Hitchcock's tale of voyeurism !!!!

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2014)

A photographer named L.B. Jefferies has broken his leg. With nothing to do throughout the day, he starts observing his neighbours from his window which leads him to grow more and more suspicious about one particular neighbour's behaviour which leads to extremely suspenseful consequences.
Clearly Hitchcock's theme for this film is voyeurism. We all have at least once watched someone from the window secretively. The thrill of observing people who are completely unaware of our peeping has always fascinated us. This very concept of intrusion of privacy has been the primary reason behind the success of the innumerable reality shows which have become so popular nowadays. The current scenario with reality shows makes Rear Window seem profound. The neighbourhood which is being observed by Jefferies is a representation of the whole society. There is the poor couple who struggle to get by,there is the rich lady who is tortured by her loneliness, there is the young ballet dancer who is trying to make her presence felt in the social scene, the musician who is desperate to achieve success with his talent, the old bickering couple and the young newlyweds.
James Stewart has a commanding presence as Jefferies. Everyone knows about Grace Kelly's looks, but what is great about this film is that Kelly is not there just to look beautiful. She is actually the one who does all the physical thrilling dirty work while Stewart remains attached to his wheel chair.
The screenplay by John Michael Hayes is absolutely brilliant. The whole story gets told from the point of view of Jefferies. This is a rare suspense thriller without any chases or thrilling action sequences. The movie depends completely on atmospheric tension. Hitchcock is not called the Master of Suspense for nothing. He shows how minimalistic filmmaking can also generate spine chilling moments of suspense. The film is grounded in realism. Although at first the other characters disapprove of Jefferies' obsession with keeping an eye on his neighbours, but gradually they also become addicted to this practice of voyeurism.
Rear Window is arguably Alfred Hitchcock's best film(which is saying a lot). The movie grabs your attention immediately and never lets got of it. It is an immensely engaging watch and a genuine masterpiece.