Movie Title: Rear Window
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: John Michael Hayes (based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich)
Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Judith Evelyn, Ross Bagdasarian, Georgine Darcy, Sara Berner, Frank Cady, Jesslyn Fax, Rand Harper, Irene Winston, Havis Davenport
Review: When a professional photographer J.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. When he suspects a neighboring salesman (Raymond Burr) may have murdered his wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) to investigate.
Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window is another thrilling, suspenseful masterpiece that is truly one of the director's best films - and with his extraordinary list of credits that's saying something.
How exciting can a movie about a man stuck in his apartment looking out into the lives of others really be? Honestly, it's one of the most compelling, entertaining, and suspense-filled movies I have ever seen. The script is amazing. The characters are wonderful. The direction is unparalleled. Rear Window is a classic in every sense. It brilliantly builds a fountain with an intriguing premise and characters that would be endlessly watchable if it were just about the one's who frequent Jimmy Stewart's Jeffries' apartment.
Stewart is the classic "every man." But he has his quirks and faults making him that much more relatable. Grace Kelly's Lisa is elegant, sweet, smart, and drop-dead gorgeous. The relationship between Stewart and Kelly is simply a pleasure to watch. They're romantic and loving, but have no problem expressing themselves when they need to. My favorite character is Thelma Ritter's Stella. As Jeffries' nurse she hilarious as she helps him with his physically impaired state and has no problem being direct when it comes to relationship advice or investigating a potential murder.
Hitchcock's pacing and direction of Rear Window is perfection. The way he establishes Jeffries' relationships with his neighbors through simple snooping is a masterclass in directing. It appears effortless and tells the story in such a gripping manner that the audience gets involved almost immediately.
The tension is such an enjoyable part of this picture. You wonder if Jeffries' boredom has the better of him or is it truly a murder that has taken place? Can this wheelchair bound voyeur and his friends discover the truth behind this suspicious chain of events before it's too late? Lift the shades, grab your binoculars, and watch Hitchcock's peaking pictureshow - Rear Window.
Fun Fact: Because all but a few scenes were shot from inside Jeff's apartment, Sir Alfred Hitchcock remained in that part of the set, communicating with his actors and actresses across the way via short wave radio broadcast to their flesh-colored earpieces.