A Genuine Classic From A Master Film Maker.

Rating: 10/10 (3 February 2003)

Professional photographer L.B."Jeff" Jeffries is recovering from an accident which has left him temporarily confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg. Stranded in his New York apartment during a heatwave, he spends his days observing his various neighbours across the courtyard. When the invalid wife of Lars Thurwall apparently dissappears, Jeffries becomes convinced that Thurwall has murdered her.
I've just had the pleasure of seeing this Hitchcock classic at my local multiplex as part of their 'Monday Classics' season. It had been 3 or 4 years since I last saw it on TV, so the opportunity to see it theatrically was most welcome (we're still awaiting the DVD here in the UK).

The film has lost none of its fascination with the passing of time. Like many of Hitchcock's films it is multi-layered. It works as a straightforward thriller, but also as a study of voyeurism, and the moral dilemmas that it can throw up. Hitchcock directs with a sure hand, showing us only the view from Jeffries' apartment. Nothing much happens for the first half hour, we simply get to know the neighbours from Jeffries (James Stewart) point of view. We become as fascinated as he is, as Robert Burks' camera masterfully roves around the courtyard. At no time does the film seem to drag, because we have become engrossed in the surroundings - the voyeur in us all.
The cast are uniformally good. James Stewart had the ability to convey an emotion with the slightest glance or facial expression, which works well here, as he spends the entire film in a wheelchair. Grace Kelly is good as Jeffries' high society girlfriend who comes to believe his theory, and Thelma Ritter is excellent as the visiting nurse full of worldly wisdom. There is some snappy and witty dialogue between her and Stewart.
Rear Window showcases Alfred Hitchcock's genius to the maximum. It's a simple yet very clever idea, executed with subtlety and cinematic craft. A timeless classic worthy of the name.