Rear Window

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2018)

Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window is a very captivating piece. In the film a professional traveling photographer, L. B. Jefferies, is confined to his small apartment due to a broken leg. He becomes infatuated with watching the everyday lives of his neighbors through his window. As time goes on, Jefferies starts to believe that he may have witnessed a murder of a woman take place in one of the apartments due to the suspicious actions taken by his neighbor, Thorwald. Jefferies tries to piece together this mystery while also trying to gain the help of his girlfriend Lisa, his nurse Stella, and detective and friend, Doyle. The tension and excitement in the film becomes so exquisite that the viewer tends to forget a very large piece of the film; Jefferies never leaves his room. The entire movie is set from Jefferies' apartment. We become so involved with the story and concerned over what is going to happen next, we don't even realize the setting is the same throughout the entirety of the film. The camera angles also help us with this. We feel as though we are also watching Jefferies' neighbors through his window, as if we were sitting in the room right there with Jefferies. We understand his point of view very well because he is unable to leave his room due to his broken leg. All the characters in this film, including Lisa and Stella, leave Jefferies' apartment at some point, but as for us, the camera stays in the room for the entire time, so we only see through Jefferies' view. To add to the mysterious vibe of the film, we are only able to see some parts of what happens across the way. For example, when Lisa goes into the murder's, Thorwald's, apartment, we are only able to see half of what is going on. Some scenes are cut off by a wall or a building to add to the suspense of the scene. Another element that makes this plot so interesting is how Jefferies' perspective on love and marriage changed throughout the film. As he watches through his window, he sees people in many different stages of their relationships. He starts out not wanting to marry Lisa. As the film progresses and he continues to observe these couples and fall more in love with Lisa, he realizes that he wants to be with her for the rest of his life. This was a very subtle, yet delightful, addition to the plot of the film. Another important element that makes this film so enticing is the plot progression. The plot includes the linear structure of films in acts broken down into exposition, complication, climax, and denouement. Throughout the film, Jefferies' is made out to be crazy by his friend Doyle. Doyle is a detective and every time Jefferies has a claim against Thorwald, Doyle is there to automatically shut it down. But with the help of Lisa and Stella, Jefferies eventually proves that he was right all along, and all the pieces come together. In the beginning of the film, the mood starts off very laidback and innocent, but as it progresses, we start to see how serious the problem really is and eventually Jefferies is caught right up in the action. It is definitely a film that will keep you interested throughout due to all of the suspense. This movie shows the overall nature of humans; we are very curious beings. As for the ending, we are aware of what Thorwald can do, which makes this scene so suspenseful. But, due to Jefferies' fast and resourceful thinking he is able to survive the attack and Thorwald is finally caught for the vicious crime he has committed. This is one of the most remarkable and gripping endings I have ever watched. Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock aged very well and is definitely still a must-see.