A culture that loves to watch

Rating: 10/10 (14 May 2007)

Only in the hands of master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock could a seemingly simple tale about a man in a wheelchair watching his neighbours be twisted into a captivating tale of suspense and intrigue, mixed with a sturdy backbone of moral and ethical dilemmas and a social commentary on the culture that would be viewing the film. Hitchcock, who was notorious for mixing in such deeper themes with seemingly superficial suspense epics seemed to particularly relish the tale of Rear Window, a film entirely devoted to a man simply watching. At first glance, the plot sounds overly contrived, even downright dull, but under Hitchcock's careful grasp, the film never drifts into anything less than crackling with low key intrigue and tension - but always equally thought provoking as well as entertaining throughout.
Rear Window proved innovative in film-making style as well as supremely entertaining movie - a masterpiece in pacing, as well as a unique narrative style. The story plays itself out as a murder mystery, but as the plot unfolds, the solution remains abundantly clear to the audience watching the events transpire. Rather than throwing in a hackneyed forced plot twist near the end, Hitchcock is content to simply let the climax unfold exactly as the viewer would have predicted all along - after all, the joy of the film is not solving a mystery, but merely observing the murderous event itself transpire. In a day and age grown so accustomed to climatic plot twists, the absence of any is in itself more of a surprise than another forced plot twist would have been. Unfortunately, one of the film's minuscule flaws is that its ending comes across as a touch abrupt and forced; a minor lapse in pacing in a film which proves an otherwise stellar example of it.
But Hitchcock is not content with simply telling his story in an innovative fashion - his trademark deeper and darker themes make their way into a story which seems deceptively simple, brilliantly written by John Michael Hayes. In many ways, the premise of Rear Window serves as a social commentary on mass culture: people love to watch. How else to explain the enormous generation of income of the film industry than the general public's fascination with the stories of other people; often moreso than in their own lives. James Stewart's character seems to act as a representation of most audience members - too captivated by the social dramas of his neighbours and the glamour of potential murder (another trademark Hitchcock theme) to pay attention to his own life.
And there is no denying that it is enjoyable to watch, as we, the audience, get easily drawn into the private lives of these seemingly inconsequential characters ("Miss Torso", "Ms. Lonelyhearts" and "The Pianist" as Stewart refers to them) framed by the spectacular cinematography, all shot from the room of Stewart's apartment - another reference as to how little it takes to entertain an audience. Indeed, Rear Window seems to serve as a precursor to the world of reality television, and the fascination ensuing from watching shows such as Survivor or Big Brother - simply observing "real life" as it is billed.
Hitchcock also raises moral issues as to the ethics of observing to the point of intrusion of privacy in a scene where Stewart debates the ethics of spying on his neighbours, even if he may bring a murderer to justice. Hitchcock seems to be silently making raising the question to his audiences - we are a culture that loves to watch, but is it always right to watch, and are we always meant to see what we see? Whatever decisions or interpretations audiences may take out of Hitchcock's social commentaries, their mere presence in the film make the unfolding of the plot that much more interesting to follow, and add strongly to the quality of the film overall.
An already brilliantly realized film is only made more powerful by the immensely capable cast - James Stewart proves perfect casting as the ornery yet charming L. B. Jeffries, the wheelchair bound photographer with a bizarre interest in his neighbours' private lives, determined to prove one of them to be a murderer. The peerlessly elegant Grace Kelly brings sheer class to the film as Jeffries' socialite girlfriend, though how could Jeffries ever be capable of pushing such an ideal woman away, and why she continue to be interested in one who comes across as a cranky older man is truly a question for the ages. Character actress Thelma Ritter proves an unquestionable scene stealer, raising many a laugh and making use of many of the film's best lines as Jeffries' unassuming but sharp tongued nurse. Wendell Corey is a similarly strong presence as Jeffries' detective friend who is eventually drawn into the conflict. Raymond Burr, seen almost entirely in extreme long shots still establishes himself as a formidable and intimidating presence as the suspected murderer, and some of the suspenseful scenes involving his character are some of the best nail biting sequences Hitchcock ever churned up. All the supporting players, also seen only in long shots still manage to draw the audience into their personal lives, forcing them to care even when they realize they should be observing dispassionately - an inspired directorial touch.
All in all Rear Window proves to be one of Hitchcock's most fascinating yet philosophical films in a career demonstrating many of the same traits. Though Rear Window may sound slow and uninteresting at first glance, there is a certain fascination the film evokes which triggers inevitable repeat viewing after viewing. This is one window which demands looking into.
-10/10