A welcome change of pace from current thrillers

Rating: 9/10 (14 January 2002)

I finally got around to watching Rear Window for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't help contrasting it--favourably--with modern thrillers.
Unlike a modern thriller, where the movie-makers try to jolt you within the first few seconds, Hitchcock was content to take his time. He spent the bulk of the first act on character development. Instead of cheap thrills, he used complex, interesting, appealing characters portrayed by skilled actors to draw us into his story.
I confess that it took my MTV-shortened attention span some time to adjust; I kept wondering, during the first half hour or so, when the plot was going to get under way. But I was never bored. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly had great chemistry and were fascinating to watch, and Thelma Ritter was a hoot. The characters hooked me and pulled me into the story. By the climax, I was squirming anxiously as I watched these people I'd come to know and care about getting into danger.
There's also a depth to this film that most modern thrillers lack. Rear Window raises a lot of disturbing questions. Where's the line between neighbourly concern and voyeurism? Can men and women ever be really happy together? And can you always believe what you've seen with your own eyes? This film isn't just chewing gum for the mind, occupying your attention for a couple of hours and then forgotten. I didn't find it as heart-pounding as Psycho, but I was entertained and enthralled nonetheless. Great stuff.