn't take away from the film.
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