A Stunning View

Rating: 10/10 (9 April 2010)

Bound to a wheelchair following an accident, a photographer passes time by spying on his neighbors and believes that one of them has committed a murder. Hitchcock was at the peak of his creative powers in the 1950s, and this is one of his masterpieces. He's quite innovative in using a single, confined set to tell his suspenseful story. Stewart perfectly conveys the frustrations, fears, and vulnerabilities of the hapless photographer. Kelly's brief career peaked in 1954 and this is arguably her best film. Ritter is marvelous as Stewart's wisecracking caregiver. Interestingly, Burr, who plays the murder suspect here, would go on to play the wheelchair-bound cop Ironside on TV.