A fine example of Hitchcock's extreme cleverness and subtlety...

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2013)

Alfred Hitchcock was a master director, and Rear Window is a fine example of his extreme cleverness and subtlety. It's strange reviewing this film first after all of the Star Wars films, because they're complete polar opposites. Rear Window is a prime example of Hitchcock's genius, since, apart from one or two shots, the entire film is shot from James Stewart's apartment. This means that all action in the film, whether of Stewart and Kelly inside or the inhabitants of other apartments, is seen from the point of view of Stewart's character. This completely changes the way that we might view the film, since you're seeing it in the same way as Stewart – as a voyeur, peeking into the private lives of the other people on the block. It's extremely effective, and adds to the suspense of the film greatly.
The story itself is both interesting and clever, with the main character trying to convince others that he has witnessed a murder, and attempting to find proof in what he sees whilst spying on his neighbours. Hitchcock introduces a large number of characters who we never properly meet, yet we feel that we know them very well. For example, "Miss Lonelyheart" is a character who at one point is about to commit suicide, and Hitchcock provides us with a good background to her story, as well as a fitting conclusion to it. The clearest evidence as to how much we have been spying on these people is their changes at the end of the film. We can clearly see how each group, whether it is the married couple, the songwriter or the dancer, has continued living and changed in the process.
The murder case itself is very cleverly laid out, as is Stewart's logic throughout. Hitchcock knows exactly where to point the camera, constantly hinting to things which are later figured out. I was very proud that I figured out what the dog was doing far before any of the characters, since Hitchcock seemed to show him to us too frequently for his actions to be ordinary. The final battle is a bit over the top, but I thought Stewart's use of flash bulbs was a clever defence technique. However the build up to Mr. Thorwald entering his apartment is very tense and a tiny bit scary.
On the whole this is an intelligent crime thriller, with a great insight into humanity's "spying and gossip" nature.