Classic Hitchcock from a unique perspective

Rating: 9/10 (1 March 2009)

With the acting talent of two of Alfred Hitchcock's favourite actors, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, and a strong supporting cast of Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey, and Raymond Burr, we have the ingredients of a great movie. However, this movie is much more than the sum of its stars since the directing genius of Hitchcock is more than evident in this film, which is in the top tier of his work. The movie takes place on a small set; in fact, the action takes place in a bachelor apartment with cutaways to other apartments on the opposite side of a courtyard. The location is in a downtown neighbourhood of Manhattan.
The viewer sees much of the action through the telephoto lens of Jimmy Stewart (known as Jeff to his friends), who is a photographer sidelined by an accident. He takes to watching the antics of his neighbours in his spare time. The comic and the sad come together as the camera pans from one apartment to another. The neighbour he is mainly interested in is the apartment of one Lars Thorwald, played by Raymond Burr, who Jeff believes has killed his wife. Thorwald thinks he is acting without the knowledge of anyone but in fact, there is an intruder looking on from the other side of the courtyard, through his rear window.
Raymond Burr gives a convincing portrayal of the sinister Mr. Thorwald – a far cry from the suave, courtly lawyer known on T.V. as Perry Mason. Grace Kelly, as Lisa Carol Freemont, enhances the look of this movie every time she walks on the set. In every scene, she appears like a model from the 1950's. I didn't count the number of costume changes she made but they must have been numerous and she made the most of each one. She is a class act every time she appears and plays the role of the uptown Manhattan girl to a tee. The close-ups of her are eye candy of the first order. In fact, Jimmy Stewart hesitates to marry her because as he says, "she's too perfect". Thelma Ritter (Stella) as the housebound photographer's nurse/masseuse/housekeeper is an absolute marvel with her quick repartee and New York twang to give it that extra zing. During her career, she was nominated for several Academy Awards and is a rich talent. Stella is almost a surrogate mother to Jimmy Stewart, playing the devil's advocate and giving her own two cents'worth on the love match between Lisa and Jeff, particularly Jeff's reluctance to wed.
The plot moves toward the climax when Thorwald realizes he is being stalked and after Jeff finally enlists the support of his buddy Det. Doyle (Wendell Corey). The voyeur's interest in his neighbours leads to some skilled speculation by Jeff that could at any point have been blown away by a logical explanation, as Doyle was suggesting. But the evidence kept mounting and became more and more difficult to ignore.
Some hands-on detective work by Lisa and Stella moves the story towards its climax. This classic movie will hold your interest from its amusing start to goose-bump finish. Along the way, there is a fine script and lots of wit. The vignettes involving the neighbours highlight the degree to which Jeff has taken to voyeurism, honing his observation of human behaviour. When he realizes what he has observed, there is a long silence, very effective. Photography forms a major role in this film, especially the use of the telephoto lens. Views through the viewfinder form part of the key visuals. Hitchcock makes good use of the growing appreciation for professional photography as the skills of one photographer become the basis for a case of murder.