One of Hitchcock's Classics

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2018)

Hitchcock's Rear Window is a masterpiece that pairs dynamic cinematography and sound design with great acting and a unique plot. The film is highly experimental, with every scene being shot on a single (but massive) soundstage; and with most of the scenes being shot from one camera location within that soundstage. The title is very apt, as we experience almost the entire film through the rear window of a Chelsea apartment. Despite these self imposed restrictions, the film is still able to captivate audiences to this day.
In the expository phase of the film, we learn much about the protagonist L.B. 'Jeff' Jeffries from the very first shot. We see out the window from which he looks, all of his neighbors going about their daily business, generally a very vibrant and lively opening scene. Then, as the camera pans inward towards Jeffries' apartment, the film gives us an overview of his condition, by showing us the cast of his broken leg, his name, by showing us the writing on the cast, his job, by showing us some of his photography, and his girlfriend, by showing us a picture of her; all without a single word being spoken. Most of the shots at the beginning of each scene are remarkable because of the camera's range of movement; panning and tilting extreme angles. Another bulletin of the cinematography in Rear Window is the heavy use of perspective changes. While we are inside the apartment itself, the cameras take on a more traditional objective perspective, placing the audience as the third party. However, when Jeffries is looking out the window, we subjectively see what he sees, and this is done in a very realistic way. When Jeffries looks towards something that is far away, the scene is not artificially close to the subject of the camera. Instead, we see a wide shot and, as if we were looking out the rear window ourselves, it is hard to completely make out everything that is happening. Of course, when Jeffries picks up a pair of binoculars or a camera, we are able to see a more clear picture of what is happening. This is also reflected in the sound design, as we cannot totally hear everything from a distance and have to try and make out what is being said.
In the opening scene, we are introduced to Jeffries' employer over the phone: they talk about his potential new assignment, going to Indo-China and photographing the situation there. When we are introduced to Stella (Jeffries' nurse) in the next scene, she brings up how she predicted the stock market crash of 1929. These remarks serve to add dimensionality to their characters and make them more relatable to the audience of the time. We are then introduced to Jeffries' neighbors: a newlywed couple, a lonely pianist, a girl nicknamed Miss Lonelyhearts, a seemingly single ballet dancer nicknamed Miss Torso, a sculptor, a couple and their dog, and Thorwald and his wife. The obvious theme presented to us is one of relationships at their various stages: this transitions us well into the overarching conflict between Jeffries and his girlfriend Lisa Freemont. Jeffries and Freemont both work for magazines, but the nature of their work is very different. Jeffries is a photographer who travels the world in pursuit of the latest global conflicts and stories while Lisa is an editor and model for a New York fashion magazine. Lisa would like nothing more but for Jeff to settle down with her and get married, while Jeff would like nothing more but to continue his world travels. Jeff, while still loving her, believes that Lisa is too sophisticated to be his wife, and our first impression of her supports this view. Lisa thinks Jeff is wrong and wants to prove that she is up to the task of world exploration.
The next scene brings us to the main conflict phase of the film. On a rainy night in the early hours of the morning, Jeffries hears a woman scream "Don't!" followed by the shattering of a glass. Then, he sees his neighbor Thorwald carry a briefcase several times from his apartment to an undisclosed location. The next morning we see Thorwald cleaning off a knife and saw blade and wrapping them with newspaper. At this point the connotation is obvious and need not be stated until Lisa returns the next day. She sees an opportunity in this case, however grim it may be, to prove her worth to Jeffries. After unsuccessfully trying to get his detective friend to investigate and prosecute Thorwald, Jeffries decides to take things into his own hands. Jeffries sends Lisa to slide a note under Thorwald's door to elicit a reaction and succeeds in not getting caught. Later, however, when Stella and Lisa go to investigate Thorwald's flower bed for evidence and come up blank, Lisa runs and quickly climbs the fire escape to enter Thorwald's apartment.
What follows is both the climax of the plot and a classic Hitchcock suspense scene that lasts until almost the end of the film. Jeff wants to call Thorwald's apartment to get Lisa out of there but gets distracted by Miss Lonelyhearts' attempt at suicide. In a hint of dramatic irony, the audience is completely aware of Jeff and Stella's ignorance and expects Thorwald's sudden return. When the police enter Thorwald's apartment they prevent him from attacking Lisa further, but Thorwald then realizes he is being watched by Jeffries. Stella leaves to bail out Lisa, and minutes after, Jeffries receives a call: it's Thorwald. After a brief pause to let it sink in, we hear a door slam in the distance. The footsteps approach closer and closer, the light in the hall goes out. When Thorwald enters, the only light source shines on his face. Upon realizing that Jeffries has made the police aware of the murder, Thorwald begins to approach but is hindered by Jeffries use of flashbulbs. The camera takes on the perspective of Thorwald, and visual effects are used to illustrate his temporary blindness after the use of each bulb. When Thorwald does finally reach Jeffries, a close up action scene ensues, with Thorwald throwing Jeffries out of the window from which he was watched. This is the only scene when the camera exited the apartment. In the end, the police arrive again just in time to break Jeffries fall and arrest Thorwald.
Directly after the climax ends and justice is served, we are presented with a scene very similar to the beginning of the film, although this time all of the minor conflicts of the plot are resolved as well: the Pianist and Miss Lonelyhearts are now a couple, the neighbors got a new dog, Miss Torso's boyfriend returns from the army, and Lisa appears to have taken an interest in exploration as she is reading 'Beyond the Himalayas' (although she appears to switch over to a fashion magazine when she realizes Jeffries is asleep). Overall, the film is remarkable in its use of dynamic cinematography from a static setting, and its use of the first person perspective to really make the audience of the film feel directly involved. The characters are well thought out and relatable, and the plot works very well despite the restrictions. Rear Window is a clear exemplification of Hitchcock's natural aptitude for cinematography, plot, and suspense.