Hitchcock's Film About A Man Looking Out a Window is Surprisingly One of His Best

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2018)

'Rear Window' Is about a man named Jeff with a broken leg that has nothing better to do than sit in his window and people watch. The film is confined to one room for about 99% of it's run time, Hitchcock uses this to make the viewer feel safe from the actions of the outside world. The camera follows Jeff's eyes while he sits in his window, as Jeff leans in to get a better look the viewer also gets this view. We become comfortable with becoming this 'peeping tom', while his girlfriend Lisa joins him in his voyeurism. The view does not hear what the characters are saying, just like Jeff. We only hear the muffled words spoken across the courtyard making everything that much more mysterious. Jeff receives no consequences for looking in the private lives of his neighbors, his room becomes this safe place. Hitchcock exploits this feeling the viewer has, the man who Jeff is accusing of murder approaches him in his 'safe place'. Hitchcock creates this scene of immense suspense, Jeff hears the footsteps of Thorwald (the murderer) slowly making his way up to Jeff's room after he had spotted Jeff. Jeff sits in his room crippled and unable to defend himself, he frantically moves around his room trying to find something to defend himself with. This sense of helplessness and a breaking of comfortable boundaries makes this situation feel real, the viewer is thrown into suspense as they question what will come next. The most eventful scene of the movie is the one where we finally leave the building as Jeff is pushed out by Thorwald, this shows how we have reached the conflict and peak of the film. This change of pace at the end of the film makes the sense that more potent, most of the film has been slow-paced up to that point.
Using just one room and a small neighborhood Hitchcock creates these small but deep stories for each neighbor. These stories create character and life to the neighborhood that many filmmakers seek to form, but Hitchcock does it with a much smaller setting. The film shows many of the different phases of both marriage and loneliness. Across the way, you have the Thorwalds where the husband is seen possibly cheating (but we know that it ended up in murder), Mrs. Lonelyheart and the songwriter both struggle with loneliness, and the newlyweds and Mrs. Torso both are deeply in love with their corresponding lovers. Jeff and Lisa both go through internal conflicts about whether or not they should change their way of life for their lover, they exemplify the dating stage before marriage. These side stories keep the viewer's attention, there's always something to interesting going on. Hitchcock's use of music throughout the film also helps give this character, music is also used as a plot device as well. The songwriter slowly struggles to finish his piece, while this happens Jeff and Lisa feud about where their relationship is heading. As Jeff and Lisa become closer because of the external conflict (Thorwald's murder) the piece becomes more complete. At the end of the film, the songwriter plays his piece which is named Lisa while the couple sit together happily in Jeff's apartment.
Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' is one of his best works, his masterfulness of suspense shines through. He kept me engaged throughout the whole film, there was never a dull moment. Hitchcock's use of the camera pairs Jeff and the viewer together creating this sense of engagement that most films cannot create. You along with Jeff are solving this mystery, for most of the film you only hear and see what Jeff does. Rear Window pacing makes the main story feel natural, the small side stories in between help give the movie it's charm and character while tackling some serious issues (Mrs. Lonleyhearts). Overall, I think this along with Psycho are his top two films, pushing the boundaries in both of their corresponding genres while utilizing Hitchcock's mastery of suspense.