A journey through the lens of a voyeur.

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2009)

We all have been on the receiving end of being a voyeur once in our life. There are times in our childhood, I am sure, when we spied on someone whether it was our parents, siblings or neighbors. As humans, we have the compelling feeling to be nosy and try to find out about business that is none of ours whatsoever. Alfred Hitchcock knew this feeling, so much so that he knew he could make a murder mystery out of it. Here, L.B. Jeffries (James Stewart) represents all of us, unable to be satisfied with our own lives, so we pry into the lives of others. Unfortunately for him, he is also stuck with a cast for a broken leg, and is so bored with his current situation, he takes his overactive imagination and comes to the conclusion that one of his neighbors has committed murder.
A set-up that has inspired many movies since then, Rear Window is one of the finest achievements of Hitchcock as well as an interesting and compelling thriller that really has more of a lack of thrills. But, like many Hitchcock films, it is the possibility of what might happen that keeps us in tune as well as the reason Jeffries stays involved. Nearly all of Hitchcock's heroes have an obsession, whether it is with a woman, clearing their name or trying to solve a murder, they do not let up but continue on until they either fail or succeed.
I believe Hitchcock is also saying something about the balance of interest between our own lives and how much we should have in others. Jeffries is obsessed with bringing a possible murderer to justice, but he also tends to ignore those closest to him, his girlfriend Lisa (the beautiful and flawless Grace Kelly) as well as return to his job as a photographer. This voyeurism will put him in serious harm's way, but for him it is worth it to get some excitement into his life.
As much as the story is interesting, so is the way it is told. Nearly all shots start out from Jeffrie's apartment, and there is tremendous detail paid to the characters that really don't have anything to do with the murder. Really, when you think about it, Hitchcock tells two stories here; the murder mystery and the lives of others amidst this hot and steamy week in New York. It is an eyeful and takes more than one viewing to get it all, but it is well-made enough that it is never boring and the last twenty minutes will still thrill you, even though you're being a voyeur.