The Best Thriller I've Ever Seen

Rating: 10/10 (13 February 2018)

I think that Alfred Hitchcock's rear window is a fantastic movie. I'd go as far as to say that it is one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. There are a few main aspects of the film that I would like to point out that sold me on this wonderful film: the framing and filming techniques, suspense building, and pacing of the film were all perfect, and made for an interesting, thrilling, and over-all exciting display of some of theater's finest filming techniques that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll.
First, the framing of the film was excellent. Upon first hearing the premise, that the entire movie takes place from one man's room, you might be hesitant. Such a boring, consistent setting couldn't possibly make for an interesting film. But within the first few minutes of starting, you find very quickly that these first impressions were very wrong. The film manages to build a complex, active, and very real world using just the room of main character, photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries, and the view from his window. By cutting from shots of his apartment to the surrounding complex outside, the movie manages to make you think there's more to this film than just Jeff's living room. On top of this, the framing techniques used keep the film exciting. To start, you never see more than Jeff can through his window; this allows you to really connect with the characters, and theorize about the events going on at the same time as they do. We'll talk more about this under pacing, but the film always gives you just enough information to make you wonder what's really going on. Using what's not shown in frame as much as what is, Hitchcock manages to keep you glued to the screen throughout the movie.
This lasting interest is brought about just as much through the pacing and suspense of the film. While Jeff is looking out his window one day, he notices some suspicious behavior from one of his neighbors, and begins to think he has witnessed a murder. As the film continues, the evidence of this is given to you in bits and pieces. You only see half the story, and half to piece the puzzle together yourself, along with the main characters, who slowly start to believe Jeff's theories about his neighbor's actions. However, with every bit of evidence towards the crime, Jeff's detective friend strikes it down with a completely logical explanation, leading Jeff, and the audience along with him, to believe that he might be delusional. Every plot point in the film is spaced beautifully, so that every time you think you've figured it out, some new idea or suspicious act comes up and throws you completely off. As Jeff slowly convinces more people that he's witnessed a murder, there are always others who outright deny his ideas.
Another point related to pacing is the building of suspense. The movie manages to subtly build suspense as the movie progresses, resulting in a thrilling conclusion. One method it uses to do this is by confining our hero. Due to an accident at a race track, Jeff is confined to the wheelchair in his room with a broken leg. He is unable to leave his room, which is what results in him watching his neighbors through his rear window. The suspense continues to build as he watches helplessly as the events before him unfold. There's nothing he can do but watch it happen and try to make a convincing argument.
With all of these filming concepts combined, Alfred Hitchcock was able to produce one of the best thrillers of all time, certainly the best I've ever seen. It was intense, interesting, and kept me theorizing until the last second. With a great cast and exceptional production value, I would easily recommend this film to anyone looking for a classic with an exciting plot and interesting premise that will keep you engaged and entertained.