Captivating!

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2012)

I'm fairly new to Alfred Hitchcock's work - Rear Window being only his third film I've seen after Psycho and The Birds - but I'm a fan already.
Rear Window raised my interest due to the topic it carried: the lives behind individual windows of a packed community. And, this theme was executed brilliantly. The main character is wheelchair-bound due to an accident, leaving him with not much else to do but watch his neighbours through his apartment window. The character of each neighbour is unique, interesting, and realistic. They are being portrayed as what they truly are when they think nobody's watching. I guess we all have to admit that we do behave differently in public and in private - and this film puts a spotlight on this issue.
However, despite that, it's not a depressing film at all. Even with the major plot line of the main character suspecting a neighbour of killing his wife, I don't find this film dark nor depressing. It's simply captivating. The main characters are charming with warm interactions and funny dialogues between them. The neighbours are interesting to watch and you'd actually care about what happens to them. There are nail-biting thrilling moments which build up slowly to the climax, bringing you along for an unforgettable ride - I found myself on the edge of my seat without even realising it. Overall, it's one of the must-see masterpieces of the cinematic history.