James Stewart at his best.

Rating: 10/10 (11 August 2014)

James Stewart fans will enjoy this movie. Stewart drives this movie forward. The movie also provides an interesting glimpse of contemporary urban life. Although the movie is a crime drama, it depicts the compartmentalization of existence and the isolation of individuals in large groups. People live in the same building, yet there is no sense of community. A murder can take place and nobody would even know it. The most nefarious acts could take place and nobody would know it. People living in close proximity yet emotionally so disconnected. This is captured by this movie. The social statement may be unintentional yet it is unmistakable. The format of the story itself does not seem complicated: a man watches his neighbors and believes that something bad has happened. The problem is in trying to prove it. Hitchcock uses several clever devices to heighten the suspense. But it is the acting of James Stewart that takes precedence. This is James Stewart at his best.