Was anybody murdered?

Rating: 10/10 (30 August 2012)

This Hitchcock classic isn't so much a whodunit but a 'did he do anything?'. James Stewart plays L.B. Jefferies, Jeff to his friends, a photographer used to working in the world's trouble spots; now however he is stuck at home in New York one hot summer with a broken leg and nothing to do but look out of the window. Through this window he watches the activities of his neighbours; there is the woman who exercises in her underwear, an apparently lonely woman, a man who lives with his nagging wife, a musician and a couple who are sleeping on the fire escape in an attempt to keep cool. The only company Jeff has is his nurse Stella and his beautiful girl friend Lisa. Even when they are visiting he can't stop watching the neighbours though. One night he sees something odd; the man with the nagging wife, who we later learn is called Lars Thorwald comes and goes several times with a suitcase and in the morning there is no sign of his wife. Jeff is convinced that he must have murdered her; his friend Lt. Doyle is less than convinced though... several witnesses corroborate Thorwald's story that his wife went away by train. He tells Lisa and she is initially sceptical but when he tells her how he has seen Thorwald examining jewellery in his wife's favourite handbag she believes him... after all what woman would go on a trip and not take her favourite handbag or jewellery? They continue to investigate; if they are wrong they will look silly but if they are correct they could be in a lot of danger!
This film is rightly considered a classic; the camera seldom leaves Jeff's room; when we see things happening outside we only see what Jeff sees from his window. This means we don't know whether Thorwald killed his wife of not until the very end; the evidence we see earlier is merely circumstantial and contradicted by what Lt. Doyle hears when he investigates. James Stewart does a great job as Jeff; he is rarely off camera and as the character has a broken leg he can't even stand up yet he still gives a dynamic performance. He is ably supported by Grace Kelly, who plays Lisa and Thelma Rita who plays Stella. Hitchcock's did a great job directing; the way he showed the view from Jeff's window helps put the viewer in Jeff's position; this was particularly effective when he watched on impotently as Lisa searched Thorwald's apartment when he returned and caught her. This is definitely one to watch; a mystery with a twist and no content that is likely to offend anybody.