One of the best Hitchcock films ever besides Vertigo!

Rating: 10/10 (2 April 2006)

Rear Window/1954/****
Main Stars: James Stewart Grace Kelly Raymond Burr
Excellent! Another well-written, thriller brought to you by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. I had seen this many times before this review but I have never had the chance to review the classic. But since I have time to spare, why not? Why is it Hitchcock is so good at making films and even his mediocre ones become famous a month or two after they come out in theaters? Why (?) because he was always on track making his films with witty dialogue by hiring perfect screenwriters (this one at most). But he's not a director that sits in his chair and eats, gets fat and just moves his hand around and says, "You are here, and you are there!" No! He plans out the scene in his brain while the actors/actresses rehearse and get ready. Normally before shooting (even the first scene) begins, he has already made the movie himself, planned it out with all his tricks, twists, and turns. When they start shooting, he gets it done fast since he has already planned it out. His camera moves, twists, humorous and factual dialogue, everything! He's a perfect director and this ("Rear Window") is one of his best films he made (besides "Vertigo", "North by Northwest", "Rebecca", "Shadow of a Doubt", "Saboteur", "Rope", "The Trouble with Harry", "Psycho", "To Catch a Thief", "Dial "M" for Murder", "Torn Curtain", "Frenzy", "Topaz", "Family Plot", "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "The 39 Steps", "Notorious", "Suspicion", and many, many more)! You notice I didn't mention "Marnie" or "Jamaica Inn" because they were two of his more mediocre ones. Pretty much all his films were big hits and only a few flunked! Not bad, not bad at all! Hitchcock had a big sense of humor and therefore all his films have at least one scene of humorous dialogue or humorous action, adventure, or whatever scenes. But mainly his humor comes from the mouths of the actors. Like in "Rear Window" there was a scene where one of (the main character) L.B. Jefferies's (James Stewart's) buddies comes over to the house and browses around for this salesman (named Mr. Lars Thorwald who is played by Raymond Burr) that is so-called "a murderer" (by Jefferies) (very Hitchcockian) and that he killed his own wife! The thing is Jefferies's buddy wasn't looking over at the so-called "murderer's" apartment window but yet looking at an attractive woman in a window on the other side of him named Miss Torso (Georgine Darcy). He watched for a while and smirked until Jefferies (Stewart) asks him out of the blue, "How's your wife?" And the buddy (named Thomas Doyle played by Wendell Corey) said, "Oh, she's fine." He looked away. See, witty humorous dialogue. Not only does Jefferies's buddy look at Miss Torso but also so does Jefferies himself. Even though he already has someone he's kinda in love with named Lisa Carol Fremont (Grace Kelly) he still looks at other woman and admires them. AND there is a very funny character named Stella (Thelma Ritter) who takes care of Jefferies while he has his cast on (caused by a car crashing into him) and is in his wheelchair spying out at all the people on the other side of him. Stella definitely is a character and really shows how the dialogue is funny in a Hitchcock film. It's great! You have to respect Al and his films because he worked so hard not just to bring you a film, but a great film and to entertain the movie watchers. The films that come out now are definitely making more money but are not as good and wit (more violence, blood, sex, vulgarity). But at least the films that are literally good are still around and can be restored if not good qualities, which are the versions I have of "Rear Window" and "Vertigo". They are both restored and in much better condition. This is one of Hitchcock's masterpieces staring famous actors and actresses (at the time) and has a great ending (not as much of a twist as "Vertigo" and other Hitchcock classics), middle, and beginning. This film has the most creative set ever seen in a Hitchcock film: an apartment courtyard and that's it! You mainly see Jefferies peeking out his apartment window into others (as a window shopper) and seeing what he sees and the camera is never in a different apartment room. Never! As I just said the ending was perfect. Well the reason why is because of the suspense and if he'll die from this fight with the so-called murderer that breaks in to his apartment room. But yet how hard is it to fight with a wheelchair? Movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock.