'Rear Window' is a thrilling film that keeps you guessing until the last few minutes

Rating: 10/10 (14 July 2015)

Alfred Hitchcock's illustrious career truly began to take off in the 1950's, as most of his remembered films come from those years. One of these such films is the classic Rear Window, released in 1954 and based on a short story written by Cornell Woolrich. The film was regarded as one of Hitchcock's best, being included in every "Masterpiece" or "Essentials" collection of his, and it currently has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, an 8.6 on IMDb and is in three of the Top AFI lists. So, let's see if one of Hitchcock's most known is as good as they say.
Rear Window follows a photographer forced to stay in his home due to his leg injury. He bides his time by watching his neighbors out of the window, dealing with his girlfriend, and having discussions with his insurance nurse. One night, he witnesses events through his window that begin to make him believe that the man just across the square may have murdered someone. As he gets closer and closer to the truth, things only get crazier and crazier.
This film was one that I expected to be great, due to it's history, but I didn't expect it to be this great, honestly. Stewart, as he always does, does a brilliant job as Jeff, a photographer who gains a greater appreciation for the people in his life as the film goes on, and he really sells the role. Grace Kelly also does a stellar job as Jeff's girlfriend, Lisa Fremont, managing to never seem like she's trying to nag Jeff as they disagree about their future together. Thelma Ritter is an often darkly funny character as Stella, and she truly brings a dimension to this film that really helps it, in my opinion. Raymond Burr does a intriguing job as the neighbor Jeff begins to suspect as the murderer. Finally, Wendell Corey is an intriguing character, as the detective friend Jeff calls in to consult with.
The music for the film, only really for the opening and closing, done by Franz Waxman was great. I wish it had been utilized more, but I get that if it had, it might have ruined what Hitchcock was trying to accomplish. The special effects used at times, especially in a certain scene at the end, were not that bad. I mean, today, they wouldn't fly, but for the time, it looks pretty good. I enjoyed the lighting in this film, such as the many scenes where Jeff is sitting in the dark in his apartment, and it looks as if he's hiding in the shadows at times. I mean, sometimes, it's intentional, but at other times it works well.
I thought the script was written very well. Several of the discussions between Jeff and some of the other characters were very riveting and hold your interest, even if it seems to be about something trivial on the surface. I enjoyed a lot of the camera motions and how the film was done. The film is basically set in Jeff's apartment for the entire film, as most of the camera shots of other people and apartments are from his apartment, which I thought added a lot to the film. We only see what the characters can see - nothing more, nothing less.
I also really enjoyed how the sound effects really complimented the film. Instead of having a formal type of score, you mainly only hear sound effects from other apartments or natural nature noises. The only time you actually hear music, aside from what Franz Waxman did for the opening/ending, is from the songwriter's apartment. I thought that was a very clever way to keep the film grounded, props to Hitchcock for that idea.
Overall, Rear Window is an achievement in filmmaking. Its mystery is compelling, the story is great, the acting is fantastic, the music, albeit limited, works very well, as does it's use of sound effects, the script and the way the film was done. If you haven't seen it, consider checking it out as it is very riveting and will keep you guessing until the end.
10/10. Grade: A+