Like so many of Hitchcock's films, has many strong points and many weaknesses and is ultimately over-rated.

Rating: 6/10 (6 February 2003)

Contains spoiler!! Like so many of Hitchcock's films "Rear Window" has many strong points and many weaknesses and is ultimately over-rated. Many of the weak points are specific plot points, so I must warn you, this review contains some spoilers. Perhaps because Hitchcock is almost single-handedly credited with creating the thriller genre, we must tip our hat to him and label the bulk of his work as not only "classics", but they are supposedly recognized as some of the best movies ever made. Well, I for one think we give our classic film-makers far too much credit, for the thriller genre has definitely been improved upon in the fifty years since "Rear Window" was first released. Many contemporary films contain real genuine 'twists'. "Rear Window" delivers only a plodding plot which in the end only confirms the original hypothesis, that the neighbor across the way *did* in fact kill his wife. Perhaps the twist Mr. Hitchcock was trying to pull on us was that *yes* the movie was in fact *that* unimaginative. The twist is: There is no twist! Boy, weren't you surprised!
The obvious twists Mr. Hitchcock could have delivered upon us are never used. Perhaps we would have found out that in fact the neighbor's wife *was* alive, but that the neighbor *was* in fact involved in a crime. What was buried in the garden? The stolen jewel perhaps? (The neighbor was a jeweler in fact.) No, We never really find out, they just elude to the mysterious booty and we are left to assume it is just another cut up bit of wife. This kind of unimaginative plot might have played fifty years ago, but movie-goers expect a little bit more than that now-a-days. But even then I suspect it was considered week back then, for having a good plot has always been a plus, even back to the days of Shakespeare, who churned out more suspenseful stories than Hitchcock ever dreamed of doing.
Now, I did mention that the movie did have quite a few strong points. The movie was quite innovative, even by today's standards. It would be hard to pull off filming a movie from just one point-of-view, out the window of an apartment building. The sound and cinematography were quite well done. And over-all the story wasn't all that bad, it does pull you along, and it keeps you watching. But, admittedly a large part of that is because the viewer is left expecting one of those supposedly famous "Hitchcock Twists", but with a rushed and unimaginative ending, the twist never comes. On the subject of a rushed ending, the movie is also supposedly a character study, with a not so subtle sub-plot between the leading man, James Stewart, and his lovely leading-lady Grace Kelly. Of course no one seems to mind that this sub-plot is completely devoid of any resolution. Do they or do they not get together? Does it really matter to anyone? Apparently not because this movie is for some reason stuck in the imdb.com top 20. Apparently I *am* the only one. 6 out of 10 stars.