What Have You Done with Her?

Rating: 9/10 (8 December 2009)

In New York, the daring photographer L. B. Jefferies (James Stewart) has been confined to his small apartment for five weeks in a wheelchair with one broken leg. He snoops his neighbors from his rear window to kill time and he is aware of the personal dramas of some of them. His fancy girlfriend Lisa Carol Fremont (Grace Kelly) is pressing him to marry her but he believes she will not fit and feel comfortable with his brash lifestyle. When the invalid wife of the salesman Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) vanishes, Jeff believes the man might have killed his wife. He tells his concerns to Lisa and to his nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter) and the women agree with his observations, but his friend Detective Thomas J. Doyle (Wendell Corey) finds reasonable explanation for each remark. However, Lisa decides to go further in her investigation, getting closer to the suspect.
"Rear Window" is one of my favorite classics ever and I do not know precisely how many times I have watched this film. There are many rip-offs of this simple story but none of them gets closer to this wonderful film. The first difference is in the direction of Alfred Hitchcock, a refined director with the subtle and witty British humor, capable to give meaning to a scene with one word or expression of his characters. The awesome James Stewart and the gorgeous and classy Grace Kelly show a perfect chemistry and it is impressive the beauty and elegance of the future princess of Monaco. Thelma Ritter is excellent in the role of the caustic nurse Stella. This time, the cameo of Alfred Hitchcock is in the apartment of the composer twiddling his clock. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Janela Indiscreta" ("Indiscreet Window")