A Masterpiece of Suspense & Mystery that is Impossible to Resist or Ignore.

Rating: Null/10 (7 October 2013)

The year of 1954 saw director Alfred Hitchcock in sublime form as he delivered not one but two back-to-back masterpieces of its genre & cemented his status as the greatest filmmaker of thrillers & suspense. While one of the two was Dial M for Murder which even today remains one of his most enjoyable & entertaining works, the other is Rear Window which many consider to be one of the greatest films ever made.
Rear Window perfectly demonstrates the impulse of morbid curiosity and tells the story of a wheelchair bound photographer who, while confined in his apartment, spends his recovery time by spying on his neighbours through the rear window. Things are set in motion when he becomes obsessed with a particular neighbour's life whom he suspects of murdering his wife and enlists the help of his socialite girlfriend & visiting nurse to investigate.
Superbly directed by Hitchcock with great use of suspense, the film presents the director in complete control of his filmmaking wizardry & is smartly scripted too. The camera-work presents some admirable level of craftsmanship in its photography & keeps the picture colourfully detailed. And thanks to its tight editing, terrific performances from James Stewart, Grace Kelly & others plus clever use of music, the tension & excitement never leaves the film for one instant.
On an overall scale, Rear Window is a masterpiece of suspense & mystery that's difficult to resist & impossible to ignore for its tale of a man peeping into his neighbourhood reflects the same about our society which is filled with people more interested in their neighbour's lives than their own. One of the finest examples of its genre, Rear Window reminds why Hitchcock is still without an equal when it comes to thrillers and is a thrilling & unforgettable cinematic experience that mustn't be missed.