A masterpiece of pure Hitchcock brilliance

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 2018)

What do one usually see when they look out their back window? Some see trees and birds, others just see brick walls. "Rear Window" on the other hand lets us see the everyday, and not so everyday antics of nearby neighbors.
A picture of a man, L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries, who's amazing determination to report on stories has landed him with a broken leg and the inability to capture the sights of the world through his beloved camera, which ironically caused him to end up in this condition. Being stuck in his bed all day, Jeff's only means of communication with the outside world is the window near his bed which he stares out of all day, secretly spying on his neighbors and their everyday antics.
Through this window, we get a unique glimpse into everyday life during the 1950's. All accompanied by a panning camera that illustrates Jeff's point of view. Dogs are playing, women are cleaning and hanging clothes, and various people are walking around with nothing else better to do.
But it's after the sun sets that the darker nature of the neighborhood is truly revealed. Through a unique shot of the camera, we see two rooms of an apartment divided by a water pipe that perfectly orchestrates the divided feelings that the couple in the apartment feel towards each other. After a scream in the night, Jeff wakens to find the husband of the woman in the window quickly leaving the apartment, with the woman nowhere to be seen. It is through this view of the window that Jeff comes to the conclusion that the man must have murdered his wife and is planning a quick getaway.
Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to make a suspenseful murder mystery film. He is well known for that after all, having made Vertigo in 1958 just four years year after this film and also starring Jeff Bridges in the main role. Both films are masterful at suspense, and manage to perfectly play out their plotlines with intense visuals and complex themes.
The shadows in this film perfectly represent the dark intentions of Jeff's neighbor and the underlying mystery of the film. Every major event happens either in the evening or at night. Jeff appears to be the only one who notices before those close to him also begin to follow along with his paranoia after seeing possible evidence themselves. During the day everyone is happy and nothing appears wrong, but during the night screams are heard, dogs are killed, and people leave their apartments. The night rules during this movie, as it tends to do with Hitchcock's other films.
Hitchcock gives us a unique camera perspective on the situation at hand. We see the apartments through Jeff's eyes. We are barely able to hear what's going on, but see enough to get either intrigued or suspicious at whatever these neighbors are doing. They say it is not nice to spy on others, but in this case we must use whatever we can get to figure out whether or not jeff's paranoia is justified.
Under most circumstances, most people would go crazy if they were just locked up in a room with nothing to do all day. This makes it seem as if Jeff is going crazy due to his isolation in that room. If I were in his position, I'd almost certainly be using my imagination on whatever I saw to keep myself occupied. We believe that Jeff is crazy at first, but through his perspective, the mystery slowly begins to come together, and the truth becomes realized.
In conclusion, Alfred Hitchcock has made one of his finest films ever and it is a highly recommended treat to anyone. What kind of perspective will you have on the movie? Be prepared to figure it out for yourself.