Voyeurism Never Looked So Good

Rating: 10/10 (3 February 2008)

Released in 1954, REAR WINDOW was a major success with critics and public alike--and unlike some Hitchcock films, which were praised at the time but negatively re-evaluated, it has held up incredibly well over time.
Loosely suggested by several notorious crimes, the premise of REAR WINDOW is widely famous. Photographer L.B. Jefferies (Jimmy Stewart) is confined to his New York apartment with a broken leg, alternately nursed and harassed by his elegant girl friend Lisa (Grace Kelly) and pragmatic day nurse Stella (Thelma Ritter.) Annoyed and bored, he begins to watch his neighbors across the courtyard--and soon notices the activities of Mr. and Mrs. Thorwald (Raymond Burr and Irene Winston.) Their quarrels quite suddenly cease, Mrs. Thorwald is no longer visible, and Mr. Thorwald is unexpectedly given to taking packages out of the house. Is it murder? The set for REAR WINDOW has long garnered a great deal of attention, and deservedly so: it is a meticulous sound stage re-creation of New York apartment buildings of the era, and with few exceptions both the camera work and sound effects are presented from Jefferies' point of view: we see what he sees and hear what he hears. In the process, we become as much of a peeping tom as Jefferies himself, a device that tends to make audiences increasingly squirm as the film progresses. At the same time, however, we are also privy to Jefferies' private life, most particularly his rocky relationship with Lisa, who wants marriage but whom Jefferies rejects as incompatible with his own lifestyle.
The performances here are extraordinary, with James Stewart cast against type as Jefferies and Grace Kelly sparkling as the high-fashion Lisa. But the real stunner is the supporting cast, which ranges from the truly remarkable Thelma Ritter to the host of players who are glimpsed from Jefferies' window as they go about their daily routines: the lonely lady, the musician, the newly married couple, the sculptor, the woman with the dog--and, of course, "Miss Torso," a particularly voluptuous blonde who spends her time in what Lisa calls "a woman's hardest job: juggling wolves!" This is Hitchcock working at the peak of his talents, working his themes of isolation, vulnerability, and most particularly voyeurism to the nth degree. The script is tight, the cinematography is flawless, and the production designs are beyond perfection. Critics may argue which film can be regarded as Hitchcock's ultimate masterpiece, but even the most picky among them will place REAR WINDOW either at or very near the top slot--and so will you. Truly memorable and beautifully restored on this DVD release. Recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer